London Man Assaulted for Disrupting Anti-Israel Graffiti
Translated & summarized from Vesty by baba
A 52-year-old Jewish man, Dan Levin, was beaten in central London on October 6 for trying to stop two men from spray-painting anti-Israel and anti-Muslim graffiti targeting a local parliamentary candidate. Police are investigating the assault as an antisemitic hate crime. Levin sustained minor injuries, including a cracked rib. The incident occurred during local elections where the Israel-Gaza war is a prominent issue, and the investigation is ongoing.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Dan Levin was assaulted in London for disrupting anti-Israel graffiti targeting a parliamentary candidate.
- Police are investigating the October 6 attack as an antisemitic hate crime.
- The graffiti called candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali a "puppet of the genocidal Israeli regime."
- Levin suffered a cracked rib and bruises but did not require hospitalization.
- The incident occurred amid local elections where the Israel-Gaza war is a contentious issue.
A 52-year-old Jewish man, Dan Levin, was assaulted in central London after intervening to stop two individuals from spray-painting an anti-Israel and anti-Muslim message on a wall. The graffiti targeted Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Muslim candidate running for local parliament under the Labour Party. Police are investigating the incident, which occurred on October 6, as a hate crime motivated by antisemitism, according to Ynet reporting on October 8.
Levin, a public relations consultant, recounted that he was returning from the theater when he saw the two men using a stencil and spray paint to create the message: "Do not vote for Sagal Abdi-Wali, a puppet of the genocidal Israeli regime." He kicked the stencil away to prevent them from finishing. When the men confronted him, Levin compared them to neo-Nazis, prompting them to attack him. The assault intensified when Levin attempted to use his phone, with one attacker knocking him down. He described being beaten by kicks to the head and body, weighing over 110 kilograms, until two passersby from a nearby pub intervened, causing the attackers to flee.
Levin sustained a cracked rib and bruises, later sharing a photo of his bloodied face on social media. London police stated his injuries were minor and did not require hospitalization. The graffiti campaign against Abdi-Wali, who is Muslim, has been ongoing, with activists portraying her as a "Zionist puppet" and criticizing her stance on Israel, particularly her past support for Keir Starmer. Similar graffiti has appeared elsewhere in the constituency.
Levin, who identifies as a proud Jew, suggested the attackers might support the Green Party, whose candidate in the same district is Zak Polanski, described as an anti-Zionist Jew. Levin expressed concern that voting for the Green Party has fostered tolerance for anti-Zionism and antisemitism, making it frightening to be Jewish. However, no direct link between the attackers and the Green Party, or official endorsement of the graffiti campaign by the party or Polanski, has been established.
The attack occurred amidst local elections where the Israel-Gaza war and Zionism have become contentious political issues. The investigation is ongoing.
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