Jewish Journalist Attacked in London After Confronting Antisemitic Graffiti

A British Jewish journalist, Dan Levene, 52, reported being violently assaulted in central London on Tuesday evening. Levene claims he intervened when he saw two masked men spray-painting graffiti in Queen Square, Holborn. The graffiti depicted Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Labour Party candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, as a "puppet of genocidal Israel." Levene stated he kicked the stencil away and asked the men to stop, explaining he did not want to see antisemitic graffiti in London. According to his account, one of the men then punched and kicked him for about 20 seconds, attempting to knock him down. As Levene tried to use his phone to photograph the attacker, he was allegedly pushed to the ground and hit on the head and ribs. Two passersby intervened, causing the assailants to flee. Levene sustained cuts and bruises to his face, arms, and legs, and suspects a fractured rib. Police confirmed he reported minor injuries not requiring medical attention. The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation, classifying the assault and vandalism as antisemitic hate crimes. The incident occurred two days before the Holborn and St Pancras by-election and on the eve of the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel. Levene believes the assault reflects a rise in antisemitism in the UK. He also criticized the Green Party, whose leader Zack Polanski is running in the constituency, for adopting a stance equating Zionism with racism. However, investigators have found no link between the assailants and the Green Party. The party had not commented by the time of publication. Police are continuing their investigation to identify the suspects, and no arrests have been made.