Jewish News Today: Third Anniversary of October 7 Marked by Protests, Political Rows, and Calls to Combat Antisemitism

Three years after the Hamas massacre of 7 October 2023, communities across the Jewish world observed the anniversary with memorials, official statements, and solemn gatherings — while new flashpoints emerged in London, Chicago, Berlin, and New York that underscored the continuing pressures facing the Jewish diaspora. This is one of the most significant dates in modern Jewish memory, and today's events made clear that its reverberations are far from over.

London: Masked Protesters Target Board of Deputies on Anniversary

In one of the most disturbing incidents of the day in Britain, a masked anti-Israel mob demonstrated outside the offices of the Board of Deputies of British Jews in London, according to the Jewish Chronicle. Police arrested five people on suspicion of inciting racial hatred at the demonstration. The Jüdische Allgemeine separately confirmed the protest, describing it as unannounced and involving several masked activists. That this occurred at the headquarters of British Jewry's representative body — on the third anniversary of the Hamas massacre — drew immediate condemnation from communal leaders and politicians.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch used the occasion to publicly declare her solidarity with Britain's Jews, attacking the Green Party for what she called "disgraceful antisemitism" and also criticising Andy Burnham's previous support for Jeremy Corbyn, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The Israeli embassy in London described the UK government's shift in policy toward Israel since October 7 as "a source of deep sadness," while also remembering the British-linked victims of the attack and those still held hostage by Hamas.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan drew sharp criticism after his October 7 statement called out what he described as "reprehensible" actions of Israel. The Israeli embassy publicly condemned his comments, even as Khan also offered his "deepest condolences" to the families affected by the Hamas-led attack, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

UK Green Party: Calls for a Political 'Firewall'

The controversy surrounding the Green Party deepened on the anniversary. The Jewish Chronicle reported calls on Britain's political parties to adopt a formal "firewall" against the Greens — similar to the established refusal of German parties to govern alongside the AfD — following the party's passage of a "Zionism is racism" motion. The paper's editorial described a party that "targets a Jewish community already facing murderous violence" as one that "cannot be treated as a normal governing partner."

Separately, the Jewish Chronicle revealed that Lubna Speitan, the author of that motion, is being investigated by the Green Party following the paper's disclosure of her reported "friendship" with an al-Qaeda terrorist. She is also under investigation over comments about Zionists and synagogues. Meanwhile, the paper reported that Chris Williamson — a Press TV presenter and prominent boycott advocate — was spotted staying at the Israeli-owned Leonardo Hotel during the Green Party conference in Brighton, appearing to break his own boycott stance.

New York: Jewish Voters Fault Mamdani; City Hall Hosts Survivor

In New York, a new poll released on the anniversary found that nearly two-thirds of Jewish voters in the city disapprove of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's handling of antisemitism, according to the Forward. The same poll found that Jewish New Yorkers were more supportive of his police commissioner. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon told JNS that Mamdani's statement on the anniversary was an effort to "hijack" the occasion. "We will remember those who were murdered, and we will never forget who was behind this massacre," Danon said.

At City Hall, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin — described by JNS as the council's first Jewish speaker — hosted October 7 survivor Shalev Biton and his rescuer, Yunis Alkarnawi, alongside Jewish Caucus members Eric Dinowitz, Lynn Schulman and Harvey Epstein. "We will never forget what happened on Oct. 7," Menin told JNS.

Germany: Berlin Prosecutions, Düsseldorf Attack, and Parliamentary Calls to Act

Germany marked the anniversary against a backdrop of striking statistics. Berlin prosecutors have received nearly 12,500 criminal proceedings related to the Middle East conflict in the three years since October 7, the Jüdische Allgemeine reported, with more than 7,000 of those cases still active. In a separate development, two suspects have been identified following an attack on a Jewish man in Düsseldorf, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine; one is described as an 18-year-old German-Moroccan from Duisburg.

Bundestag President Julia Klöckner used the anniversary to call for a renewed fight against antisemitism. "Jews and Jewish life must have a place in our country," she said, according to the Jüdische Allgemeine. In Berlin, the Left Party, the Greens, and the SPD held coalition talks that included discussion of how a potential new city government would address antisemitism, the paper reported.

Also in Germany, a state government defended a draft law that would ban calls for Israel's destruction. A legal opinion backing the proposal has been submitted amid constitutional concerns raised by the federal government and reservations from Central Council of Jews in Germany president Josef Schuster, JNS reported.

Paris Bans Anniversary Rally; Global Protests Assessed as High Risk

Paris banned an anti-Israel rally planned for the October 7 anniversary, with police citing heightened terrorism concerns and high antisemitism levels, according to JNS. More broadly, Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism assessed that 87 of the anti-Israel events expected worldwide around the anniversary posed a medium or high level of risk to Jewish communities, JNS reported.

Chicago: Jewish Theater Drops Israeli Playwright Over Fear of Repercussions

A Chicago Jewish theater has cancelled a planned revival of a play by Israeli novelist and playwright Naomi Ragen, saying actors feared repercussions for working with an Israeli writer, according to both the Forward and JTA. Ragen, who is New York-born and has long been known for her portrayals of Orthodox Jewish women, called the cancellation a return to "McCarthyism." The case has drawn attention as an example of cultural pressure on Israeli and pro-Israel voices in diaspora institutions.

Hezbollah Defends the Massacre; World Leaders Condemn Hamas

On the anniversary itself, Hezbollah issued a statement defending the October 7 attack, calling it an "act of resistance," the Jüdische Allgemeine reported. The statement stands in sharp contrast to the tone of Western governments: US and European officials issued condemnations of Hamas terrorism and remembrances of victims, according to the Jewish Chronicle and JNS. Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state flags lowered to half-staff, saying "Texas stands with Israel and the Jewish community and will always honor the lives lost that day."

Lithuania Pledges to Respect Jewish Burial Site

In an exclusive disclosure, JNS reported that the Lithuanian government has told the outlet it "does not envisage any activities on the site of the former Jewish cemetery in Šnipiškės that would be incompatible with the historical significance" of the site. The site had previously been the subject of concern over planned commercial development. The commitment was described by JNS as significant for those who have campaigned for the preservation of Jewish heritage in the Baltic states.

Haverford Professor Arrested for Cyberstalking Jewish Person

A religion professor at Haverford College in Pennsylvania — who had previously been named by Jewish students in a settled lawsuit against the school and had reportedly described antisemitism complaints as "Zionist witch hunts" — was arrested after authorities alleged he used anonymous online accounts to harass a Jewish person, the Forward reported. The case has drawn attention given the professor's prior public statements dismissing Jewish students' concerns.

What This Means for Jewish Communities in the Diaspora

Today's events — taken together — paint a picture of a Jewish diaspora under sustained pressure, three years on. In London, the Jewish community's representative body was physically targeted on the most painful date in the recent communal calendar. In Germany, the scale of Middle East-related criminal prosecutions and ongoing street violence underscores that antisemitism news from Berlin is not abstract: it reflects thousands of individual incidents touching Jewish life. In the United States, the row over Mamdani's record in New York and the cancellation of an Israeli playwright's work in Chicago speak to a political and cultural climate in which Zionist Jews increasingly report feeling excluded or silenced.

For communities in all three countries, the third anniversary of October 7 is not only a day of mourning. It is also a moment to reckon with how much — and how little — has changed.

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