Exclusive: No charges for east London Imam’s ‘destroy Jewish homes’ sermon

However, on Thursday the Metropolitan Police confirmed that no further action would be taken.

Following further investigation, and on the advice of independent counsel and an academic with recognised expertise – whom the police have refused to name – resulted in the decision to take no further action.

The police seemed to blame the lack of further action on existing legislation.

A spokesperson told the JC that they recognised “the strength of feeling in relation to this case. The language used caused offence and concern, in particular among London’s Jewish communities but also more widely.”

They rejected assertions that they aren’t tackling crime targeting Jewish Londoners seriously, saying that: “Since October 2023 we have made more than 300 arrests for anti-Jewish hate crime offences. Where the evidence meets the threshold for us to take action we absolutely will.”

However, they went on to say that: “Two investigations have now found that in this case, that threshold was not met. We recognise that this will be frustrating to many, but we police to the letter of the law and we must weigh the evidence against the legislation as it is, not as some may want it to be.”

“It is for Parliament to determine where the line is drawn, not the police.”

Jewish communal organisations expressed dissapointment with the Metropolitan Police’s decision.

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust said that: “Many in the Jewish community and beyond will find it hard to understand how these outrageous comments apparently did not break the law. If that is truly the case, then it is very worrying and suggests a gap in the law that ought to be addressed.”

Russell Langer, director of public affairs at the Jewish Leadership Council told the JC that: “The anti-Jewish language used in this sermon was not just offensive but potentially dangerous considering the risk of incitement during a period of high tension.

He added: “Many will find it bewildering that after two investigations, no action is being taken. It is clear that either the law is not being enforced or it is not robust enough. Neither is satisfactory and this lack of action must be addressed urgently.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP hit out at the Met Police’s decision, which he labelled “totally unacceptable”.

He told the JC: “We cannot have hate preachers openly calling for the destruction of Jewish homes and getting away with it. Inciting racial or religious hatred and using threatening or abusive language to cause harassment, alarm or distress are criminal offences.

He went on: “This is another example of two-tier policing under Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer.”

At the time of the JC’s initial report that the Met had chosen not to pursue further action against the Imam, one former Metropolitan Police detective said that the police, through their actions, had established a precedent to establish whether there was two-tier policing in the UK.

Peter Bleksley told the JC: The language used by the [east London] preacher and the response from the Met Police is now a template for what is not illegal, for what can be said.”

He continued: “If a preacher of any other religion wanted to supplant the word ‘God’ for ‘Allah’ and ‘Muslims’ for ‘Jews’, that would be the perfect test to see if there is two-tier policing. They have set a precedent now.”