Thousands of Israeli and UK Jewish protestors gathered in Whitehall opposite the entrance of Downing St to greet Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrival on Friday to meet his opposite number Rishi Sunak with drumbeats and rhythmic chants of “busha, busha” – Hebrew for “shame”.

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Their posters and banners proclaimed they were there to save Israeli democracy from what they called the “coup” represented by Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition’s attempt to weaken the powers of the Israeli Supreme Court.

Some carried placards morphing Netanyahu’s face with images of the late Colombian cocaine baron Pablo Escobar and the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Others called him a “dictator”.

The protesters, many of whom were also waving Israeli flags, numbered in the thousands when the demonstration reached its peak when Netanyahu arrived at about 9.30.

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Protesters supporting women's rights, dressed as characters from The Handmaid's Tale protest against controversial legal reforms being touted by the Israel's hard-right government, on Whitehall following a visit by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street in central London on March 24, 2023. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES / AFP)

He had delayed his departure from Israel until 4am because of the sudden political crisis triggered on Thursday by defence Minister Yoav Galant, who had been expected to make a statement saying he could no longer back the judicial reform package unless Netanyahu reached a compromise deal with the Opposition – until Netanyahu talked him out of it early that evening.

Sunak and Netanyahu are said to have discussed Israel and Britain’s mutual security interests, such as the need to curb the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, and reaffirmed their commitment to the “roadmap” for future Anglo-Israeli relations announced by their foreign ministers, James Cleverly and Eli Cohen, earlier this week.

In a statement, Downing Street said the Prime Minister also "expressed his solidarity with Israel in the face of terrorist attacks in recent months" but warned of the risk of escalating tensions in the West Bank as well as stressing the importance of upholding the democratic values that "underpin our relationship" especially in relation to the proposed judicial reforms in Israel.

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Pro Palestine demonstrators protest on Whitehall, following a visit by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street in central London on March 24, 2023. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images)

The pro-Israel Jews and Israelis in Whitehall easily outnumbered a contingent who stood in a separate area guarded by police from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the hard-left Jewish Voice for Labour, and drowned out their chanting of the Hamas slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

There was also a small group from the anti-Zionist Charedi sect Neuterei Karta.

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Neteurei Karta members protest on Whitehall (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images)

The protest was one of several Netanyahu has faced on trips abroad in recent weeks, to countries including Italy and Germany. It was organised by London-based Israeli expatriates, but they have reached out to UK Jewish groups, and from talking to protestors it was clear that at least half of those demonstrating were British.

The presence of so many pro-Israel Jews and Israelis demonstrating against an Israeli prime minister may have a significant political impact.

Alicia Kearns, the Tory MP who chairs the Commons select committee on foreign affairs told the JC earlier this week that most of her colleagues do not follow Israeli politics, and she believed the protest was likely to make them pay attention to the deepening Israeli crisis - with possible negative consequences for their attitude to the Jewish state’s current government.

The protestors came from all parts of British Jewry. One of the oldest present was Londoner Gilliian Lipworth, who somewhat improbably claimed to be 84. “I wanted to be here because I feel very strongly that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and what Bibi is doing there now threatens that. He’s doing great damage and bringing Israel into disrepute.”

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Demonstrators gather near Downing Street ahead of the arrival of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 24, 2023 in London, England (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Daniela Tepperburg, an Israeli mother of two currently living in London, was there with her five-year-old daughter: “We are here because this is the most critical time in Israel’s history”, she said. “This is more dangerous than any of Israel’s wars. I don’t know if our protest will make any difference to what goes on in Bibi’s brain, but it’s vital we express our support for the rest of the Israeli people.”

Neil Nerva, 64, a Labour council Cabinet member from Brent in northwest London – and a staunch opponent of Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader – told the JC:”I’m here to show my solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have gone on to the streets. It is vital we make a statement here that we are defending democracy for all, and that as far as we are concerned, Rishi Sunak is sitting down right now with a very dodgy leader who is causing great harm.”  

Also among the protestors were several rabbis, including Masorti leaders Jonathan Wittenberg of the New North London synagogue, who was due to make a speech later in the day, and Rabbi Jeremy Gordon, of the New London Synagogue in St Johns Wood.

The chants were punctuated by intense performances from a small stage of Israeli protest songs, and a handful of speeches. In one, Mike Prashker, the UK-born founder of the educational charity Merchavim, which as the JC revealed in January has been blacklisted by Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies, told the crowd:

“Bibi is hearing you loud and clear and is hearing the same message from across the Jewish world.”

Israel, Prashker said, was not only in chaos “but on the brink of civil war”, and yet Netanyahu was claiming he was the person who could heal its political wounds – a claim Prashker said he found “incredible”.

When the JC approached those demonstrating with the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, almost all refused to comment on hearing that they were being questioned by a Jewish newspaper.

One woman, who would give her name only as Mary, commented that while she and the pro-Israel protestors both thought Netanyahu was a “dictator”, “I don’t think that others are on board with the rest of our cause.”

After leaving Downing St, Netanyahu was due to meet Home Secretary Suella Braverman at the Home Office in order to discuss security issues.