The Israeli owner of an east London nightclub has left his role following threats to him and his family, according to anti-racism group Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA).
The former owner and founder of E1, a dance club known for its techno and house nights, announced on Friday that he would be stepping down from his role due to “targeted harassment” over his decision to travel back to Israel in the days following October 7.
According to CAA, the club owner received a package containing a printed note calling him a “Zionist child killer” and children’s clothes covered in fake blood. His name has also been included in graffiti calling for the boycott of E1, and there was reportedly a threat on social media to firebomb his home.
The nightclub director called the attacks an “insidious campaign” constituting little more than “a concerted effort to intimidate myself and my family” in a statement to CAA. He added: “Since October 7, Jews and Israelis living in Britain have faced an endless torrent of antisemitic hate. That day, my life changed. I lost family members and friends, whom I miss dearly. My happy life running a nightclub ended.
“Immediately after the Hamas terrorist atrocities, I went to Israel for humanitarian reasons and to be with my family. I did a lot of good as a medic, I helped Israelis and Palestinians. Four months later, I returned to Britain, but working at the club during this time became impossible.”
Last week, an activist group called Ravers for Palestine called for a boycott over claims that the club’s owner had travelled to Israel to serve in the IDF.
The group posted a screenshot of a since-deleted Facebook post which appeared to contain photos of the Jewish club owner in an IDF uniform under a caption saying he was “coming back home to London” after being “somewhere in Gaza”.
“No one wants to lose another rave venue in London,” the Ravers for Palestine post read. “But there can be no place in our culture for actors engaged in colonial violence — especially those in places of power and ownership.”
The group also posted a photo of the club owner’s name graffitied on a wall alongside a call for the boycott of E1.
E1 acknowledged the former owner’s departure in a statement: “E1 is a place for music and dancing. We have no connection to political movements and confirm that our previous owner stepped away in October due to being deeply affected by the ongoing crisis across Israel and Palestine. We will continue to provide a safe space for people to enjoy club culture in East London.”
A CAA spokesperson called the harassment of E1’s former owner “indicative of how dire the situation is in Britain right now. More than six in ten British Jews have either personally experienced or witnessed an antisemitic incident since October 7 or know somebody who has, and this is what it can look like.” The CAA said the police are investigating the threats against the club owner and his family and encourage anyone with information to “do the right thing and step forward.”
