Jewish Conservative candidate screamed at and called a 'snake' during visit to mosque
1 July 2024, 16:24
A Jewish Conservative candidate for the General Election has been abused on a visit to a mosque in Lancashire.
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Rabbi Arnold Saunders, the Tory candidate for Bury South, was called a "snake" during a confrontation at the Bilal mosque in Prestwich, where he had been invited by mosque 'elders'.
Mr Saunders was seen on camera being yelled at by a man for over three minutes outside the mosque, with the video posted online by the North West Friends of Israel group.
The man urged him to condemn the IDF's actions in Gaza, but when Mr Saunders tried to respond, he shouted over him.
In the footage, the man can be heard shouting: "Don’t come to the house of Allah and try to engage with us when we know that when you’re in your own places you’re saying it is good that they kill the children."
"You are a snake"
— NW Friends of Israel (@NorthWestFOI) June 30, 2024
WATCH the threatening way Rabbi Arnie Saunders was treated when he was invited to the Bilal Mosque in Prestwich, Manchester in his role as the Conservative candidate for Bury South by the mosque elders. That he was allowed to be abused, intimidated and have his… pic.twitter.com/X4PZTsteLq
He added: "We don’t want to engage with you people, we don’t want to engage with you justifiers of child killers."
Mr Saunders, who walks with a stick, is sitting down for most of the video and is surrounded by mosque-goers. Some appear to try to calm down the shouting man, none with any success.
The footage has met with an appalled response from onlookers.
Daniel Sugarman, the director of public affairs for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, called the footage "beyond disgusting".
"We all know what "these people" and "you people" means," he added.
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The Campaign Against Antisemitism also condemned the abuse.
They said in a statement: "Voters have every right to make their views known – even passionately – to candidates for Parliament.
"But there is absolutely no excuse for the sort of abuse that was directed at Rabbi Saunders, which included accusations redolent of classic antisemitic tropes like the blood libel."
The Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester "unequivocally" condemned the abuse of Mr Saunders.
"It is unquestionably antisemitic and we expect action to be taken," they addedl
"The incident occurred following an invitation by the mosque to meet their congregants.
"As an organisation we were delighted to invite and welcome members from the mosque to our hustings. The fact he has been attacked emphasises how individuals are importing the tragic conflict taking place in Israel and Gaza onto the streets of the UK.
“This is manifesting itself in politicians campaigning in a general election being targeted, abused and unable to freely move around the constituencies they are seeking to represent.
"When politicians are unable to speak about their views in public, have meetings disrupted and their offices attacked, it constitutes a real risk to our democracy. We hope that there are no further scenes of this nature as we approach polling day."
