Palestinian migrant to UK who called to 'kill all Jews' arrested
Group against antisemitism asks 'why nobody seemed to have worked out who he was until our investigators exposed him'
A Palestinian man was arrested after illegally crossing the English Channel into the UK on a dinghy, according to reports on Monday.
Abu Wadei, in his 30s from Khan Yunis, was among 235 migrants who arrived on boats on Thursday morning. He is currently in detention after being apprehended by immigration officers.
His arrest comes after an investigation posted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which noted that he had previously attended events led by Yahya Sinwar, the late Gazan leader of Hamas who was killed by the IDF last year.
"We welcome the reported arrest of Abu Wadei," the Campaign Against Antisemitism said in a statement. "It is evident that he poses a threat to the safety of the Jewish community and to the British public more widely. Clearly he should not be at liberty in the UK. We are now asking the Home Office to confirm that this case will be expedited and we are seeking assurances on the anticipated timeframes. We are also asking why nobody seemed to have worked out who he was until our investigators exposed him."
His social media accounts show him posing with an AK-47 assault rifle and calling in a video for God to "punish the Jews and those who support them… Oh Allah, kill them all and do not leave a single one of them."
"We are committed to ending small boat crossings which undermine our border security, and restoring order to the asylum system to ensure that the rules are respected and enforced," a statement from the British Home office said.
"While it is a long-standing rule that we never comment on individual cases or operational matters, the British public can be reassured that we take all steps necessary at all times to protect the nation’s security."