Antisemitism rally under strain as invites spark controversy

What's happened

The London rally opposing antisemitism is under pressure as organisers face criticism over inviting Reform UK while excluding Green party leader Zack Polanski. Attendees, including other party figures, reflect a divided Jewish community about how to confront antisemitism and right-wing influence.

What's behind the headline?

The current moment

• The rally is positioned as a cross‑party stand against antisemitism, but the invitation list exposes fault lines within the community and its allies. The inclusion of Reform UK’s Nigel Farage is seen by critics as lending legitimacy to a party with documented antisemitism concerns in some quarters, while Polanski’s Green leadership is scrutinised for its party's handling of antisemitism. This tension shapes expectations around turnout and message.
• The controversy may shift public perception of who is responsible for leading anti-antisemitism efforts, potentially polarising supporters of different parties and easing pressure on others to act decisively.

What could happen next

• Organisers may adjust the invite list in response to signatories calling for a more representative event.
• Security and policing measures could tighten as tensions around the rally rise, given recent attacks and elevated threat levels.
• The broader political debate may intensify about how to balance free speech with accountability on antisemitism.

How we got here

Protests come after a spate of antisemitic hate incidents and two stabbings in Golders Green. Organisers say the event seeks to unite a broad coalition against antisemitism, but divisions over which political figures should be included have emerged.

Our analysis

The Guardian (George Monbiot) reports on the controversy over Farage’s invitation; Donna Ferguson (The Guardian) notes the invited list and coalition hopes; The Independent covers the rally context, including arson and a terror-related stabbing and the political reactions.

Go deeper

• Will the rally change its invite list in response to the letter signed by 2,000 people?
• How will this event influence cross-party cooperation on antisemitism in the UK?
• What safety measures are in place for participants given the recent security concerns?

More on these topics

• Kemi Badenoch - British politician and Leader of the Opposition to the British Government (2024–present) and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2024 (born 1980)

  Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke Badenoch (née Adegoke; born 2 January 1980) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Conservative Party since November 2024. Badenoch previously worked in the Cabinet for prime minister

• Ed Davey - Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

  Sir Edward Jonathan Davey FRSA MP is a British politician serving as Acting Co-Leader of the Liberal Democrats since 13 December 2019. He has been the Member of Parliament for Kingston and Surbiton since 2017, and previously from 1997 until 2015. Davey is

• Nigel Farage - Member of the European Parliament

  Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician. He has been leader of the Brexit Party since 2019, and served as Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until the United Kingdom's exit from the EU in 2020.

• Richard Tice - Member of the European Parliament

  Richard James Sunley Tice is a British businessman and politician who has been chairman of the Brexit Party since 2019. He was elected as a Brexit Party Member of the European Parliament for the East of England at the 2019 European Parliament election.

• Pat McFadden - Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

  Patrick Bosco McFadden is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South East since 2005. A member of the Labour Party, he was briefly Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in 2010 and Shadow Ministe

• Zack Polanski - Member of the London Assembly

  Zack Polanski is a Green Party of England and Wales politician who has been a member of the London Assembly since May 2021. Polanski is also the national spokesperson for the Green Party for Democracy & Citizen Engagement.