Israeli deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel wore a bulletproof vest in Manchester, saying, “As a Jew, I am not safe in your streets.”
Earlier this year, British lawmakers denounced Sharren Haskel for surreptitiously recording them during a trip to Israel and sharing the video on Instagram along with derogatory comments.
However, following a deadly antisemitic attack on a synagogue in Manchester's Crumpsall neighborhood on Thursday by a British Syrian, she was granted access into the country.
The attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on October 2 left at least two individuals dead and four others injured.
Later, Greater Manchester Police acknowledged that they were responsible for one of the victims' deaths and another's injuries.
"Here as a Jew I am not safe in your streets,"
Haskel told a crowd of hundreds commemorating the victims of the attack in Manchester on Sunday.
"I'm threatened with death, for nothing more than my very existence,"
she claimed.
"I stand before you in a bulletproof vest, a Kevlar vest, here on this stage. I am not allowed to be here without it."
That same day, Haskel declined to criticize Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, whose government is committing genocide in Gaza and whose boss, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
Tommy Robinson, a convicted felon and far-right British thug, will visit Israel this month, Chikli said on Friday.
Haskel was questioned by Channel 4 if she would denounce Chikli's action.
In response, Haskel made up the story that Jihad al-Shamie, the Manchester attacker, was an immigrant who was born in Britain.
Additionally, she asserted that "people are entitled and allowed to speak out their mind" and advocated for new antisemitic policies in the UK.
Chikli has been involved in a public dispute with prominent Jewish organizations in Britain, such as the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Robinson's true name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and Chikli called him a "courageous leader on the front line against radical Islam" on Friday.
Over the last 20 years, Yaxley-Lennon has developed a violent street movement aimed at inflaming anxieties about an Islamic takeover of the United Kingdom.
Since 2003, he has been given prison terms and community orders for a variety of offenses, including football brawling, entering the US on someone else's passport, mortgage fraud, drug possession, threatening behavior, and violating a court order.
He lost a libel suit in 2021 for his derogatory remarks directed at a Syrian student who was seen on camera being attacked at school.
Many people have accused him of saying antisemitic things.
Yaxley-Lennon announced on social media site X that he has accepted an invitation from the Israeli government to pay for his airfare and lodging, and that he will fly to Israel following a court appearance on October 13.
He stated that he would visit the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and meet with government officials.
In response, the Board of Deputies (BoD) and the Jewish Leadership Council released a statement saying Yaxley-Lennon's presence "undermines those genuinely working to tackle Islamist extremism and foster community cohesion".
Both bodies are generally supportive of the Israeli government, and in June the BoD suspended members of its board who criticised Israel's genocide in Gaza.
But Chikli hit back, condemning the BoD on Saturday as being "openly aligned with left-wing, woke, pro-Palestinian parties".
"Just hours after Jews were murdered in Manchester," he said, "instead of demanding protection or holding the government accountable, the Board rushed for a photo-op with the prime minister."
Haskel shared a picture of herself with UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch on social media on Sunday night.
She said: "We spoke about the alarming rise in antisemitism across Europe, and especially in the UK - a reality tragically underscored by the recent terror attack in Manchester, which claimed innocent lives and reminded the world where hate can lead."
At the Conservative Party's annual conference in Manchester, she also spoke at the Conservative Friends of Israel reception.
How have UK politicians responded to her vest and remarks?
Several politicians were sympathetic to the security demands of Jewish officials and communities, acknowledging the very real threat of rising antisemitism in the UK.
Meanwhile, other politicians criticized the gesture and comments as divisive or provocative and warned against creating fear or generalizing an entire community. The Labour Party denounced antisemitic attacks and called for stronger safeguards for Jewish people while advising that any security response should not weaken relations.
Some MPs stated there should be unity across communities and encouraged taking action against hatred without fear of the community being stigmatized.