The British prime minister also suggested he wanted to see “tougher action” against people using certain phrases at Gaza demonstrations — but stopped short of agreeing with calls for a ban on the marches.
His latest intervention comes amid repeated warnings from authorities of a “deeply troubling rise” in antisemitic incidents across England in the wake of a double stabbing in Golders Green on Wednesday last.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the UK terrorism threat level “severe”, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”, after two Jewish men were stabbed in the incident.
Why am I on a march where this is the chant?
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Starmer said: “I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly, and freedom of speech. I have defended those principles all my life and I will continue to do so.
“But if you are on a march or a protest where people are chanting ‘globalise the intifada’, you do have to stop and ask yourself, ‘Why am I not calling this out? Why am I on a march where this is the chant?’ And I do think it’s time for people just to ask themselves that.
“I’m not saying, of course, that there aren’t very strong legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza. We all have deep concerns about it. This government has recognised Palestine just last year. So, of course, there are important issues.”
Starmer suggested he was not in favour of banning the marches, and instead suggested that a “whole-of- society response” was needed to draw attention to antisemitism, alongside granting “further powers” for the policing of demonstrations.
On Thursday, he suggested he was in favour of prosecuting those who use the phrase “globalise the intifada”, which critics believe is a call to use violence against Israelis and Jewish people.
Speaking to the BBC, Starmer said: “I don’t want to get involved in operational policing, but I think when you see, when you hear some of those chants, ‘globalise the intifada’ … then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that.
“Now, that’s not a discussion that has only been had this week in response to this awful incident. That is a discussion we’ve been having with the police for some time.”
The scene in Golders Green, north-west London, after the attack. Photo: PA
Elsewhere in the interview, the British PM defended two police officers from criticism for kicking the Golders Green stabbing suspect as they tried to disarm him.
In footage shared on social media, the officers appeared to kick the 45-year-old suspect in the head after they had used a Taser to force him to the ground.
Starmer said: “There’s a guy on the ground. He’s got a rucksack on. And I don’t know what was going through the mind of those officers, but if I was there, I’d be thinking, ‘He’s going to detonate something’.
“In those circumstances, I think you can quite see why what could have gone through their mind is, ‘We need to do whatever we can to disable this guy’.”
The prime minister also branded Green Party leader Zack Polanski “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party” for reposting criticism of the officers online.
The Green leader, who was also criticised by Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley for his actions, has apologised for “sharing a tweet in haste”.
Antisemitism is growing, in part because of social media
Both men injured in the Golders Green attack have now been discharged from hospital.
Rowley, who is London’s top policeman, told reporters that he believed British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat in the wake of a recent spate of attacks.
He also said that Jews are at the centre of a “ghastly Venn diagram of hate” from all sides, and warned antisemitism is a growing threat to their safety, in part because of social media.
Stephen Parkinson, the UK’s director of public prosecutions, meanwhile, said there was a “deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country”.
Rowley also said he is “concerned” about the scale of upcoming protests in the capital, and said police are looking at what conditions and powers should be used in respect of those events.
Yesterday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Starmer for his lack of action on tackling antisemitism.
She told broadcasters: “I heard the prime minister give an interview this morning where he didn’t seem to know what to do about it.
“Enough with the platitudes. We need action. We need to shame people who think antisemitism is acceptable.”