We need to talk about Stephen Kapos
For those who aren’t familiar with him, let me introduce you to Stephen Kapos, a man with more integrity in his little finger than the entire Metropolitan Police and our Government put together. Born in Hungary in 1937, Kapos survived the Holocaust as a child, escaping the Nazi extermination of Hungarian Jews and losing most of his family in the process. He has spent his life bearing witness to the horrors of fascism and fighting against injustice, refusing to let history repeat itself. Unlike the snivelling careerists who now have the gall to criminalize him, Kapos understands precisely what state oppression looks like, and he’s spent decades standing against it. His activism isn’t some passing phase, it’s a lifelong commitment to opposing genocide, whether committed against Jews in the 1940s or Palestinians today.
And for this, the British establishment dares to paint him as a criminal?
In an appalling display of state overreach, the Metropolitan Police have targeted Stephen Kapos for his participation in a peaceful pro-Palestine protest. Kapos, finds himself harassed by the very institutions that should uphold democratic freedoms.Jewish Voice for Labour+1Stop the War+1
Stephen has history with the Labour Party. He walked after they threatened to discipline him if if talked at a meeting on holocaust memorial day.
On January 18, Kapos joined a demonstration in Trafalgar Square to honor Palestinian lives lost in the Israel-Hamas conflict. His so-called offence? Carrying a simple bouquet of flowers to commemorate the victims. For this act of compassion, Kapos was summoned for police questioning, accused of breaching Public Order Act conditions, a blatant attempt to criminalize empathy and dissent. Jewish Voice for Labour+4The Independent+4NationalWorld+4Stop the War+2Jewish Voice for Labour+2NationalWorld+2Byline Times+1The Independent+1
This disgraceful action by the Metropolitan Police is part of a broader, politically motivated crackdown on Palestine solidarity activists. Alongside Kapos, prominent figures such as actor Khalid Abdalla and Stop the War Coalition officers have been subjected to similar intimidation tactics. Even MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have not been spared, facing police interviews under caution. Jewish Voice for Labour+4Jewish Voice for Labour+4NationalWorld+4Byline Times+2NationalWorld+2Jewish Voice for Labour+2
The Metropolitan Police's campaign of intimidation extends beyond the disgraceful targeting of Stephen Kapos. Jessica L, a Jewish activist and member of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) and the pressure group Na’amod, faced appalling treatment during the 'National March for Ceasefire' on May 18, 2024. Despite peacefully protesting while wearing a kippah and a 'Jews Say Ceasefire Now' t-shirt, she was forcibly removed by a police officer and thrust into a hostile pro-Israel counter-protest. There, she endured physical assaults and vile antisemitic abuse, including being labeled a 'Kapo' and a 'self-hating Jew'. The police's failure to protect her right to protest and their complicity in her mistreatment exemplify their blatant disregard for the safety and freedoms of Jewish individuals who stand in solidarity with Palestinians. Jewish Voice for Labour+1New York Post+1
This pattern of repression is not confined to the UK. In the United States, over 200 Jewish activists from Jewish Voice for Peace were arrested after staging a peaceful sit-in at the New York Stock Exchange, protesting against U.S. funding of Israeli military actions. Similarly, nearly 100 protesters were detained after demonstrating at Trump Tower in New York City, demanding the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist facing deportation for his pro-Palestinian advocacy. New York PostNew York Post+1WSJ+1
These incidents expose a disturbing trend: Jewish individuals and organisations opposing Israel's genocidal policies are being systematically harassed, silenced, and criminalized by authorities. The establishment's message is clear, dissent against the Zionist narrative will not be tolerated, even when it comes from within the Jewish community. This hypocrisy lays bare the moral bankruptcy of a system that weaponizes accusations of antisemitism to suppress legitimate criticism of Israel's atrocities.
The message is clear: the British establishment, in its unwavering support for Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza, is determined to silence any form of protest. The targeting of Kapos—a man who survived the ultimate atrocity of the Holocaust—exposes the moral bankruptcy of a system that equates peaceful demonstration with criminality.Jewish Voice for Labour+1Stop the War+1
Holocaust survivors and their descendants have rightly condemned this persecution, emphasizing the grotesque irony of accusing an elderly Jewish man, compelled by his own experiences of genocide, of wrongdoing for standing against the massacre of Palestinians. Jewish Voice for Labour
This reprehensible episode underscores the urgent need to defend the right to protest and to challenge the UK's complicity in Israel's war crimes. The establishment's attempt to muzzle voices of conscience like Kapos's must be met with unwavering resistance. We cannot allow the state to dictate which atrocities we oppose or to intimidate those who dare to speak out against injustice.
Jewish Voice for Labour: The Holocaust survivor who can no longer call Labour home | Jewish Voice for Labour SURVIVING NAZISM Stephen Kapos’ credentials in this debate are impeccable. Starmer knows him well. As a prospective parliamentary candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, a safe seat vacated by Frank Do...
The Independent: Israel-Hamas war protest: Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos questioned by Met police | The Independent HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR WHO LAID FLOWERS AT GAZA PROTEST QUESTIONED BY POLICE Holocaust survivor questioned by police over Gaza protest says he will 'continue' to march * Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos...
Jewish Voice for Labour: Defend Stephen Kapos – free speech on Palestine | Jewish Voice for Labour DEFEND STEPHEN KAPOS – FREE SPEECH ON PALESTINE Thu 20 Mar 2025 Stephen Kapos. Image: DoubleDown News JVL INTRODUCTION Forty Holocaust survivors/descendants have signed a letter supporting Stephen...
Byline Times: Holocaust Survivor Summoned for Police Interview Over Gaza Solidarity Protest – Byline Times Reportage Israel-Gaza Conflict HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR SUMMONED FOR POLICE INTERVIEW
Jewish Voice for Labour: Police ratchet up harassment of January 18 demonstrators | Jewish Voice for Labour POLICE RATCHET UP HARASSMENT OF JANUARY 18 DEMONSTRATORS Fri 7 Mar 2025 holocaust survivors against genocide at protest for Gaza London 2024 JVL INTRODUCTION The Metropolitan Police crackdown on p...
