Protests have left some in the Jewish community questioning their identity as British citizens - Dr Alan Billings

So far, at the time of writing there have been few incidents here and few arrests. I have not felt the need to ask our Independent Policing Protests Panel to turn out to observe.

Few arrests, however, does not mean none, and there may be more if the humanitarian pauses come to an end and hostilities are renewed with a new intensity. Passions may become more inflamed.

Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate crimes have risen across the country, with anti-Semitism showing the biggest increase. But while hate incidents impact on both communities, the pro-Palestinian marches affect them as well, though differently– and I’ve been reflecting on that.

For members of the Muslim community, whatever their ethnicity, the protests have brought them together and given them a new confidence as British citizens.

For them, the attack by Israel on the Gazans is an attack on the ummah – the world-wide community of Islam. They want to stand together in solidarity.

This was the burden of the speeches in the ‘ceasefire’ debate in the House of Commons by Muslim MPs, and the many more that have been delivered at rallies up and down the country – speeches and sentiments that have been supported by others who are not Muslims. In contrast, there have been few rallies in support of those Israeli families who have had loved ones massacred or kidnapped.

These pro-Palestinian rallies have also had an impact on the much smaller Jewish community too – something different from the effect that hate crimes have.

Hate crimes can be seen as the work of a few; but the rallies point to the attitudes and sensibilities of many.

The realisation of this by some Jews is having an effect that is below the radar. It is not something that can be recorded and is very difficult to capture. Again, I think it goes to the question of identity.

While the protests have strengthened the identity of Muslims as confident British citizens, my guess is that they are having an opposite effect on the Jewish community.

They have seen the placards and heard the speeches at the rallies, including some that strayed into the territory of supporting a proscribed organisation.

They note how those speeches mainly by-pass or ignore the events of October 7 and focus only on Israel’s military response or the wider issue of Palestinian rights.

This must leave some in the Jewish community wondering how they are viewed by significant numbers of UK citizens. It has led some to question their very identity as British citizens.

A shortened version of the Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire’s latest blog post.