Streets of Europe Split: Massive Brussels Rally for Palestinians, London March Against Antisemitism Highlight Continent’s Growing Divide

By: Fern Sidman

The political and cultural fissures running through Europe over the Israel–Hamas war were laid bare on Sunday, as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of two major capitals — Brussels and London — to voice diametrically opposed messages. In Brussels, marchers flooded the boulevards in solidarity with Palestinians, calling for tougher measures against Israel. In London, a massive gathering rallied against rising antisemitism, denouncing what Jewish leaders have described as the worst wave of anti-Jewish hatred in living memory.

Together, the two demonstrations — each drawing tens of thousands — illustrated the starkly divergent currents of public opinion in Europe, where debates about the war in Gaza and the October 7 massacre in Israel are increasingly spilling into questions of national identity, free expression, and minority security. The Times of Israel, which covered both developments on Sunday emphasized the profound contrast between calls for Palestinian statehood in Brussels and the urgent pleas for Jewish safety in London.

Police in Brussels estimated the turnout for Sunday’s pro-Palestinian march at around 70,000, while organizers claimed closer to 120,000. Either figure made it one of the largest demonstrations the Belgian capital has seen in recent years. The march came just days after Belgium’s foreign minister warned that the European Union’s credibility was “collapsing” due to its inability to act decisively on the conflict.

As The Times of Israel reported, many of the marchers dressed in red and carried red cards, a pointed gesture symbolizing the demand for European leaders to issue a “red card” to Israel through tougher sanctions and political measures. The tone was defiant, with demonstrators calling for recognition of Palestinian statehood and for immediate steps to halt what they described as disproportionate Israeli military actions in Gaza.

“Some people dreamt of the fall of the Berlin Wall,” said Ismet Gumusboga, a 60-year-old security worker interviewed by AFP and cited in The Times of Israel report. “Me, I dream of a Palestinian state for the Palestinians, where they can live like any other people.”

The choice of Brussels, home to the European Union institutions and NATO headquarters, was not lost on organizers or participants. “I think it’s really, really important that all students and people of any age should protest in this city,” 27-year-old student Samuele Toppi explained, highlighting the city’s role as a focal point of international politics.

The event reflected not only solidarity with Palestinians but also a growing impatience with what activists see as European inaction. For them, the EU’s unwillingness to impose sanctions on Israel or recognize Palestinian statehood amounts to complicity.

Across the English Channel, the message could not have been more different. In London, an estimated 70,000 people marched in what organizers called the largest demonstration against antisemitism in the United Kingdom in decades. Organized by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) and supported by a coalition of Jewish organizations, the march stretched from the BBC’s headquarters to Parliament Square, a symbolic route meant to underscore both grievances against the media and appeals to political power.

According to the information provided in The Times of Israel report, the demonstration began outside the BBC because organizers accused the broadcaster of systematic anti-Israel bias in its coverage of the Gaza war. CAA argued that “you can’t tackle antisemitism in Britain without addressing the problem of the BBC,” linking distorted narratives about Israel to surging hostility toward Jews.

The rally included a moment of silence for the victims of the October 7 Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were murdered and 251 hostages abducted. A shofar — the ram’s horn traditionally blown during the Jewish High Holidays — sounded through the crowd, with CAA calling it “a clarion call to wake up, and no message is more important right now for Britain.”

UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis addressed the marchers with a stark message: “These are awful times. We have seen an explosion of hatred right across the UK. Antisemitism is rife right across the UK. You will see it. You will hear it. You will feel it. Britain, wake up now.”

Participants waved both Union Jacks and Israeli flags, carrying banners that read: “Britain, stand up for your values.”

The absence of representatives from the ruling Labour government was particularly conspicuous. Despite having received an invitation weeks in advance, no ministers addressed the march. CAA blasted the decision as “scandalous,” saying it would do little to reassure British Jews that the government “has their back or even understands the scale of the crisis.”

By contrast, opposition politicians including Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice spoke at the rally, calling attention to the politically charged nature of the event. For Jewish leaders, the Labour government’s no-show reinforced concerns about ambivalence or discomfort in confronting antisemitism within progressive circles.

The London rally occurred against a tense backdrop. Just one day earlier, police had arrested nearly 900 people during a pro-Hamas demonstration tied to Palestine Action, an anti-Israel group that the UK government recently proscribed as a terrorist organization. Members of the group were accused of vandalizing planes at a Royal Air Force base, raising fears about the escalation of activism into direct action and property damage.

As The Times of Israel report observed, the juxtaposition of mass arrests at one demonstration and the orderly, flag-filled march against antisemitism the next day highlighted the volatile atmosphere in Britain.

Meanwhile, north of the border, Jewish leaders in Scotland delivered an open letter to First Minister John Swinney, warning that recent government statements on Israel risked fueling antisemitism. Signed by some 3,000 people — including lawyers, educators, politicians, clergy, and citizens — the letter noted that Scotland’s Jewish population numbers fewer than 5,000, less than 0.1 percent of the population. Yet, antisemitic hate crimes accounted for 17% of all religiously motivated crimes last year.

“The human suffering in Gaza is real and cannot be understated, nor is it our intention to do so,” the letter read. “But we must be absolutely clear with you about the real-world impact of the measures your government has announced.”

The letter specifically criticized the Scottish government for endorsing allegations of genocide against Israel, calling such claims a “modern-day blood libel” that emboldens those who harass and intimidate Jews. It noted that accusations of genocide require an exceptional legal standard of proof that viral propaganda or discredited UN figures cannot meet.

The London march also came just as CAA published a troubling new study showing that more than one in five British adults now hold entrenched antisemitic views — nearly double the figure recorded just four years ago. The Times of Israel reported that nearly half of respondents (45%) agreed with the statement that “Israel treats Palestinians like Nazis treated Jews,” a dramatic increase from 33% the previous year. Among younger Britons, the numbers were even starker: 60% of those aged 18 to 24 expressed agreement with that statement.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security for Jewish institutions, said last month it had recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the first six months of 2025. Although this represented a 25% drop from the record levels of 2024, it was still the second-highest total for any six-month period. In practical terms, Jewish communities in the UK are still facing more than 200 incidents every month.

As The Times of Israel has repeatedly emphasized, the surge in antisemitism since October 7 is part of a global phenomenon, with Jewish communities across Europe, North America, and beyond reporting record spikes in harassment, intimidation, and violence.

The twin demonstrations in Brussels and London revealed a continent wrestling with competing narratives. In Brussels, the sea of red cards symbolized mounting pressure on European leaders to distance themselves from Israel. In London, the shofar blast symbolized a plea for protection and recognition at a moment when Jewish communities feel besieged.

Both protests, massive in scale and emotionally charged, demonstrate how the Gaza war has spilled into Europe’s public squares, testing the continent’s ability to reconcile its commitments to free expression, minority rights, and international diplomacy.

As The Times of Israel reported, Belgium’s foreign minister recently warned that the European Union risks losing credibility by failing to act decisively. Yet the UK government, facing rising antisemitism at home, has been criticized for doing too little to support its Jewish population. In both cases, governments find themselves squeezed between polarized constituencies and escalating pressures.

Sunday’s demonstrations made it clear that Europe is not a neutral bystander in the Israel–Hamas war, but a stage where its repercussions are being contested daily. Brussels and London offered two visions of what solidarity looks like: one demanding justice for Palestinians, the other insisting on urgent protection for Jews.

For policymakers, the challenge is acute. Failing to respond meaningfully risks further alienating communities, deepening divisions, and allowing hatred to fester. As the crowds in Brussels and London demonstrated, the conflict in the Middle East is not confined to Gaza or Israel’s borders. Its echoes resound in Europe’s capitals, testing the resilience of democratic societies and their ability to balance solidarity abroad with security at home.

As The Times of Israel report indicated, the question for Europe is not only what role it will play in Middle Eastern diplomacy, but how it will confront the consequences of that conflict within its own streets.