Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed on Saturday to further restrict protests against the Israeli government following an attack in London this week that saw two Jewish men stabbed.
The Labour leader has come under pressure from pro-Israel advocates for months to ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which they claim are behind a surge in antisemitic incidents.
Tensions have flared since Wednesday when a 45-year-old British national stabbed three men in the London suburb of Golders Green - including two Jews and one Muslim - in an attack widely framed as antisemitic.
The suspect - thought to be Somali-born Essa Suleiman - was remanded in custody when he made his first appearance in court on Friday accused of attempted murder.
In an interview with the BBC , Starmer said he could ban the marches from taking place in some circumstances because of the "cumulative effect" they had on the Jewish community.
Asked if the tougher response should focus on chants and banners, or whether the protests should be stopped altogether, Starmer said: "I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter."
Pro-Palestinian protesters have held regular demonstrations in London since October 2023, when the Israeli military launched its genocidal war in Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks.
The rallies have attracted hundreds of thousands of people - among them Jewish activists - to condemn the destruction of Gaza, illegal occupation of the West Bank, and the British government's support for Israel.
Critics allege that some chants used by protesters - including 'From the River to the Sea' and 'Globalise the Intifada' - are antisemitic.
"I'm a big defender of freedom of expression, peaceful protests," Starmer told the BBC . "But when there are chants like 'globalise the intifada', that's completely off limits.
"Clearly, there should be tougher action in relation to that."
The Labour government has already handed the police draconian new powers in response to the protests. Legislation passed last month allows police to ban demonstrations based on their "cumulative impact", a move that human rights groups have criticised for curtailing democratic rights. Police have arrested thousands of peaceful protesters under the Terrorism Act after the government proscribed direct action group Palestine Action .
Starmer told the BBC he wanted to police the language used on marches more strongly and that there were "instances" when some protests should be stopped altogether.
Discussions had been taking place with the police for some time about what further action could be taken, he added.
In December last year, police in London and the northwest city of Manchester said they would arrest anyone chanting "globalise the intifada".
The Jewish community in Britain views the chant as "very, very dangerous", said Starmer.
On Thursday, the UK increased its security alert level to "severe" - the second highest - in part because of the attack in Golders Green, as well as the threat from Islamist extremism and the far-right.
The police have said they would look closely at all calls about future protests. (Agencies and TNA staff)