Rishi Sunak 'is appalled' by the Met Police's threat to arrest 'openly Jewish' man at pro-Palestine protest as under-fire Scotland Yard chief Mark Rowley fights for his job amid backlash

Rishi Sunak 'is appalled' after a Met Police officer threatened to arrest a man wearing a kippah for being 'openly Jewish' near a pro-Palestinian rally.

The Prime Minister has not openly backed Sir Mark Rowley who is facing calls to resign after campaigns issued a grave warning that London is becoming a 'police-enforced Jew-free zone'.

Mr Sunak, however, has no plans to get personally involved over the row over the Met Police commissioner's position and will instead reportedly leave the matter to his Home Secretary James Cleverly.

The Board of Deputies for British Jews called to meet Sir Mark this morning and has now confirmed the meeting will take place later this week. 

The outcry from the Jewish community comes after the Campaign Against Antisemitism shared a heated exchange between its chief Gideon Falter and a Met officer near Aldwych on Saturday April 7.

In the footage, which was shared online, Mr Falter was told he faced arrest if he did not leave the area because he was 'causing a breach of peace with all these other people' claiming his presence was 'antagonising'.

Mr Falter maintained he was 'going for a walk' after attending synagogue. .  

As the row over Sir Mark's tenure deepens, a source for No 10 told the Telegraph:  'The PM has seen the footage and is as appalled as everyone else by the officer calling Mr Falter "openly Jewish".

'He expects the Met Commissioner to account for how it happened and what he will do to ensure officers do more to make Jewish communities in London feel safe.'

It marks a stark difference to Boris Johnson's leadership where he announced 'full confidence' in Sir Mark's predecessor, Dame Credisda Dick, when she was faced with similar calls to leave her role. 

The Met had issued an apology to Mr Falter for the way he was treated, describing the officer's choice to use the phrase 'openly Jewish' as 'hugely regrettable'.

However, it then issued a second apology after being accused of 'victim blaming' when it claimed in its previous statement that campaigners filming themselves being abused are being 'provocative'.

Writing in The Sunday Times, Mr Falter questioned why police officers allowed protesters to call him and his friends, 'scum', disgusting' and 'Nazis' as well as shouting 'lock them up'.

'I didn't have a flag or a placard or anything that would in any way mark me out from any other normal Londoner except for the fact that I was wearing a skullcap,' he said.

'How dare he pick me out because I'm Jewish — and tell me where I'm allowed to walk?,' he added.

'By the actions of the Metropolitan Police, it's not just that central London is a 'no-go zone' for Jews, as has been said previously, but a police-enforced Jew-free zone.'

Mr Fatler went on to call for Sir Mark Rowley to resign claiming he had 'lost control of the streets' and needs to 'either resign or be removed' for 'change' to occur. 

Responding to the situation, the Board of Deputies called on Sir Mark to meet them to begin to 'repair this grievous loss of confidence'.

A spokesperson said: 'Since the horrific terror attacks of October 7th, almost every weekend we have seen tens of thousands of people march through the centre of London on 'anti-Israel' protests. 

'While many marchers may have genuine concerns regarding the terrible situation in Gaza, others have taken the opportunity to amplify hideous antisemitic conspiracy theories, while a number clearly wish for the complete destruction of the world's only Jewish State.

'The Metropolitan Police has made a series of high-profile errors in their responses to these demonstrations. 

'The entirely avoidable mistakes have had a devastating effect on the previously high level of trust held by the UK's Jewish community in the police. We have written to the Commissioner to ask for an urgent meeting to reinforce the gravity of the situation and to begin to repair this grievous loss of confidence.'

The group later confirmed a meeting had been arranged, which it will attend alongside the Jewish Leadership Council and CST - a charity that runs a hotline to help those dealing with antisemitism. 

It comes as former home secretary Suella Braverman called for Sir Mark Rowley to resign or be sacked, accusing him of having 'emboldened' antisemites.

Ms Braverman used an op-ed in The Sunday Telegraph to demand Sir Mark's resignation, saying people who were 'flagrantly antisemitic' were being 'waved on by the police'.

She said: 'Either this is gross incompetence, or it's a culture coming from the top, where thugs are free to intimidate and harass while the rest of us have to keep our mouths shut and stay out of the way.'

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has also been highly critical of the Met - but stopped short of saying Sir Mark should go. 

Mr Dowden told The Sunday Telegraph that the force had been 'disrespecting' Jews while Lord Walney, the Government's adviser on political violence, accused the Met of displaying 'institutional antisemitism'.

This morning on Sky News, Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho declined to call for the Met chief to resign - saying it was a matter for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

Asked on Sky News whether Sir Mark Rowley should stand down, Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho did not answer either way, saying: 'I think what happened was completely wrong.

'It's not right that one group of people in society should be told they can't go around their daily lives because it might be a provocation to someone else. That's not how equality works in this country.

'So I do think they've got it wrong. I think it's right that they've apologised, and ultimately, what happens next is a matter for the Labour London Mayor who has the responsibility to hold the Met to account.'

The Mayor of London does have the power to effectively sack the Commissioner, but can only do so with the permission of the Home Secretary, who can also require the Mayor to dismiss the head of the Met. 

Labour's shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood said Sir Mark should not resign over the force's handling of the pro-Palestinian protests.

'I can understand the strength of feeling and as I say that footage was very concerning, and I can understand where Mr Falter is coming from,' she told Sky.

'But I don't think that the resignation of the Met's Commissioner is the way forward. I think the police should take all steps to maintain community confidence from all communities in the way that they go about their business on the streets of London and elsewhere.

'They have got to make sure they police the protests in line with the laws of our land, and enforce the laws of our land.'