Police probe over 'antisemitic' post of Jewish actress with devil horns

Police are investigating a pro-Palestinian group's social media post depicting Jewish actress Maureen Lipman with devil horns and a pitchfork.

The image was posted by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign as part of its petition to cancel Lipman's upcoming performance in the play Allegra at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen.

The group said she had a "long record of harmful statements about Muslims, Palestinians and Palestinian rights".

However, the Campaign Against Antisemitism charity said the depiction of the actress was a "longstanding antisemitic trope".

The BBC has approached Lipman for comment.

Aberdeen Performing Arts said it was not affiliated to any political stance or cause.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We have received a report which is being assessed.

"Officers are also liaising with partners and continue to proactively engage with the Jewish community."

In recent years Lipman has criticised other actors who have spoken out against Israel's actions in Gaza.

The former Coronation Street actress hit out at "bleeding heartless liberals" in 2023 who had failed to criticise Hamas attacks in Israel, saying they should feel "shame shame shame".

A regular BBC contributor, she protested against the corporation's documentary about children's lives in Gaza after it emerged the film's 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.

Last week, after two Jewish men were stabbed in London, Lipman told LBC she believed antisemitism in the UK had reached levels akin to Nazi Germany in 1933.

She also called for a ban on pro-Palestine marches in central London.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the recent social media post about Lipman was "shameful" and written by "Jew-baiting agitators".

They said: "Discrimination against Jewish people has become normalised in the arts: it's now simply part of doing business as a Jewish creative in modern Britain.

"The only consolation is that Maureen Lipman knows that she enjoys the support of the Jewish community and is beloved across the country, regardless of what vocal Jew-baiting activists might say."

It comes at a time of heightened concern for London's Jewish community after two Jewish men were stabbed last week in Golders Green.

Police declared it a terrorist incident and the government's adviser on terrorism has since told the BBC that attacks on Jewish people in the UK are "the biggest national security emergency" in almost a decade.

Aberdeen Performing Arts said it did not endorse the personal or political views of the artists who perform on its stages.

A spokesperson added: "On this occasion, Maureen Lipman is playing a character in a show that is touring the UK and our stages are in no way being used to endorse a personal or political narrative in this performance.