A man who hurled anti-Semitic abuse at Jewish travelers on a packed London bus has been jailed, the Jewish Chronicle reports. Ian Campbell, 42, was handed a 16-week prison sentence for a racially aggravated public order offence. The abuse was reported in September by journalist Rosa Doherty, who saw Campbell threaten to "burn the bus" and "the Jews" on a packed 102 bus travelling through Golders Green. Jewish schoolchildren were on board at the time, noted the Jewish Chronicle . The police were called but said they were unable to attend unless the driver stopped, which he refused to do. Police were able to identify Campbell using CCTV footage. A local police officer also recognized him. Campbell pleaded guilty to the offence on October 9. He also received a four-week sentence for a separate theft offence, according to the Jewish Chronicle . Judge Mark Jabbit said Campbell used "grossly and offensive threatening language" and his crime was “in no doubt serious". Anti-Semitism has been on a steep rise in the UK, with thousands taking part in anti-Israel protests during Operation Protective Edge. Those demonstrations have included pro-Palestinian rioters vandalizing a Birmingham Tesco store out of rage over a refusal to boycott Israeli products. In a similar incident, hundreds of demonstrators rioted outside the Kedem store in Manchester, in a series of clashes which culminated in dozens of death threats being hurled at the store's owners. Recent statistics show that hate crimes against Jews have risen 383% worldwide since 2013, including a 436% hate crime hike in Europe.
