London police arrest man over posters showing 'monstrous' photo of armed Israeli

The posters used an infamous but authentic photograph of a man in military uniform jeering at a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank L'Espresso's image edited and depicting the Israeli settler threatening Palestinians in the occupied West Bank (L'Espresso/Pietro Masturzo) Published date: 2 November 2026 13:08 GMT | Last update: 9 sec ago London police have arrested a man over posters depicting an armed Israeli settler jeering at a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank after a complaint into its allegedly antisemitic connotations. The posters, which carried the caption “Labour’s monsters”, showed an armed man in military uniform taunting a Palestinian woman. Italian photojournalist Pietro Masturzo took the photograph in the occupied Palestinian village of Idhna, west of Hebron, on 12 October 2025 - the first day of the olive harvest. Masturzo’s photograph appeared in the April edition of L’Espresso, alongside reports on the expansion of Israel’s settler movement and its impact on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. “The settler's expression is reflected in the gesture he repeats, mimicking the sound a shepherd makes when gathering his flock, addressing the Palestinians as if they were his own animals,” the photojournalist said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The magazine also reported testimonies from Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, where settlers, often backed by Israeli forces, carry out near-daily attacks. Police investigated the posters, which appeared around London during local elections in May. They were put up in protest at Labour’s support for Israel during the Gaza genocide. 'Stirs up hatred against Jewish people ' The investigation was triggered after a complaint filed to the police. According to The Daily Telegraph, the complaint described the image as a “monstrous characterisation” of a Jewish man. The complainant also said the photograph was “selected to appear menacing”. L'Espresso's front page depicting an armed Israeli taunting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank (Screenshot from Instagram/Pietro Masturzo) The unidentified complainant also claimed that the image was “anchored specifically in Jewish religious identity markers, not Israeli military conduct generally. This stirs up hatred against Jewish people.” According to the complaint, the posters appeared to “frame the Labour Party as acting in the service of Israeli government policy” and that “Labour are complicit in genocide”. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “On Thursday, Oct 1, a 36-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following an incident in May, 2026, in which a number of anti-Semitic posters were displayed across Tower Hamlets. He was released on bail pending further inquiries.” In September, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described attacks by Jewish settlers as “terrorism” supported by the Israeli state and said settlers were responsible for ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.