Heartbroken family of Brit killed in Hamas festival attack blame Labour and the Met for the rise in anti-Semitism: 'They take the side of hate'

Published: 16:18, 19 May 2026 | Updated: 16:18, 19 May 2026 The heartbroken parents of a British man who was killed by Hamas at the Nova Festival have blamed the Labour government and the Met police for the rise in anti-Semitism. Jake Marlowe, 26, was one of the 34 security personnel killed by terrorists when they stormed the music event on October 7, 2023. The talented British-Israeli musician moved to Israel in 2021 after news of an anti-Semitic incident in north London which saw men shout abuse at Jews on the street from cars draped in Palestinian flags made him feel unsafe. Speaking to the Daily Mail at the Nova Exhibition in London, his father, Michael Marlowe, said: 'I said to Jake, 'Why are you moving?'.  'Remember this quote, he said to me, 'I don't like this country, I don't feel safe in this country and I don't see a future in this country.' 'That's Jake, in 2021, aged 24 - a visionary. And now look at what this country has become.'   Earlier this month, new figures from the Met Police revealed anti-Semitic hate crimes in London are the highest they have been in two years, with the most in the borough of Barnet, where the Golders Green stabbings happened. Some 140 offences were logged across the capital in April, up from 98 in March and 67 in February, according to the data. Jake Marlowe, 26, was one of the 34 security personnel killed by terrorists when they stormed the music event on October 7, 2023 Jake's parents, Lisa and Michael Marlowe, have blamed the Met Police, the government and the general public for the rise in anti-Semitism Speaking about the Met's response to the latest string of anti-Semitic attacks, Michael said: 'They are to blame, the Government are to blame and the general public are to blame as well because they just believe everything they see. 'Why do they take the side of hate?' Michael and Jake's mother Lisa, who live in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, said they avoid areas in London where pro-Palestine marches frequently take place. 'As parents whose son was murdered, we won't go to the West End anymore on a Saturday,' Michael said.  'The country in general has taken the side of hate, rather than the moral side of ourselves. 'Our Government has been repugnant. Their lack of empathy, for starters.' The pair want the Met and the government to take a stronger stance on anti-Semitism on display at the pro-Palestine marches. 'They should stop these marches, they should arrest the scum,' Michael said, with Lisa adding: 'And not let them go with just a tap on the wrist. Go to court and be sentenced for the crimes they're committing.' The last time Lisa and Michael heard their son's voice was when he called them from the festival as rockets began raining down from the sky, telling them: 'There's a lot of noise, I will call you back.' 'We are still waiting for that call today,' his mother said.  Michael flew out to Israel three days after the terrorist attack to find Jake, who had not yet been located at the time, while Lisa stayed at home. He said the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, told him the Norwegian Embassy believed Jake may have been taken hostage after facial recognition flagged him. 'I was delighted. He was alive, he wasn't dead,' Michael said. He remembers telling the ambassador that it was his responsibility to bring his son home to him and Lisa and getting reassurance from Mr Walters. 'He said 'I know it is' and told us he would keep in constant contact with us.' Jake was shot nine times by Hamas terrorists at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023 Michael says the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters (pictured), 'didn't have the decency' to call or text him after Jake was confirmed dead However just a few hours later, two female IDF soldiers came to deliver the devastating news. 'Coldly - I think they are trained to be that way - they told me 'Your son Jake is dead',' Michael said. 'You never expect to hear that ever. I had to make the phone call to my wife. I couldn't hold her, couldn't hug her.  'I had to tell her Jake, our masterpiece, was dead.' Michael then had to go alone to do the emotional job of formally identifying his son's body, which had begun to decompose after being left in the desert for four days. Despite their previous encounter, Michael said Mr Walters 'didn't have the decency' to call or text him. 'That was the forerunner of coldness from the Foreign Office. They have been utterly atrocious to us,' he said, adding that it was the 'opposite' of their experience with the Israeli Embassy in the UK who are still showing them 'love, friendship and support'. Michael and Lisa have since set up The Jakey M Project - a charity in their son's memory which organises fundraisers, community mitzvahs and takes part in volunteer work, such helping out with medical programmes in Israel. Lisa is also a trustee of the Israel Guide Dog Centre UK, where they sponsored three puppies named after their son - Jake, Marlowe and Woody. A spokesperson for No 10 said: 'This government is committed to stamping out anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. 'The Prime Minister has been clear that this requires not only a robust security response, but for the whole of society to take action too. 'That's why we are providing additional funding for police patrols, fast tracking legislation to tackle the malign threat posed by states such as Iran, bringing in tougher powers to shut down charities promoting extremism, and investing in tackling anti-Semitism in colleges and universities.' Daily Mail has reached out to the Foreign Office and the Metropolitan Police for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. 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