Soffer also shared pro-Israel posts through his X account.
A man filmed harassing an Al Jazeera crew in London this week has been identified as David Soffer, an off-duty Metropolitan police officer, according to a probe by Declassified UK revealed on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Monday, 23 March, as the Al Jazeera team was covering a suspected arson attack on four ambulances near a synagogue in Golders Green—a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood.
A video shared by Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Mohammed Al-Madhoun shows the man—who was later identified as Soffer—yelling at him and his team to “go home” while calling him a “dog” and a “donkey” in Arabic.
Special Constable Soffer is also heard telling the crew to “go back to Qatar”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Declassified UK that the force was “aware that an off-duty serving Met officer was involved in the altercation” and the matter was “referred to the Department of Professional Standards for assessment”.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson sent a similar email statement to Al Jazeera on Thursday, saying the force was aware of a “verbal altercation between local residents and journalists” shown in the footage.
“Freedom of the press is important, and journalists must be able to do their job without being subject to intimidation or harassment,” the spokesperson told the Qatar-based network.
“Officers on duty in the area have been asked to be alert to any similar altercations in the coming days. We will be reviewing the footage to identify whether any offences were committed,” they added.
Declassified UK also reported that Soffer runs a reputation-management firm and had been a vocal supporter of Israel on his X account.
The outlet cited a 2024 post by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, in which he shared an image containing an insult directed at Palestine. Soffer that Robinson was “telling the truth” and said Israel would “justly finish” the war in Gaza.
Doha News was unable to locate Soffer’s response or his X account.
Repeated targeting of Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera has faced growing hostility in several Western countries since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in Gaza in 2023, particularly from supporters of Israel. Israel has since killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in the besieged enclave.
Israeli and pro-Israel figures and media have targeted Al Jazeera for its reporting of the horrors committed by Israel against Palestinians, killing at least 10 of the broadcaster’s journalists and crew.
Qatar, where Al Jazeera is headquartered, has also come under scrutiny, despite its vital mediation efforts that resulted in the release of more than 150 Israeli captives held by Hamas.
Criticism has additionally on Qatar’s hosting of Hamas’s political office. Doha agreed to host the group’s leadership in 2012 at the request of the United States to maintain a channel of communication—a move that has proven effective in past mediation efforts.
