Police are investigating a social media post by a pro-Palestinian group that depicted Jewish actress Maureen Lipman holding devil horns and a pitchfork.
The photo was released by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign Scotland as part of a petition calling for the cancellation of Lipman’s upcoming play Allegra at His Majesty’s Theater in Aberdeen.
The group said she had a “long history of harmful comments about Muslims, Palestinians and Palestinian rights.”
However, the charity Fighting Anti-Semitism said the depiction of the actress was a “long-standing anti-Semitic trope”.
The BBC has contacted Lipman for comment.
Aberdeen Performing Arts says it is not affiliated with any political position or cause.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have received a report which is currently being assessed.
“Officers are also liaising with partners and continue to actively engage with the Jewish community.”
In recent years, Lippman has criticized other actors who have spoken out against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The former Coronation Street actress hit out at “bloodless liberals” in 2023 who have failed to criticize Hamas attacks in Israel, saying they should be “shame, shame, shame”.
A regular contributor to the BBC, she protested the company’s documentary about the lives of children in Gaza because its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official.
After two Jewish men were stabbed in London last week, Lipman told LBC she believed anti-Semitism in the UK had reached levels similar to those seen in Nazi Germany in 1933.
She also called for a ban on pro-Palestinian marches in central London.
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said recent social media posts about Lipman were “shameful” and written by “Jewish demagogues.”
They said: “Discrimination against Jews has become commonplace in the arts: it is now just part of how Jewish creatives do business in modern Britain.
“The only consolation is that Maureen Lipman knows she has the support of the Jewish community and is loved across the country, no matter what outspoken anti-Semitic activists may say.”
The stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green last week has sparked heightened concern among London’s Jewish community.
Police declared it a terror incident and the government’s counter-terrorism adviser later told the BBC that attacks on British Jews were the “biggest national security emergency” in almost a decade.
Thomas Hopkins, the show’s producer, said Lippman was a “national treasure” and that Allegra did not hold any religious or political stance.
He added: “Peaceful protest is a right but hateful or derogatory language, including language directed at individuals, has no place in public life.
“Artists should be free to do their work and any issues should be resolved legally and respectfully.”
Aberdeen Performing Arts says it does not endorse the personal or political views of artists who perform on its stages.
A spokesman added: “This time, Maureen Lipman is playing a role in a show on a UK tour and our stage will in no way be used to support the personal or political narrative in this show.
“In line with our ‘all are welcome’ ethos, we open our doors to everyone and ensure we create a safe space within the venue for everyone to attend and enjoy.”
