Popular children’s game Roblox faces backlash over antisemitic material after concerned parents found it contained burning Israel flags and avatar named ‘Hatred of Jews’

• Roblox is a gaming community aimed at under 18s which uses virtual worlds 

An online gaming platform aimed at children exposes under 18s to disturbing instances of vile anti-Semitism including the burning of Israel flags and avatars named ‘Hatred of Jews’ , it can be revealed today.

Roblox, a gaming space in which users can create worlds from scratch and visit others, allows anyone to log into spaces and see images of avatars made to look like anti-Semitic caricatures dressed in clothing commonly worn by the Jewish community.

MailOnline has seen evidence of Israeli flags being burned next to what appear to be Jihadist flags, avatars dripping in blood while saying ‘I won’t rest until Palestine is free’ and statements such as ‘Israel are dogs’ or the Israeli flag followed by the poo emoji.

Anyone can create a Roblox account with no age verification and no restrictions on the types of content they can view in these spaces.

Much of the vile content appears to be in response to the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, the terror group which launched an incursion into Israeli territory on October 7 killing more than 1,400 people and kidnapping more than 220 more.

One avatar wore a T-shirt reading ‘I can’t keep calm until Palestine is free’ while appearing to be covered in fake blood

Some messages posted in Roblox platforms included ‘Israel are trash’ and ‘Israel should die’

One world featured burning Israeli flags against the backdrop of a Palestinian one

In response, Israel has launched a huge operation including the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which it initially completely besieged, and a fast-moving ground operation which it says has claimed the lives of dozens of terrorists.

Thousands of people in Gaza have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict. 

Although many of those using the platform to advocate for a free Palestine did not share hateful messages, our journalist saw messages including ‘F*** Israel’, ‘Die Israel’ and ‘Israel will never be a country’ within minutes.

One user wrote: ‘Canada, Britain, US and France are flaws, but we have Russia.’ 

A second added: ‘We have China too, and north Korea.’

Another person said: ‘C**p Israel and your kids’. 

One avatar had been created using anti-Semitic tropes and was carrying bags of money. Others were called ‘Hatred of Jews’ or were wearing pro-Palestine T-shirts while appearing to be covered in fake blood.

In the same spaces, MailOnline also found evidence of islamophobia, including statements such as ‘I side with non-Muslims’ and ‘Palestine is not a state’. 

But anti-Semitism was far more overt, with other users writing ‘Israel is [the] worst country’ and ‘Israel are dogs’.

Parents shared images with MailOnline showing avatars overtly styled using anti-Semitic tropes

Comments on the platform, which is aimed at children aged eight to 14, included ‘Israel are dogs’

There was also evidence of islamophobia within the same platforms, with users making comments such as ‘I side with non-Muslims’

The shocking revelations came after the Met Police revealed it has seen anti-Semitic hate crimes increase by 1,350 percent

Although many of those using the platform to advocate for a free Palestine did not share hateful messages, our journalist saw messages including ‘F*** Israel’, ‘Die Israel’ and ‘Israel will never be a country’

The site is largely targeted at children aged between eight and 14 years old, with the latest data showing that 70 percent of users are under 16. 

READ MORE: More than 50 people are killed in Israeli strike on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, Hamas claims

Many of the comments were made in a space that modelled itself on the design of a mosque. 

The shocking revelations came after the Met Police revealed it has seen anti-Semitic hate crimes increase by 1,350 percent since the crisis erupted, compared to a 140 percent increase in islamophobic hate crimes. 

Some of these offences are alleged to have taken place at last weekend’s march in solidarity with Palestinians, which saw more than 100,000 people turn out to a largely peaceful event.

Police made nine arrests on Saturday, including of a man after a police officer was hospitalised after being hit by a megaphone, causing a laceration to his head.

The man, 41-year-old Atif Shafiq, has since been jailed for six months. 

Two women have also since been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred in association with a video which showed several people shouting a chant which appeared to call for the slaughter of Jews in Trafalgar Square.

A spokesperson for Roblox said: ‘We are deeply saddened by the terrible conflict in Israel and Gaza and our hearts go out to those who are impacted in the area or who have loved ones, family and friends who have been impacted. 

‘While our Community Standards allow for expressions of solidarity, we do not allow for content that endorses or condones violence, promotes terrorism or hatred against individuals or groups, or calls for supporting a specific political party; this includes any anti-semitic behaviour. 

‘As this complex situation evolves, our expert team of thousands of moderators and automated detection tools are closely monitoring our platform and will take swift action against any content or individuals found to be in violation of our standards. 

‘We also encourage anyone to report content or behaviour that may not comply with our Community Standards by using our Report Abuse feature.’

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