It drew condemnation from several prominent Jewish figures, as well as Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch, who, in an interview with the JC, called the piece “disgusting”.
“I mean, to be honest, The Guardian has previous on this, that article, which was pretending to be about Israel… was just yet another cover for antisemitism,” she said.
“The people in this country tend not to care who owns which shop. They just care whether the food is good or not. And I think it’s absolutely disgusting that people are starting to bring in the heritage and the ownership of businesses. I think that it is what is leading to the kind of violence and intimidation tactics that we’re seeing in many places, including at Gail’s bakeries.
“I think that is also disgusting, and I don’t think any newspaper should be doing things that increase the intimidation of any community in our country.”
The Guardian has since published a correction note on Liew’s article, which reads: “This article was amended on 17 March 2026. A reference to the arrival of Gail’s feeling like “an act of heavy-handed high-street aggression” has been repositioned to clarify it meant to refer to the described fears about the chain’s impact on small traders.
“Also, a comment contrasting activism that is capable of influencing global events with “small acts of petty symbolism”, which was not intended to minimise local vandalism but rather to suggest its misdirected futility, has been removed to avoid misunderstanding.”