I would like to make it extremely clear I condemn all acts of antisemitism in the strongest possible terms. Any discrimination or intimidation based on religion or race is deplorable and must not be tolerated and I am appalled at the number of antisemitic incidents being reported.
The UK Government is firmly committed to tackling the scourge of antisemitism and I am proud that the United Kingdom was the first country to adopt the working definition of antisemitism as set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, setting an example for the world to follow.
In response to the recent increase in reported antisemitic incidents in the wake of Hamas's terrorist attacks in Israel, the UK Government announced £3 million of additional funding to the Community Security Trust. Given the increased number of antisemitic incidents the Government recognised that is important to provide Jewish communities with reassurance and certainty. In February 2024, it announced a further £54 million of new funding to the Trust, which is the biggest single financial commitment any government has made to protect Jewish communities. This will mean the Trust has more than £70 million over the next 4 years, as part of the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant. The funding will support the Trust in placing additional guards in schools and additional security staff outside synagogues.
I am aware that the Government has provided advice to Chief Constables across the UK on how to support communities during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. This includes increased visibility of patrols, as well as a swift and zero tolerance approach to antisemitism to provide reassurance to Jewish communities that the police are taking this threat seriously and will be there to protect them if need be.
The Government has asked police forces to be ready to respond to any potential offences regarding the displays of Hamas logos and flags, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK. Protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviours that could be construed as incitement or harassment, have a strong police presence to ensure perpetrators are appropriately dealt with, and that communities feel protected. In particular, the Home Secretary encouraged police to consider whether chants such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world, and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offence.
I can assure you that the Government is clear that there is no place for extremism on the streets of Britain. I welcomed the Home Secretary's proscription of the extreme Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir in January 2024 and the Prime Minister's speech in March 2024, which reminded us that membership of our society is contingent on abiding by the rule of law, and that change can only come through the peaceful, democratic process.
I know the Home Secretary expects the police to use the full force of the law against displays of support for Hamas, other proscribed terrorist groups or attempts to harass and intimidate British Jews.
In addition, the Government is investing up to a further £7 million over the next three years for organisations like the Holocaust Educational Trust to help tackle antisemitism. This funding will ensure support is in place for schools and universities to understand, recognise, and deal with antisemitism effectively and we should not forget that education is a vital tool in the fight against antisemitism.
I support action which has been taken to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten. In the past decade, over £14 million has been provided for the Lessons from Auschwitz programme, which supports students and teachers to visit the concentration camp. Since 2010, the Government has also provided over £12 million in funding to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to run events to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Government is committed to building a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre which will serve as a lasting tribute to the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and other victims of Nazi persecution. The Holocaust Memorial Bill - which is progressing through Parliament - will ensure this important memorial can be built next to the Houses of Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens.
Please be assured this Government will continue to speak out about the importance of tackling antisemitism in all its forms.
