Questions continued...
[V]
In a 2018 House of Commons debate on antisemitism, I said the air
had grown tighter for Jews:
“you feel very hot, you undo a button on your shirt and your
mouth goes dry.”—[Official Report, 17 April 2018; Vol. 639, c.
262.]
Sadly, after yesterday’s horrific incidents, highlighted by my
right hon. Friend the Secretary of State—particularly the rabbi
being beaten up in Chigwell in Essex—I fear that the air has
become even tighter. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for
Epping Forest ( ) for her
strong support against antisemitism.
Since 2018, the Community Security Trust has recorded the highest
ever number of antisemitic incidents—more than 1,800 in 2019. In
Harlow just a few days ago, swastikas were graffitied on walls in
a public walkway. Thankfully, they have now been removed.
Why, in the 21st century, must Jewish schools and synagogues have
guards outside? The growth of antisemitism has happened for a
number of reasons. There are too many of what Vladimir Lenin
called “useful idiots”, whether they are some Labour party
activists, condemned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission,
and those who use the conflict in Israel as an excuse; the BBC’s
Jeremy Bowen telling Jews to read negative articles about Jews;
or the NUS giving moral equivalence to antisemitism and what it
calls the liberation of Palestine. I remind the House that the
so-called liberation is being conducted by Iranian-funded extreme
Islamist terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah.
What protections and support are being given specifically to Jews
and to the Community Security Trust? What are the Government
doing to educate pupils about antisemitism so that this evil is
wiped out? Will there be severe penalties for those found guilty
of antisemitic behaviours? As a proud British Jewish MP, I never
imagined that I would live at a time when I and the Jewish
community would question whether Britain is a safe place for Jews
any more.
I thank my right hon. Friend for his remarks today and his long
record of supporting the British Jewish community and fighting
antisemitism. We must ensure that this is a country where our
Jewish friends and neighbours feel safe, and I am sure that the
whole House will send a strong message today of support and
reassurance to them.
The Government will continue to support the Community Security
Trust—I join my right hon. Friend in praising its work. Partly
funded by the Government and partly by philanthropy, it helps to
ensure the security of 650 Jewish communal buildings and 1,000
events every year. It has reported to us a steep rise this week
in antisemitic incidents—a 320% increase in a week. I am afraid
that that is likely to rise further as there is always a delay in
reporting. We will continue to support the trust and we will work
with the Metropolitan police and police forces in other parts of
the country, who are putting out extra patrols in the coming days
to provide reassurance to Jewish citizens.
We will also support groups across the country, for example, the
Union of Jewish Students, which does so much good work for Jews
on campuses across the UK who suffer antisemitic attacks and
abuse. We will keep on with that work as well as the educational
work to which my right hon. Friend referred. In my opening
remarks, I paid tribute to a number of the fantastic
organisations, such as the Holocaust Memorial Trust, which
deliver that day in, day out, and have continued to do so even
during the difficulties that covid-19 posed.
(Torfaen) (Lab)
I commend the right hon. Member for Harlow () for securing the urgent question. What we saw and
heard in the footage from the streets of London yesterday was
vile antisemitism and sickening, threatening mysogyny. Those who
engage in that appalling, terrible behaviour should feel the full
force of the law.
Time and again, we have seen these attacks aimed at the Jewish
community. The Community Security Trust, which I also commend for
its work, recorded 63 antisemitic incidents from 8 to 16 May. We
send a clear, unequivocal message that that is not acceptable—not
then, not now, not ever. I have been moved by the Jewish
community’s sharing testimonies at the weekend. I have contacted
the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Community Security
Trust to make clear the absolute condemnation on these Benches
for those terrible acts.
There is too often a completely unacceptable pattern: distressing
scenes in the middle east—we on these Benches have called for a
ceasefire—can lead to a minority of people attempting to whip up
hatred between communities. There is often an upsurge in
Islamophobic attacks, too. Those who do that do not in any sense
represent those who seek to bring about peace in the middle east.
I understand that four men have been arrested, but I ask the
Secretary of State whether anyone else is being sought. What more
can be done, particularly in intelligence gathering, to prevent
this kind of incident from happening again? What additional
support is being given to places of worship and other key sites
at this worrying time? Does the Secretary of State agree that, in
response to those who seek to stoke division and hatred, we must
stand united and send a message that they will never win?
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his strong words
today, which will have been heard by Jewish communities across
the country. The whole of the House of Commons is united in this
regard. He is also right to say that whatever one’s views are on
the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, that is no excuse
whatsoever for the kind of antisemitic abuse or, indeed,
anti-Muslim hatred that we are seeing on our streets right now.
Tell MAMA, which reports the number of anti-Muslim incidents, has
also informed us that there has been a rise in incidents directed
against the Muslim community in recent days. Both are
unacceptable, and both need to be tackled.
The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that the police should
be taking a lead, and we expect the police to be urgently
investigating the issues that we have seen in recent days. My
right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has spoken with the
commissioner of the Metropolitan police, who has given assurances
that the police will do everything they can to find the
perpetrators and bring them to justice. Further patrols are now
happening in areas with larger Jewish communities in London, for
example, and I know that other police forces in other parts of
the country, such as Greater Manchester, are taking the same
proactive approach. As I said in my opening remarks, the police
have since made four arrests for racially aggravated public order
offences, and have placed extra patrols in the St John’s Wood and
Golders Green areas.
With respect to the incident regarding the rabbi in Chigwell,
Essex police have announced that they are investigating the
incident as a religiously aggravated assault, and have appealed
for witnesses. They are engaging with the affected communities
equally to provide reassurance, and I call on anyone who may have
been a witness to either of those events or, indeed, others
across the country to come forward as soon as possible.
(Brigg and Goole) (Con)
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the concern you have shown the British
Jewish community today by granting this urgent question so soon.
The fact that people feel emboldened to drive through Jewish
neighbourhoods calling for the rape of women, or to march through
the streets of London warning Jews that an army is coming against
them, does not happen in isolation. It happens because
antisemitism on campuses is ignored; because university lecturers
who target Jewish students are not dealt with; because far-right
holocaust denial content on online platforms is not dealt with;
and because some people, some campaigners—including, perhaps,
some in this place—place an emphasis on Israel and use emotive
language that they do not use in relation to other conflicts,
while giving Hamas, the terror tunnels and the murder weapons a
free pass. That is why it happens: it does not happen in
isolation, and enough is enough.
I thank the Secretary of State for what he has said today, but I
urge him to go even further. It is great that we are putting so
much money into holocaust education, but we have to go further in
ensuring that every child in this country is taught about
antisemitism, as they should be taught about Islamophobia and all
racism.
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. It is crucial that we
ensure that young people uphold the values of this country and
understand antisemitism. That is one of the reasons why we were
the first country in the world to sign up to the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, which makes it
abundantly clear that anti-Zionism is antisemitism. It is one of
the reasons why we fund the Holocaust Educational Trust, and why
we have now expended its remit from going into schools to going
into universities as well. We also fund a range of other
organisations.
It is also important to underline the point that my hon. Friend
made: Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation, and those
considering its activities or reporting upon them should make
very clear the kind of organisation it is and the relationship
that the UK has with it, which is that we do not engage with a
terrorist organisation.
(Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP) [V]
I, too, thank the right hon. Member for Harlow () for having secured this urgent question, which offers
us an opportunity to unite in unequivocal opposition to, and
condemnation of, antisemitism. There is never any excuse or
justification for it, and hatred expressed here helps absolutely
nobody, anywhere. The events that have already been described
were absolutely horrendous—vile, targeted antisemitism and
misogyny—and our solidarity goes out to the Jewish communities
directly targeted and to everyone across the country who has
suffered such hatred. We support all steps to bring the
perpetrators to justice and all initiatives to tackle
antisemitism.
Finally, can I suggest that we also take this opportunity to
condemn all forms of racism and religious hatred, whether it is
antisemitism, Islamophobia, or the atrocious anti-Catholic
bigotry witnessed this weekend during disgraceful disorder by
Rangers fans in Glasgow city centre? It has absolutely no place,
and there is absolutely no excuse for it. I am sure that Members
across the House will agree that we all have a duty to call it
out and condemn it.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for those remarks. Like him, this
Government have zero tolerance for all forms of racism, including
antisemitism. We must do everything we can to ensure that where
individuals do perpetrate these crimes, they are brought to
justice.
(Lichfield) (Con) [V]
I have been heartened by some of the comments made so far.
However, it was frightening and horrible over the weekend to
watch videos of people hurling abuse from cars; to hear about the
rabbi who was badly beaten up; and to see pictures from the
Arndale centre of yobs—from Bradford, I am told—intimidating
shoppers and shouting antisemitic remarks. And it is dreadful
that it is happening in this country. Of course, all racism,
whether it be antisemitism, Islamophobia or anti-Catholicism,
must be condemned, but my question is: what lessons have been
learned about this? Some might say that all of this was
predictable as soon as it was known that the march was going to
happen. What lessons have been learned, and what new practices
are the police going to put in place to make sure that this sort
of thing cannot happen again?
I, for one, never thought that I would see banners being held
aloft on the streets of London, apparently with impunity, saying,
“Death to Jews”, or individuals being able to drive for some time
through neighbourhoods, broadcasting the kind of antisemitic bile
that we saw over the weekend. That is disgraceful. It is wrong
and we need to ensure that our police services are equipped to
take action quickly and robustly when this happens again in the
future. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will speak again
to her counterparts so that they can ensure that where such
instances arise in the future, action is taken as fast as
possible, as we would expect with regard to any other racist or
intimidatory incident.
(Barking) (Lab) [V]
May I thank you, Mr Speaker, and the right hon. Member for Harlow
() for securing this urgent question? Like others,
seeing racist posters, swastikas, a rabbi attacked and a racist
convoy going through north London, I could see that the message
was one of hate and, often, misogyny. This House is sending out a
very strong message today denouncing this vile racism. But our
message cannot just be for today. Tragically, the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not go away, and we must be
able to debate and disagree without Jew hate or Islamophobia
taking over. What action is the Secretary of State taking beyond
today, and beyond the brilliant work that the Holocaust
Educational Trust is doing with young people, to inform and
educate communities throughout Britain, including elected
representatives, so that a discussion on an international
conflict does not morph into a national expression of hate?
I thank the right hon. Lady for her remarks and, of course, for
her own record of standing up to antisemitism in the past. She is
right to say that this is, sadly, just one of a number of
incidents, and past incidents of this nature have flared up at
the same time as conflict in the middle east. In 2014, for
example, there was a significant spike in antisemitic incidents.
Many members of the Jewish community are fearful that we will see
a similar situation now. Indeed, some have said to me that there
is greater intensity today than there was back then, perhaps
fuelled by the rise of social media.
We need to ensure that we are rooting out antisemitism and doing
so through education, working with all parts of society. That is
one of the reasons that the Prime Minister and I have appointed
Sara Khan as our independent adviser, who will tackle extremism
of any kind and ensure that it cannot exist with impunity in
plain sight. All parts of Government and civil society must play
their part in that—not just central Government and local
authorities, but charities, schools and faith groups the length
and breadth of the country.
(Southend West) (Con) [V]
I very much agree with the remarks made by my right hon. Friend
the Member for Harlow (). Many Jewish people in Southend were appalled at the
disgusting scenes in north London over the weekend. I stand with
them, and I am frankly bemused at how those events were allowed
to happen in the first place. Does my right hon. Friend agree
that it is more important than ever that the Government continue
to support the work of the Community Security Trust, which does
such vital work to keep the Jewish community safe through the
protective security grant? I know that money is tight, but will
he ensure that sufficient funding is made available to the trust,
to enable the Jewish community to worship safely and peacefully?
The Community Security Trust has an absolutely essential role in
supporting Jewish institutions such as schools, nurseries and
places of worship—frankly, places that should not need to have
security. As the father of Jewish children, it shocks me every
time I take my children to synagogue or to their nursery to see
individuals in stab-proof vests guarding the entrance to those
places. That should not have to happen in this country, but it
does happen today, and we will continue to support the Community
Security Trust, giving it all the funding it needs to protect
Jewish communities.
(Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) (Lab)
The whole House will stand in solidarity with Jewish people
across the country in the face of vile antisemitism, misogynistic
hate speech, violence and incitement. No one should be in any
doubt that attempting to blame Jewish communities for the actions
of the Israeli Government is appalling antisemitism and is wrong.
The Secretary of State will know that the kinds of incident we
saw over the weekend are also being fuelled by online
antisemitism and extremism, and he will have seen the recent CST
report on Google and antisemitic imagery. What more is he doing
to tackle this awful online antisemitism?
The right hon. Lady raises an extremely important point. The Home
Secretary and the Culture Secretary are working closely on this
issue. They are in contact with the providers to ensure that
antisemitic and other hate speech is taken down quickly and that
action is taken against the perpetrators. Of course, this is an
issue that we will return to and debate when considering the
online harms Bill, which I hope will play a role. My Department
is also funding organisations that are taking action to put a
counter-narrative on social media, to educate people about the
harm that is caused by antisemitism and to ensure that people of
all backgrounds—particularly young people—understand that some of
the memes and graphics that are being circulated as we speak are
deeply antisemitic and deeply offensive to communities and are
fuelling the kind of hatred that boiled on to the streets over
the weekend.
(Barrow and Furness) (Con)
We have seen vile physical and verbal assaults against Jews in
the real world, but there is also a deep well of antisemitic
content online and on social media, as the right hon. Member for
Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford () said, which often goes unchallenged. Does my right
hon. Friend agree that these clearly antisemitic messages cannot
be allowed to continue? Memes are allowed to socialise and water
down some of the horrific content online. Can he outline what
action the Government will take against not just mainstream
social media companies but smaller ones such as BitChute and
Telegram, where some of the worst content is shared?
My hon. Friend raises a number of important points. It is not
simply an issue of the large international providers; there are
smaller ones as well. They all need to be subject to the
regulatory regime that we are devising and will legislate for in
the online harms Bill. We are taking action as we speak, and the
Culture Secretary, the Home Secretary and I are working with
those providers to ensure that harmful antisemitic content is
seen, identified and removed as quickly as possible.
(Bath) (LD)
On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I would like to add our
unequivocal condemnation of all forms of racism and hate speech,
including the appalling antisemitic abuse recorded on the streets
of London. The Secretary of State has already agreed that we must
all actively condemn and confront all forms of inflammatory
rhetoric by those with public platforms. Can he expand on how he
sees the work of Government encouraging us here and the public at
large to get to a place where we can stop such appalling racial
abuse and misogynistic hate crimes?
We are taking a number of actions in my Department, and we work
with organisations right across society, including faith
organisations, to ensure that those perpetrating abuse and
discriminatory behaviour of this kind are brought to justice. We
want to ensure that we have a tolerant society. We are proud of
the diversity in this country, but we also want a united country
in which all people feel comfortable and safe. That is why we are
taking the actions that we are taking, and why we are working
with our hate crime action group and a number of organisations
all over the UK to raise awareness and to stamp out this kind of
abusive behaviour where we find it.
(Bury South) (Con)
Today, Jewish people in my constituency and around the world will
be gathering to mark the festival of Shavuot, and I wish them all
a good and a safe Yom Tov. As the Member with the largest Jewish
community outside London, I have been contacted by constituents
scared to take their children to shul, due to the appalling
scenes of antisemitism on the streets of the UK over the weekend.
Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that the Jewish community
cannot be targeted due to the situation in the middle east, and
will he reassure the community in Bury South and across the
country that the police will deal with all instances of
antisemitism with the utmost severity?
I hope I can provide the reassurance that police forces across
the country, including in Greater Manchester, are taking action
to ensure that there are patrols and, where there are incidents,
that they are investigated and individuals are brought to
justice, where necessary. I was very concerned to see the
intimidating scenes at the Arndale centre in Manchester, and I
would not want to see those repeated. We want to provide
protection to my hon. Friend’s constituents, and that is exactly
what we will do.
(Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC) [V]
Plaid Cymru has a long tradition of promoting peace over conflict
and of standing alongside oppressed people. This includes calling
for the human right of people in Palestine and Israel to be able
to live in peace. The language we use in politics matters, and
everyone seeking peace knows that words used irresponsibly can be
twisted into weapons. This week, Jews in the UK have suffered
hate speech, threats and acts of violence both on the streets and
over social media. Does the Secretary of State agree that the
online harms Bill provides an opportunity to protect not only
individuals, but groups of people from hate speech that incites
such violence?
I think that the online harms Bill outlined in the Queen’s Speech
will be an important weapon in our arsenal, enabling us to take
action against the virus of antisemitism and other forms of hate
speech where they occur online. That is absolutely critical; we
find it in many other aspects of our life. That is one of the
reasons we pursued the IHRA definition, and have urged
institutions to sign up to it, such as councils, universities
and, of course, Members of this House. There is more work to be
done there, and a particular focus for this Government will now
be in universities. Many have not signed up to that definition,
and many have done so but not yet put it into practice. We need
to see urgent change there.
(St Austell and Newquay) (Con) [V]
I welcome and indeed echo the words of the Home Secretary at the
weekend in urging the police to take the strongest possible
action against those responsible for these horrific and totally
unacceptable incidents of antisemitism. Will my right hon. Friend
confirm that his Department will work closely with the Home
Office to ensure that all those responsible will be held to
account and face justice as soon as possible?
Antisemitic crimes, like all those with regard to racism, are
serious crimes, and we expect police forces investigating these
issues to do so rigorously, robustly and swiftly, and for action
to be taken against the individuals if they are found to require
prosecution. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is working
with the Metropolitan police, and has received assurances from
them that they will be doing everything they can to bring these
individuals to justice.
(Warrington North) (Lab) [V]
Last night, Jewish communities across the country began our
celebrations for the festival of Shavuot, and I wish all of those
marking it a chag sameach. The scenes of antisemitic and
misogynistic abuse yesterday have been incredibly disturbing and
have caused significant alarm and distress, coming off the back
of a rise in hate crime incidents both online and in physical
attacks on and desecrations of our places of worship. I have been
heartened by unequivocal condemnations from across society,
including by the Muslim Council of Britain and the Palestinian
ambassador in the UK, as they recognise that all forms of racism
and oppression reinforce one another, that they cannot be fought
in isolation from each other and that we all have more in common
than that which divides us. What support, therefore, will the
Secretary of State provide to interfaith initiatives such as the
Warrington Ethnic Communities Association and the Muslim Jewish
Forum of Greater Manchester to help us build solidarity and
co-operation across our communities, where a minority of
extremists seek to divide us?
I thank the hon. Lady, and wish her chag sameach as well. We are
working with a number of different groups that help bridge the
divide and ensure that there is greater understanding among
different groups in society. There are many such groups,
including Solutions Not Sides, and Streetwise with its Stand Up!
programme. They are important, but we want other parts of civil
society to step up too. The report that Sara Khan produced
earlier in the year for the Prime Minister was significant,
saying that there is more work to be done by schools, local
councils and civil society organisations to take their
responsibilities seriously now in rooting out extremism and
encouraging a better understanding between different parts of
society. That work needs to be done swiftly, and Sara Khan is now
part of my Department, independently advising myself and the
Prime Minister on how we can take that work forward.
(Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Con)
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question.
Like many Members, I saw the scenes in north London unfolding on
social media and obviously was completely appalled. While those
events were unfolding the Metropolitan police tweeted:
“Officers are in the area and are engaging with those taking
part.”
I do not wish to condemn the Metropolitan police for one
misjudged tweet in the heat of the moment, but does my right hon.
Friend agree that that tweet misses the mark entirely and does
not take what happened yesterday sufficiently seriously? I
welcome the arrests that have taken place, but does he agree with
me and the Home Secretary that we need to see the strongest
possible action against all those who took part in yesterday’s
disgraceful scenes?
Yes, I do. I am grateful for the work of the Metropolitan police,
Essex Police and other police forces across the country in recent
days and the work they will be doing right now providing
reassurance to Jewish communities, but my hon. Friend is right
that the correct response to an incident like this is not merely
engagement; the Jewish community, like all of us in society,
wants to see action against the perpetrators of those offences.
That is now happening: individuals have been arrested and those
crimes are being investigated.
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk) (SNP) [V]
I think we can all agree with the Centre for Holocaust Education
on the importance of education in tackling antisemitism. However,
given that a recent survey found that only 37% of young people
know what the term “antisemitism” means, what more can the right
hon. Gentleman do to ensure adequate funding is made available
for education programmes so that future generations are aware of
the history and causes of antisemitism?
We have only to look on social media today to see that a very
large number of our fellow citizens do not understand what
antisemitism is, or else they would not be liking and sharing
some of the memes and graphics, which are antisemitic and deeply
offensive and are helping to fan the flames of the kinds of
incidents we have seen in recent days. The Government are taking
action in a number of respects, through the Holocaust Educational
Trust, which the hon. Gentleman rightly praises, and the
Antisemitism Policy Trust, which is doing work online, and
through other works with the Holocaust education centre which we
hope will be built near the Palace of Westminster and holocaust
museums across the country, such as the Beth Shalom museum in
north Nottinghamshire, so that we can raise awareness of these
issues and help to debunk some of the myths.
(Henley) (Con)
The antisemitism of the weekend has been inflamed by allegations
originating with perhaps easily disproved campaigns concerning
the al-Aqsa mosque, despite the fact that hundreds of thousands
of Muslims worship there during Ramadan and Eid. My right hon.
Friend has described a lot of what he is going to do, but what
more can he do to stop antisemitic mistruths being used to drive
a wedge between communities here in the UK?
That is an extremely important point. As I have said, there is
work to be done online and in our schools, and there is also work
we can do through the creation of new museums and educational
institutions such as the memorial that we hope will be built.
There is also work for all of us just as citizens of this
country, to call out antisemitism wherever we find it and see it,
and ensure that there is no immunity—there is no safe space for
it in the way that I am afraid many people feel there is today.
(Slough) (Lab)
Antisemitism, and any other form of racism, is utterly abhorrent
and must be swiftly dealt with. Many of us are strong advocates
for the Palestinian people, to stop them being evicted from their
homes and to demand an immediate end to the current bloodshed,
but for racists who parade as allies of Palestine to use this
tragedy to fuel antisemitism and misogyny is utterly condemnable.
Is the Secretary of State concerned about the possibility of
far-right organisations using this to stir further community
tensions? If so, what steps will the Government take to address
it?
As I said earlier, when we have seen conflicts arise or intensify
in the middle east in the past, that has led to an upsurge in
hate crimes against both members of the Jewish community and
members of the Muslim community. We saw that in 2014. I hope that
we are not witnessing a similar situation today, although I think
many would say that we are. We need to take concerted action now.
That is why it is important that, with your support, Mr Speaker,
we are having this debate; that the police provide the
reassurance that they are on the streets of our cities in the
places where there are Jewish communities; and that where there
are incidents against members of the Jewish community or the
Muslim community, action is taken very swiftly and in the
strongest possible terms.
(Hendon) (Con) [V]
Having the second largest number of Jewish constituents in the
country, I know that yesterday’s events caused great concern to
many. The Community Security Trust told me this morning that it
had recorded 63 confirmed cases of antisemitism over the weekend,
with more cases expected. Most shockingly, that included a Jewish
teacher being abused by pupils in the classroom. In the protests,
we saw conflation of Jewish identity with Zionism, which ensures
that British Jews are physically and verbally attacked for
actions that occur in Israel for which they have no cause or
control. In a comment echoed by my right hon. Friend the Member
for Harlow (), one constituent told me that many people are asking
the same question as before the 2019 election; namely, is there a
future for Jewish people in this country? Can the Secretary of
State please advise my constituents if there is?
Yes, there certainly is. As the father of three young Jewish
girls, I am absolutely committed to ensuring that the British
Jewish community feel protected, feel safe and feel that they can
continue to thrive in this country. They are our
longest-established religious minority. They have added so much
to this country over the generations, and I hope that they will
do so for many, many generations to come.
(Strangford) (DUP) [V]
I thank the Minister for his statement. I am unashamedly a friend
of Israel, and I condemn the antisemitic attacks in London over
the weekend and welcome the police response that the Secretary of
State referred to. However, does he not agree that headlines such
as “Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza Strip after Hamas rocket
attacks” may prevent readers from understanding that Israel
launched rockets in defence and not first? Does he agree that no
resolution will be found if the media continue to stir tension
with biased reporting? Further, will he confirm once more, to
make it very clear, that Israel has a right to defend herself,
and that while we may ask Israel to enter into peace talks, we
will never disregard her right to defend herself against any
attack?
Let me be perfectly clear: the UK Government believe that Israel
has a right to self-defence. The UK Government believe that that
must be exercised proportionately and with due regard to
civilians. We will ensure, as far as we can, that both sides
engage. If there is any route now to bring this to a peaceful
resolution, it must be sought, and we are doing that at the
United Nations and in every forum that is available to us. But we
will also condemn any form of antisemitism that we see in this
country. Jewish citizens are citizens of the United Kingdom. They
are not in any way responsible for the actions of the Israeli
Government, whether good or bad. They are citizens of the United
Kingdom; they deserve our complete support, and they have it
today.
(Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab) [V]
Yesterday, racists drove past the amazing Jewish community centre
JW3 on Finchley Road in my constituency shouting antisemitic hate
speech. I am very proud to represent an area with a sizeable
Jewish community and several synagogues, but my Jewish
constituents are now feeling unsafe in their own homes. Will the
Secretary of State commit to ensuring that these hate crimes are
punished, and will he provide additional resources to protect
community centres like JW3, Jewish schools and synagogues?
I thank the hon. Lady for her work. I appreciate that yesterday’s
events played out partly in her constituency, and partly in the
constituencies of the hon. Member for Westminster North (Ms Buck)
and my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley and Golders Green
(), who would, I am
sure, be speaking on behalf of his constituents today if he were
able to. We must now ensure that residents of all those parts of
London, and indeed elsewhere in the country, have the reassuring
presence of police on the streets, and the knowledge that should
these events arise again the police will be there to support them
and to take action against the perpetrators. We will continue to
provide support to the Community Security Trust and other good
organisations that help to protect community centres, synagogues,
schools and nurseries as far as we possibly can, and money is no
object in that regard. Members of the Jewish community have our
complete support in the months and weeks to come.
(Westminster North) (Lab)
I am glad that Westminster North is home to a large Jewish
community. It is also home to the largest Arab community in
Britain. Many people, across party, work very hard to ensure
community cohesion. That work was undermined desperately by the
events yesterday: the spewing of vile misogyny and antisemitism
by the convoy that drove through Westminster North, among other
areas. The police have acted swiftly with arrests and reassurance
patrols, but can the Secretary of State reassure me that that
support will continue over the long term, not just over the
coming days and weeks? Also, will he urgently review the capacity
we have in local government and our civic institutions to build
on the work of community cohesion and education, so we can ensure
that nothing as vile as the events we saw this weekend will ever
happen again?
The hon. Lady is right to say that in London, as in many other
parts of the country, relations between the Jewish community and
the Muslim community are generally good, and inter-faith dialogue
is generally strong. We have seen that very prominently in recent
months, for example, in tackling covid-19, where both religious
communities have come forward, been incredibly supportive and
have worked together. I have seen that myself on many occasions.
She is also right to say that councils have an important part to
play. I have asked Sara Khan, as part of her work, to provide
recommendations to us on how we can provide better advice to
local councils on how to spot and tackle extremism; which groups
they should not be interfacing with; and, where they do find
extremists in their communities, what action they can take to
root it out. Extremists should not be able to operate with
impunity in plain sight in any part of this country.
Mr Speaker
I am now suspending the House for two minutes to enable necessary
arrangements to be made for the next business.
