Communities Secretary will condemn the rise in
Antisemitism in the UK following the 7 October attacks. He will
identify Antisemitism as the thread that connects extremist
ideologies, from Islamist to those on the Far Right and the Hard
Left, and warn that growth in Antisemitism is both a precursor of
further prejudice and an enabler of extremism.
Communities Secretary, , is expected to
say:
“It's an ironclad law of history that countries which are
descending into darkness are those which are becoming
progressively more unsafe for Jewish individuals and the Jewish
community - the Spain of the Inquisition, the Vienna of the
1900s, Germany in the Thirties, Russia in the last
decade.
“It is a parallel law that those countries in which the Jewish
community has felt most safe at any time are the countries where
freedom is most secure at any time. The Netherlands of the 17th
century. Britain in the first decades of the last century.
America in the second half of that century.
“So when Jewish people are under threat, all our freedoms
are threatened. The safety of the Jewish community is the canary
in the mine. Growing Antisemitism is a fever which weakens the
whole body politic.
“And I see that directly in my work tackling extremism and
promoting community cohesion. There is one thing which -
increasingly - unites the organisations and individuals which
give cause for extremist concern. Antisemitism. It is the common
currency of hate. It is at the dark heart of their world view.
Whether Islamist. Far Right. Or Hard Left.”
The speech is set to be delivered on the same day that publishes a landmark report on
political violence and disruption, and ahead of the publication
of the Government's Counter Extremism Action Plan in the coming
weeks.
Referring to recent protest marches, the Secretary of State is
expected to call out organisers for not doing more to prevent
symbols of anti-Jewish hate:
“Many of those on these marches are thoughtful, gentle,
compassionate people - driven by a desire for peace and an end to
suffering. But they are side by side with those who are promoting
hate.
“The organisers of these marches could do everything in their
power to stop that. They don't.”
The Secretary of State will urge members of the House of Lords to
pass the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters)
Bill, which will stop businesses and organisations – including
those affiliated with Israel – being targeted through ongoing
boycotts by public bodies, leading to community tensions and a
rise in Antisemitism.
He is expected to stress that ensuring the safety of Jewish
people is a moral duty for all to uphold:
“We must say to every Jewish citizen in this country - your
safety is the best guarantee of our security, your freedom to
live as you choose the only way we can be certain we remain a
land of liberty, your future is our future. We said Never Again.
And that is a promise we will never, ever, disavow.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
· The Community
Security Trust recorded the highest number of anti-Jewish hate
incidents nationwide in 2023. This is a 147% increase from the
1,662 antisemitic incidents in 2022.
· The CST recorded
2,699 incidents in the period on or after 7 October. This
constitutes 66% of the annual total, and this figure alone
exceeds all previous annual totals.
