There were 849 antisemitic hate crimes reported in London last
year – a 45% increase from 2020’s total.
Further to this, The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded
1,254 antisemitic incidents in London, rising by 33% from 2020’s
total of 941 London-based incidents.
Following this rise, the London Assembly
has today called on the Mayor to
continue to work with London’s Jewish Communities, to commission
and publish a specific strategy for tackling antisemitism in
London.
AM, who proposed the
original motion, said:
“Antisemitism has no place in our city. Last year we saw a
shocking 45% rise in reported antisemitic hate
crimes.
“The horrific racism that we have seen on our streets towards
Jewish Londoners needs tackling. The Assembly calls on the Mayor
to act swiftly with all his available powers to eliminate
antisemitism from London.”
AM, who proposed the amended motion, said
“Antisemitism has no place in our city and recent hate crime
incidents have reinforced the fact that we must remain ever-more
alert to the malevolent forces that seek to divide us
“From City Hall, has invested and done more than
any other previous Mayor to clamp down on hate crime, supporting
civil society groups in the capital to tackle intolerance and
extremism through his Shared Endeavour Fund.
“There is always more that could be done to tackle this ugly
stain on our city. This is why I am backing calls for the Mayor
and Met Police to build upon the work they have been undertaking
and commit to a range of further measures to address the rise in
antisemitism.”
The full text of the amended motion
is:
This Assembly believes that antisemitism has no place in our
city. This Assembly acknowledges the Mayor’s work with Jewish
Londoners to make the capital safer for all its citizens by
tackling antisemitism and believes that the Mayor should continue
to take all actions available to him to tackle this crime.
The Mayor has invested more than any other Mayor to tackle hate,
intolerance and extremism. This includes the Shared
Endeavour Fund, which supports projects delivered by civil
society groups including The Anne Frank Trust UK, The Union of
Jewish Students, Maccabi GB, Salaam Peace and The Arc Theatre
Ensemble.
This Assembly passed a motion in June 2021 calling on the Mayor
to take action against antisemitism.
The previous motion set out five actions which the Mayor could
take to help tackle the worrying rise in antisemitism. Since
then, the Mayor has published his Police and Crime Plan which
outline his strategy towards tackling all forms of hate crime.
This Assembly recognises that tackling antisemitism requires more
than just a police response – education of Judaism and history of
the holocaust is imperative, as is ensuring the Government’s
approach in policies to different cultures is welcoming.
There is a worrying rise of antisemitism across the UK and
Europe. In London, the MOPAC Dashboard shows that 849 antisemitic
hate crimes were reported in London last year – a 45% increase
from 2020’s total. Further to this, The Community Security Trust
(CST) recorded 1,254 antisemitic incidents in London, rising by
33% from 2020’s total of 941 London-based incidents.
This Assembly reiterates its calls on the Mayor to continue to
take responsibility for tackling antisemitism in London by
implementing the following actions:
- Continue working with London’s Jewish Communities, commission
and publish a specific strategy for tackling antisemitism in
London;
- Conduct a review of the robustness of all MPS responses to
all reported incidents of antisemitism in 2021;
- Ensure the strongest possible action is taken by the MPS
against all examples of antisemitism displayed in London in
recent weeks, and make clear that such behaviour will not be
tolerated in the future;
- Ensure all police officers remain impartial and do not make
political gestures whilst on duty, committing to full and
thorough investigations of incidents where reports of such
behaviour emerge;
- Request the Metropolitan Police Service to provide a
confidential report on a quarterly basis to the Mayor, Deputy
Mayor and Police and Crime Committee, outlining high profile
antisemitic incidents that have taken place and what action has
been taken; and
- Ensure that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance
(IHRA) definition of antisemitism, as adopted by the Mayor and
Assembly, is strongly enforced.
Notes to editors:
- Watch the full webcast.
- The amended motion was agreed unanimously.
