Jewish leaders have welcomed a new government strategy aimed at strengthening social cohesion and tackling extremism, saying the measures could help combat antisemitism and prevent extremist groups from exploiting British institutions.
The Social Cohesion Strategy outlines proposals to counter hate crime and improve oversight of extremist activity in universities and the charity sector.
The plan, outlined by communities secretary Steve Reed, in the Commons on Monday, includes a new whistleblowing system for university staff to report extremism on campus, alongside expanded powers for the Charity Commission to investigate organisations suspected of promoting radicalisation and shut down NGOs where necessary.
Reed said authorities are “reviewing the visa watch list to ensure that extremists and hate preachers are not given visas to enter our country.”
The charity regulator, he said, will gain powers to close down charities “promoting” antisemitism.
He also said there would be“record funding for security at synagogues and schools, millions of pounds to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities, new laws to stop abusive protests outside places of worship.”
“We are going even further to tackle antisemitism in schools and colleges and in the healthcare system, and crucially, clamping down hard on the extremism which so often targets Jews first of all,” he went on.
Jewish groups said they hoped the measures would help kerb antisemitism in higher education and prevent hate preachers and extremists from entering the UK.
The Board of Deputies heralded the government’s commitment to tackling hate crime “with the full force of the law, to act on the recommendations of ongoing reviews of antisemitism in schools and in healthcare, and to advance faith literacy and religious education.”
It applauded the “substantial” new measures to address extremism on university campuses.
“The government rightly recognises the diverse sources of antisemitic extremism, including extreme right, extreme left and Islamist, and it draws attention to the harassment and intimidation against Jewish communities associated with protests in relation to the situation in Gaza,” the Board said.
Phil Rosenberg, Board president, praised the “specific measures set out to tackle antisemitism wherever and however it manifests, and the commitment to address the sources of ideological extremism through which antisemitism is spreading.
“In the context of different forms of rising prejudice, including against our British Muslim friends and neighbours facing record levels of anti-Muslim hatred, we also commit play our part to build a more cohesive Britain for people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds,” Rosenberg said.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council said: “We welcome the government’s announcement of long overdue measures to combat extremist ideologies and strengthen social cohesion across the country. It is encouraging that the government recognises this call to action as the beginning of a longer process.
“Delivering this agenda will require clear leadership and sustained resourcing across government so that British citizens, including the Jewish community, can live our lives and practise our faith without fear. We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the government as this important work moves forward.”
Labour Friends of Israel has also welcomed the measures. A spokesperson said: “New measures to tackle extremist abuse in the charity sector, antisemitism on campus and blocking hate preachers and extremists from entering the UK are the right steps to clamp down on rising extremism.
“If we’re to stamp out near-historic levels of Jew-hate in the UK, we must go further and ensure the IHRA definition is adopted in full across all public bodies, with an independent reviewer established. The government should also take forward a new legal framework to allow organisations to be designated as ‘prohibited hate groups’.
These and further measures should form part of a new counter strategy to address long-term threats,” LFI said.
The new measures also include a definition of anti-Muslim hatred.
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