The Chancellor has revealed to the JC she is boosting funding to protect Britain’s synagogues by £10m while visiting the shul in Manchester that was attacked by a terrorist last Yom Kippur.
Rachel Reeves met Rabbi Daniel Walker on Thursday afternoon at Heaton Park, where members of the congregation Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz died in the attack last year.
In an exclusive interview with the JC, the Chancellor spoke of her commitment to “stand alongside the Jewish community” as she announced the increase in funding to protect places of worship.
The “record levels of funding for protective security” for faith communities adds up to a total of £73.4 million.
The sum includes an additional £21.5 million the chancellor announced today, around half of which would be going to synagogues.
It means extra provision for “on-site security staff and equipment such as CCTV, fencing, intruder alarms and floodlights”.
The Community Security Trust (CST) described the extra funding as providing “a vital boost at a crucial time for the Jewish community”.
Reeves was given a tour of the shul by Rabbi Walker, synagogue chair Alan Levy, his son Marc and president Hilary Foxler. The chancellor said she was “honoured to be welcomed” to Heaton Park shul for the first time.
Reeves said: “I think we all remember where we were when we heard about the attack on the on the synagogue here.”
Echoing Rabbi Walker’s words to her during her visit, she said that while the synagogue was “known for the wrong reasons”, she, like him, expressed hope “that it will start being known for what they do in the community, and, how they support the community, and not just because of these attacks”.
Reeves said she would “much rather live in a world” where the record increase in funding wasn’t necessary, but that “as long as it is necessary, this government, me as chancellor, will continue to stand by the Jewish community to make sure that they have the protection they need.”
Rabbi Walker has previously spoken about the terrorist who attacked his synagogue’s worldview was shaped by a “demonisation” of Israel. Asked if the government, including ministers in it, had done enough to tackle the demonisation and delegitmisation of the Jewish state, the chancellor replied that the government had “done a lot to crack down on antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate”.
She added that “people can have legitimate concerns about things that the Israeli government does, but that should never be a justification and should never spill over to anti-Jewish feeling”.
Reeves continued: “No other religion, I don't think, faces that sort of hostility because of the actions of another government which the Jewish community here did not vote for, is not part of, and it's not responsible for.”
Emphasising the importance of education, she said the government had committed additional funding to the Holocaust Educational Trust “to help preserve the histories of Holocaust survivors”.
Reeves also spoke about how moved she had been to hear Mala Tribich’s historic address last month as the first Holocaust survivor to address the cabinet in Downing Street.
The chancellor continued: “This government, on lots of different fronts, is supporting the Jewish community, raising awareness and calling out antisemitism, like the ban on Palestine Action.”
Turning back to the Heaton Park terror attack, Reeves said it showcased “both the worst of society and the best of society”.
“The worst of society, the men who are on trial now, and then the best of the community, whether that was the police, first responders, the congregation here at the synagogue, and the outpouring of love and the disbelief that that could happen here.”
The chancellor said that historically “Britain has been a welcoming place of refuge from people fleeing persecution all over the world. And I think one of the great things about this country is its diversity, its tolerance, its respect for difference, but also a coming together of communities” and didn’t want “a minority of radicalized people” to give an incorrect impression of what Britain was really like.
Asked if she had a message for British Jews considering making Aliyah, Reeves said that she recognised that across the world “anti-Jewish attacks are on the rise, and that is a very scary time for the Jewish community, which is exactly why today we're putting in this investment to keep this really important community in Britain safe.”
“The contributions of so many of our Jewish community to our country have been immense, and they make this country a great place that it is. And I want people to feel safe. I want people to want to stay here. And want people to know that their children have got a great future here. And that's why, as long as it is necessary, I will, as chancellor and this government, will stand by the Jewish community, whether that is protecting synagogues, schools, community centres. We are ready to stand alongside the Jewish community and offer that protection and support”, the Labour MP for Leeds West and Pudsey added.
Last year, Reeves was applauded for a speech in which she declared she was an “unapologetic” Zionist, and attacked pro-Palestine demonstrators who ripped down hostage posters and chanted “globalise the intifada”.
Officials said the newly announced funding follows “the CST statistics about last year being the second highest numbers of attacks on the Jewish community ever, and recognising that heightened state of fear and risk”.
In all, up to £28.4 million “will be available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is managed by the CST, for measures at synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres”.
Marc Levy, Chief Executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region, who accompanied Reeves on her visit, told the JC: “We are grateful to the Chancellor for taking the time to engage with our community at the Heaton Park Synagogue. During this challenging time, the support of our elected representatives is essential and the additional funds to helping safeguard our community are appreciated.”
A CST spokesperson also welcomed the additional funding, describing it as a “a vital boost at a crucial time for the Jewish community, and is sadly much needed following the appalling Islamist terrorist attack in Manchester and at a time of heightened antisemitism.
“We will continue to work closely with government and community partners to ensure that this additional funding is used as effectively as possible to protect our community, while seeking longer-term ways to tackle the sources of this hatred and extremism.”
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