Sir Keir Starmer has told the JC that Britain’s intelligence and security services were doing a “huge amount” to protect Britain’s Jewish community amid a wave of antisemitic terror attacks.
The prime minister was speaking to the JC during a visit to Hatzola north west, where, accompanied by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, he met volunteers from both the community ambulance service and Shomrim.
He praised both groups’ heroism in response to Wednesday’s terror attack in Golders Green.
NEW IN: The prime minister said the intelligence and security services were doing ‘a huge amount’ to protect the Jewish community in Britain.
Sir Kier Starmer says he understands concerns of protesters who heckled his visit to Hatzola.
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Starmer’s motorcade was greeted by around 100 demonstrators as he arrived in north west London, some of whom chanted “Keir Starmer, Jew harmer” and others “Keir Starmer’s a w*****”.
But the prime minister said he understood the protesters’ feelings and concerns.
“This is an awful and appalling terrorist attack. And obviously, there's been a series of antisemitic attacks, particularly in this area, and I know just how much concern and anxiety there is across the community, some have been reflected here this morning. I completely understand that”, he said.
“It is really important that we pull all the agencies together in response to this. That's why I held an emergency Cobra yesterday afternoon to make sure the response was coordinated across all the relevant agencies, the police and everybody else that need to be pulled together.
"But also this morning, I chaired a meeting of the criminal justice agencies to make sure that we can show that justice in these cases will be swift, effective and visible, to give people confidence.”
The prime minister also shared some of the concerns raised by the Hatzola and Shomrim volunteers whom he spoke to and praised as “heroic”.
“They are incredibly courageous, saving the lives of other people, undoubtedly in this, and it was really important for me to be able to say thank you to them.”
He said that the issue of repeated pro-Palestine protests was also brought to his attention by one of the volunteers and that it was one of the areas where the government was looking to see what further action could be taken to address those concerns.
“We're looking at that to see what more can be done, particularly the chants, some of the banners that are displayed, and the repeated nature of the protests,” he went on.
Turning his attention to state-based threats, he reiterated his position that he intended to “fast-track” legislation that would help deal with threats posed by regimes such as Iran and groups like the IRGC. Last week, he revealed exclusively to the JC that legislation to proscribe the group was going to be introduced in the next session of Parliament, which starts on 13 May.
And he also repeated the announcement made by the home secretary earlier this morning of a £25 million increase in security funding.
“We often say we stand with the Jewish community. We do and we will, but this is about what sort of country we all want to live in. So this has to be a fight of the whole country coming together,” he added.
Asked if he’d consider deploying the army to protect Jewish communal sites, the prime minister said: “I do think we need to put in more security, and that's what the additional funding is to be used for. I do think it's really important that we coordinate the response we've got.
"There has been increased policing, and I think that's been broadly well received, but we need to make sure that that's enhanced even further. And there have been many people this morning saying that that's what they want to see.
“And I completely understand that we will work with the community on that, because they need to be feel safe and secure. And I'm absolutely understanding the fact that at the moment, they don't feel safe and secure.
"They don't feel safe to express their identity, to express their traditions, whether that's at school, whether that's in the street, whether that's in the health service, whether it's their places of worship, they're synagogues, and so we have to work with them on that.”
Challenged on his response to a recent spate of attacks against the community, he insisted: “We're doing a huge amount in relation to this particular threat and the source of the threat with our security and intelligence services.
“I'm briefed regularly in that regard, in relation to what is known, what we're doing, and the action that we're taking. It's really important that that is done.
“But equally, I know that on the ground, we need to have the relevant police working with the first responders. One of the things that's been impressed on me here this morning is the way in which the different first responders all work with each other. But we need to make sure that we go further on that.
"That is what the funding is about. That's what the review of the Public Order legislation is about. That's why malign state actors. We need further legislation in relation to that, and that's why we'll fast-track it.”
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