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Theresa May gives speech attacking antisemitism - minutes after gruelling Brexit exchange
PM opted not to pull out of pre-planned engagement, in remarkable show of energy
November 26, 2018 20:40
PM opted not to pull out of pre-planned engagement, in remarkable show of energy
November 26, 2018 20:40Theresa May has delivered an impassioned speech condemning antisemitism and misogyny - only minutes after leaving the Commons following a gruelling session over her Brexit deal.
In a remarkable display of energy, the Prime Minister opted not to pull out of a pre-planned speaking engagement to address a conference on antisemitism, despite having just spent more than two hours defending her EU withdrawal agreement to angry MPs.
Speaking to a Downing Street reception on Monday evening, the PM said it was "clear that in 2018 Jewish women are under dual attack".
Echoing the theme of the Sara Conference that took place in Westminster, she said MPs such as Luciana Berger who she said were "abused for being women and abused for being Jewish".
The Sara Conference, the first of its kind, spent the day exploring the relationship between hatred of Jews and hatred of women, dicussing new research that found Jewish female MPs faced 15 percent more abuse than their male counterparts.
Hinting at Labour's antisemitism crisis, Mrs May said the abuse "does not always come from the right."
She added: "Hatred directed at Jewish women also comes from those who would never consider themselves racist, including within the women's rights movement.
"Some Jewish women have been told they are not real feminists unless they disentail Israel's right to exist.
"Or have been thrown off Pride marches because they feature the Star of David.
"Actions are often justified by the canyard that antisemitism isn't real racism. Well I've not time for equivocation. Antisemitism is racism.
"Any equality movement that indulges or ignores it is not worthy of its name."
The Prime Minister also mentioned Claire Kober, the former Haringey Council leader who had stepped down "after facing torrent of abuse in which she said the only thing worse than the sexism was the antisemtism".
Ms Kober was among those present at the Downing Street reception on Monday evening alongside Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth, Ms Berger and Ian Austin.
Also at the gathering were the Community Security Trust chairman Gerard Ronson and deputy director of communications Dave Rich.
The PM also paid tribute to the work of another attendee, Karen Pollock, praising the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lesson To Auschwitz visit to Poland last week.
She said: "As the Chancellor announced in last month’s Budget, we will also provide £1.7 million for school programmes marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.
"And we are continuing to support the Holocaust Educational Trust, not just backing its Lessons From Auschwitz programme but extending it to cover universities. The first students and university leaders to take part in the new scheme travelled to Poland just last week.
"The HET is just one of many bodies working hard to tackle the kind of prejudices you discussed at today’s conference."
She also had a message of gratitude for the work of Labour's John Mann, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Antisemitism.
Concluding her speech, Mrs May said: "Thank you for refusing to tolerate antisemtism and misogyny.
"Thank you for lending your voices to the growing chorus that will drown out the fury of the racists and the sexists.
"Hatred can be defeated, hatred must be defeated."
