Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has insisted that “criticism of Israel must never become an excuse for antisemitism here at home”.
Speaking at the inaugural Antisemitism Conference, she called for a united national effort to confront the problem, warning that Jewish people must not be left to shoulder the burden of tackling hatred alone.
Rayner outlined the government’s approach to protecting Jewish communities and ensuring that Jewish people can live openly and safely in Britain at the event hosted by the Antisemitism Policy Trust at Lancaster House in central London on 27 October.
“Antisemitism doesn’t become acceptable just because someone dresses it up as a protest or ideology,” she said.
“From radicalised conspiracy theories on the far right to language about Israel and Zionism on the left. The politics might be different but the antisemitism is not.”
Angela Rayner was introduced by Lord Mann (Photo-Sky News)[Missing Credit]
She stressed the importance of not turning legitimate criticism of the Israeli government into hostility towards Jewish people in Britain.
“Now, of course, people can criticise the Israeli government, but British Jews are not responsible for what governments do, and criticism of Israel must never become an excuse for antisemitism here at home,” she said.
She was introduced by Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, before dashing off to Downing Street to meet Muslim community leaders with Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The government plans to appoint an anti-Muslim hostility adviser.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, (L) host Muslim community leaders at Downing Street on October 27, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Getty Images)Getty Images
One of the most personal moments of Rayner’s speech to the Antisemitism Conference came when she recalled a meeting between the Prime Minister, Jewish community leaders and herself at Downing Street during Rosh Hashanah.
Among the gifts brought to the meeting were apples and honey, including honey prepared and packaged by people supported by Kisharon Langdon, a charity working with people with learning disabilities and autism.
For Rayner, the gifts represented the warmth of Jewish tradition and the hope associated with the Jewish New Year.
A note from one of the children thanking the government for helping to keep them safe left a lasting impression.
“I thought a kid shouldn't have to write a note like that. It broke my heart because children living in social care should not have to think about their safety.”
She also recalled meeting people affected by the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue, remembering victims Melvin Kravitz and Adrian Daulby, who were killed while attending services for Yom Kippur.
The attack, she said, highlighted the “reality” facing Jewish communities, where synagogues, schools and communal buildings increasingly require substantial security measures.
“We hear about people hiding the kippah or the star of David because they're afraid. And I find that so distressing. Jewish people are having to change how they live because of other people's hatred. And we cannot allow this poison to become normal.”
She explained how “the government is providing £310 million over three years for Jewish community policing and protection,” emphasising that funding security measures alone cannot address the underlying problem.
“None of us should accept that this is just how it is to live as a Jewish person today.”
Rayner argued that antisemitism must be confronted across every part of public life, rather than treated as an issue for Jewish organisations or individual government departments to resolve alone.
She also highlighted the influence of social media, where conspiracy theories can spread rapidly and extreme voices can appear more representative of public opinion than they really are.
She said: “Earlier this month, the National Security Council met specifically to discuss antisemitism.
“I asked the prime minister to convene it and he did and he chaired it and we were really grateful to have Phil Rosenberg, the Board of Deputies and Mark Gardner of CST joined part of that discussion.
“The prime minister wants the National Security Council to keep antisemitism under regular review.
“We also meet regularly across government to keep the pressure on and what we agreed and I will be chairing those meetings.”
Rayner highlighted how the government has “accepted all 27 recommendations” made by Sir David Bell in his report on antisemitism in schools and colleges, including improved teacher training.
It has also “accepted Lord Mann’s recommendations on tackling antisemitism and racism within the health service”.
Rayner said Jewish patients, medical staff, teachers and pupils should not have to struggle to have their experiences acknowledged.
Although most people in Britain reject antisemitism, she said, she warned that rising incidents should concern the whole country.
She described antisemitism as a potential “canary in the coal mine”, signalling wider problems when extremism begins to take hold.
The government is also reviewing how existing protections, including the Online Safety Act, work in practice.
Throughout her address, Rayner returned to the importance of collective responsibility.
She praised the work of the Community Security Trust and Jewish community volunteers, while insisting that the wider public must play its part.
Her closing message was one of hope, rooted in the belief that the majority of British people reject hatred and want Jewish communities to thrive.
Rayner urged people to celebrate Jewish life in its entirety, rather than allowing antisemitism to dominate how Jewish identity is understood.
“Jewish people cannot be left to carry this burden by themselves, and I will always be by your side.”
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