Antisemitism: the half-truth

On December 29, Her Majesty's Government published a 47-page report entitled Government Action on Antisemitism. In terms of deepening our understanding of what Mr Cameron and his colleagues actually believe antisemitism to be, and what they have done and intend to do about it, this is a document of the first importance to Jews. Why then was it published on December 29? The cynic in me suggested that when the nation is indulging itself in an extended period of general merry-making, is just about the best time to bury bad news. On reading Government Action on Antisemitism this suspicion has, I regret to say, been amply confirmed.

This is not because the report does not say things that are true and which Jews know to be true. It does. It admits that incidences of anti-Jewish hate crimes have increased. The government might not entirely agree with Anglo-Jewish communal bodies as to the precise definition of such criminal behaviour, and there might well be honest differences of opinion as to whether particular incidents should even be regarded as "antisemitic". The bottom line is that antisemitic incidents have increased, are increasing and - lamentably - show no signs of diminishing.

"As we reflect (the report says) on the upsurge of antisemitism recorded in the UK over the summer, it is more important than ever that Britain says loudly and clearly that there can never be any excuse for antisemitism. As a government we continue to be committed to doing everything we can in the fight against antisemitism … this is undermined when British Jews are sought out, attacked and abused by individuals or organised groups on the extreme right, the extreme left and Islamist extremists. These attacks are regrettably exacerbated at times of heightened tension in the Middle East."

So far, so good. But what is the Government actually doing about it? Most of the report consists of a catalogue of actions and initiatives undertaken by a variety of bodies, some of which have indeed benefited from government funding to enable them to go about their work: Jewish maintained and free schools in England are to receive grants to beef up their security; the College of Policing has issued guidance in internet hate crime; the Society of Editors has been funded to produce "good practice" guidance; the Football Association has introduced "strict liability" for clubs regarding the behaviour of their fans; and several millions of UK taxpayers' money has been thrown at Holocaust remembrance and education. But, apart from signing cheques, what is the Government doing to counter the admitted upsurge in incidents of antisemitism? As you read the report, you realise that it tiptoes ever so gently around the elephant in the room. By which I mean that there is almost no mention of the part played by UK-based Islamic groups in fomenting this upsurge. Indeed, the only explicit allusion that I could find is the over-generalised reference to "Islamist extremists" quoted above. But the body of the report contains not a single mention of British-Muslim characterisations of Jews, Judaism, or the Jewish state.