In the UK and other Western countries, the legacy of Hamas’ brutal assault on Israel on October 7, 2023 has been a prolonged antisemitism crisis – the worst the Jewish community has faced in our lifetime.
While in Israel on a recent visit, I was struck by how many people asked me with concern: “How is it there?” Recent polling captures their dismay, with nearly half of Britons believing the UK has become unsafe for Jewish people, and a majority of British Jews in the the Campaign Against Antisemitism poll saying they do not have a long-term future in the UK and have considered leaving the country.
The heinous Islamist terrorist attacks in Sydney and on Heaton Park in Manchester last year were shocking but not surprising. Jews have faced record levels of hate in recent years including assaults, vandalism of shuls and community centres, as well as intimidation and harassment. The news that my colleague and LFI vice chair Damien Egan MP was banned from attending a school in his own constituency starkly demonstrates the surge in extremism targeting Jews.
The government is taking welcome measures in the face of the antisemitism crisis: £10 million in new funding for communal security, £7 million to tackle antisemitism in schools, steps to challenge antisemitism in the NHS, and new powers for police to address anti-Israel demonstrations. These are all part of a wider strategy to take on Jew hate. The prime minister has rightly pledged to tear antisemitism out by its roots in British society – just as he did in the Labour Party when he became leader.
However, we need to recognise how deep these roots have grown. Extremist groups from the far right, far left and Islamist extremism are stirring up hatred against Jews in our communities. This is most visible on our streets, with hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrations held throughout the UK since October 7. They began just hours after the Hamas pogrom and have continued long after the ceasefire. They have featured blatant support for terrorist groups – as well as their backers in the murderous regime in Tehran – and repeated instances of racist hate speech.
I unequivocally support the right to peaceful protest, and I share the deep concerns we all have for the welfare of the people of Gaza. Nonetheless, it is clear that many of these demonstrations have little to do with support for Palestine. Instead, their intention appears to be to mobilise for the destruction of Israel and to intimidate and harass British Jews.
In addition to the measures the government is already taking, I believe there is much more we can do to protect Jewish life and end this crisis. First, anti-Israel demonstrations have regularly featured incitement to violence against Israelis and Jews. Many observers, including Jonathan Hall KC, have noted that chants such as “globalise the intifada” are nothing less than calls for violence. Without exception, police forces across the country need to arrest demonstrators and who chant and display such hateful content.
Second, over the last two years we have witnessed hundreds of disruptive, hateful anti-Israel demonstrations occur in the same areas. With antisemitic attacks at a historic high, these marches divert finite policing resources away from community policing where support is needed most. For this reason, police should have the powers to take into account the cumulative impact of protests when placing conditions. Changes should go further, and ensure police have the powers to determine whether or not a protest should go ahead as planned in these circumstances.
Third, many of these demonstrations have been organised by malign extremist groups – some clearly associated with Islamist extremism, including the Iranian regime – with long track records of hostility towards Israelis, denial of Israel’s right to exist and the stirring up of hatred against the Jewish community. Legislative changes should therefore be considered to designate extremist groups and prevent them from organising hateful demonstrations in the first place – as Lord Walney has called for.Finally, alongside brutally murdering thousands of protesters in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is spreading antisemitic hate in the UK. To stamp out radicalisation and cut off the sources of anti-Jewish incitement, the government must proscribe Iran’s terror army, the IRGC, and other such groups.
In his striking speech to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, the eminent historian Simon Sebag Montefiore said of witnessing repeat protests outside the part Israeli-owned Miznon restaurant in Notting Hill, “I hate to say it reminded me of Kristallnacht in Notting Hill Gate.”It is shocking that Jews in Britain are seeing echoes of the Holocaust on our streets today and it is only through united, determined action that we can restore Britain to a place where Jews feel safe once more.
Mark Sewards MP is honorary parliamentary chair of Labour Friends of Israel
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