U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with representatives from four Jewish organizations Friday to discuss the threats against the Jewish community in the U.K. and what the government can do to help.
Leaders of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, the Community Security Trust and the Union of Jewish Students attended the meeting at the prime minister’s office.
“We raised the community’s deep concern about the seemingly relentless antisemitism we have seen at protests, at Jewish community buildings, on campus, online, in workplaces, the NHS, the cultural sphere, and even against Jewish pupils on their way to school,” the leaders said in a joint statement.
The discussion included measures the government can take to improve Jewish life in the country and offered specific recommendations for countering antisemitism and extremism, such as reviewing hate crime legislation, policing and prosecution within the country.
This is “not just a threat to Jewish security,” the leaders stated. “It is a threat to national security.”
Other topics discussed included the plight of hostages still held by Hamas, a government ban on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the Iranian regime, and the recent ICC warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former defense minister.
The organization leaders found Starmer to be “informed, concerned and engaged” throughout the meeting.
“He and we have committed to engage across government departments to ensure the action we need to reclaim our streets, campuses and community buildings from racist thugs and ensure a secure and thriving future for the UK Jewish community,” the groups stated.
