LONDON British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Iran “will not tolerate” attempts to sow division within British society as he chaired a summit to tackle anti-Semitism in London on Tuesday.
In his opening speech at 10 Downing Street, Starmer said the rise in attacks against British Jews was “a crisis for all of us” and required a “whole of society” response.
The meeting of police chiefs, business and civil society leaders came a week after a horrific attack on a Jewish man on a street in Golders Green, north-west London.
“Last week’s horrific attack in Golders Green was shocking. But it was not an isolated incident. It is part of a rising pattern of anti-Semitism that has left our Jewish communities frightened, angry and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.
Starmer said: “One of the key points of the investigation is whether a foreign government was behind some of these incidents. Of course, we are investigating all possibilities and we are clear that if this is proven to be the case, there will be consequences for these actions.”
“Our message to Iran or any other country that may seek to incite violence, hatred or division in society is that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. That is why we are moving quickly to legislate to address these malign threats,” he said.
The Prime Minister said ministers “clearly” recognized that anti-Semitism does not have “just one source”, pointing to Islamism, far-left and far-right extremism as areas of concern.
“That is why this government has developed the first coordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and counter all forms of extremism,” he said.
Leaders from business, civil society, health, culture, higher education and policing gathered at the summit and were asked to reflect on the manifestations of anti-Semitism in their respective fields and what is being done to tackle the issue.
Downing Street said a series of roundtables would be followed by a ministerial meeting of the Middle East Response Committee, which would focus on the impact of the conflict in West Asia on domestic security and the wider threat posed by recent attacks to Jewish communities.
Earlier, Starmer issued a statement condemning attacks on the United Arab Emirates amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
He said: “We stand with the UAE and will continue to support the defense of our Gulf partners.
This escalation must stop. Iran needs to meaningfully engage in negotiations to ensure a lasting ceasefire in the Middle East and achieve a long-term diplomatic solution. “
Meanwhile, Essa Suleiman, a 45-year-old British national born in Somalia, remains in custody, charged with the attempted murder of two Jewish men who were stabbed in Golders Green last week. The attack also raised the UK’s terror threat level to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely within the next six months.
Meanwhile, counter-terrorism officials are also investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel, east London, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
It comes after a series of suspected arson attacks across London, including at a Jewish charity and a synagogue-owned ambulance.
Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenock has called for all pro-Palestinian marches to be banned because of their impact on Britain’s Jewish community. PTI AK GRS GRS
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This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
