Speaking at a high-level summit in Downing Street with leaders from politics, law and order, education, business and the arts, Starmer said the government was “rapidly legislating” to deal with what he described as a “vicious threat” and rising anti-Semitism in the country, Sky News reported.
The ‘foreign’ angle is under investigation
Starmer confirmed that security agencies are exploring whether foreign countries may be behind or influencing some of the recent incidents against the Jewish community.“One of the focuses of the investigation is whether foreign countries were behind some of these incidents,” he said, adding that “all possibilities are under investigation.”“Our message to Iran or any other country that may seek to incite violence, hatred or division in society is that we will not tolerate such behavior,” he warned.
Security tightened after London attacks
Starmer’s warning came after two Jewish men were stabbed last week in Golders Green, north London, in an incident police declared terror-related. The victim suffered serious injuries and is receiving treatment in hospital.In a separate incident on the same day, another attempted murder was reported in Southwark, while counter-terrorism officers were investigating an alleged arson attack on a former synagogue in Whitechapel.Previous attacks include an incident against an ambulance linked to Jewish Emergency Volunteers and an alleged arson at a community memorial site,
Government strengthens counter-extremism framework
Earlier, Starmer said anti-Semitism in the UK was “growing, real and dangerous” and was not restricted to a single source.“Islamists, far-right and far-left extremism all target Jewish communities,” he said, stressing the need for a coordinated national response.He announced an additional £1.5 million in funding to improve community cohesion and strengthen protection of Jewish communities in high-risk areas.The British Prime Minister also said that new counter-terrorism legislation is being prepared so that the government can take stronger action against threats related to the country. This could include powers to ban organizations accused of supporting or sponsoring violence overseas.This comes after some members of the Jewish community once again called for the banning of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Western governments have long accused of supporting terrorism.
The government is under increasing pressure to respond
The summit comes amid growing criticism from Jewish community leaders who say the government is moving too slowly to combat anti-Semitism. Starmer himself faced protests during his recent visit to Golders Green.Nonetheless, he reiterated that the government was “awake” to the scale of the challenge and was committed to confronting “all forms” of extremism through a national cohesion strategy.