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Question
The shadow reiterated his concern over rising antisemitic incidents since 2018, highlighted recent graffiti incidents in Harlow, and questioned why Jewish institutions require guards. He criticised political figures for using Israel's conflict as an excuse to spread antisemitism and mentioned groups like Hamas and Hezbollah funding such acts. The shadow asked about specific protections for Jews, educational measures against antisemitism in schools, and penalties for guilty parties.
Minister reply
The Minister thanked the MP for his remarks and acknowledged the rise in reported antisemitic incidents this week, noting a 320% increase from the previous week. He emphasised continued support for the Community Security Trust and collaboration with local police forces to provide reassurance to Jewish citizens. The Government also supports groups like the Union of Jewish Students who combat antisemitism on campuses and continues educational efforts through organisations such as the Holocaust Memorial Trust.
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Question
The MP commended Robert Halfon for securing the urgent question on antisemitic incidents. He expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitic and misogynistic attacks, highlighting that 63 antisemitic incidents were recorded by the Community Security Trust between May 8th and 16th. Thomas-Symonds asked if anyone else was being sought after, what more can be done to prevent similar occurrences, and what additional support is being given to places of worship.
Minister reply
The Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government acknowledged the seriousness of antisemitic incidents and noted that four men have been arrested. He mentioned increased patrols in Jewish communities in London and Essex police's investigation into a religiously aggravated assault case involving a rabbi. The minister also highlighted the Home Secretary’s assurances to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner about bringing perpetrators to justice.
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Question
The MP thanked the Minister for his statement but urged him to go further, highlighting that antisemitism on campuses is ignored and university lecturers who target Jewish students are not dealt with. He proposed ensuring every child in this country learns about antisemitism alongside other forms of racism.
Minister reply
The Minister agreed that it was crucial for young people to understand antisemitism and highlighted the Government’s commitment to funding organisations like the Holocaust Educational Trust, which now goes into universities as well.
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Question
McDonald thanked Robert Halfon for securing the urgent question. He expressed support for steps to bring perpetrators of antisemitic incidents to justice and suggested that we condemn all forms of racism, including Islamophobia and anti-Catholic bigotry.
Minister reply
The Minister agreed with McDonald's stance on condemning all forms of racism, including antisemitism, and reiterated the Government’s zero-tolerance policy.
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Question
Fabricant condemned the recent incidents but questioned what lessons have been learned about these events. He asked if there was predictability in such occurrences, especially during times of conflict.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged that similar spikes were seen in 2014 and emphasised the need for robust action by police services to address antisemitic incidents promptly.
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Question
Hodge thanked Robert Halfon and expressed concern about past patterns of antisemitic incidents flaring up during Middle Eastern conflicts. She asked what actions the Secretary of State would take beyond today to inform and educate communities, including elected representatives.
Minister reply
The Minister highlighted the work done through education initiatives like those by the Holocaust Educational Trust and the appointment of Sara Khan as an independent adviser to tackle extremism.
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Question
I very much agree with the remarks made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Harlow. Many Jewish people in Southend were appalled at the disgusting scenes in north London over the weekend. I stand with them, and I am frankly bemused at how those events were allowed to happen in the first place. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is more important than ever that the Government continue to support the work of the Community Security Trust, which does such vital work to keep the Jewish community safe through the protective security grant? I know that money is tight, but will he ensure that sufficient funding is made available to the trust, to enable the Jewish community to worship safely and peacefully?
Minister reply
The Community Security Trust has an absolutely essential role in supporting Jewish institutions such as schools, nurseries and places of worship—frankly, places that should not need to have security. As the father of Jewish children, it shocks me every time I take my children to synagogue or to their nursery to see individuals in stab-proof vests guarding the entrance to those places. That should not have to happen in this country, but it does happen today, and we will continue to support the Community Security Trust, giving it all the funding it needs to protect Jewish communities.
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Question
The whole House will stand in solidarity with Jewish people across the country in the face of vile antisemitism, misogynistic hate speech, violence and incitement. No one should be in any doubt that attempting to blame Jewish communities for the actions of the Israeli Government is appalling antisemitism and is wrong. The Secretary of State will know that the kinds of incident we saw over the weekend are also being fuelled by online antisemitism and extremism, and he will have seen the recent CST report on Google and antisemitic imagery. What more is he doing to tackle this awful online antisemitism?
Minister reply
The right hon. Lady raises an extremely important point. The Home Secretary and the Culture Secretary are working closely on this issue. They are in contact with the providers to ensure that antisemitic and other hate speech is taken down quickly and that action is taken against the perpetrators. Of course, this is an issue that we will return to and debate when considering the online harms Bill, which I hope will play a role. My Department is also funding organisations that are taking action to put a counter-narrative on social media, to educate people about the harm that is caused by antisemitism and to ensure that people of all backgrounds—particularly young people—understand that some of the memes and graphics that are being circulated as we speak are deeply antisemitic and deeply offensive to communities and are fuelling the kind of hatred that boiled on to the streets over the weekend.
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Question
We have seen vile physical and verbal assaults against Jews in the real world, but there is also a deep well of antisemitic content online and on social media, as the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford said, which often goes unchallenged. Does my right hon. Friend agree that these clearly antisemitic messages cannot be allowed to continue? Memes are allowed to socialise and water down some of the horrific content online. Can he outline what action the Government will take against not just mainstream social media companies but smaller ones such as BitChute and Telegram, where some of the worst content is shared?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises a number of important points. It is not simply an issue of the large international providers; there are smaller ones as well. They all need to be subject to the regulatory regime that we are devising and will legislate for in the online harms Bill. We are taking action as we speak, and the Culture Secretary, the Home Secretary and I are working with those providers to ensure that harmful antisemitic content is seen, identified and removed as quickly as possible.
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Question
On behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I would like to add our unequivocal condemnation of all forms of racism and hate speech, including the appalling antisemitic abuse recorded on the streets of London. The Secretary of State has already agreed that we must all actively condemn and confront all forms of inflammatory rhetoric by those with public platforms. Can he expand on how he sees the work of Government encouraging us here and the public at large to get to a place where we can stop such appalling racial abuse and misogynistic hate crimes?
Minister reply
We are taking a number of actions in my Department, and we work with organisations right across society, including faith organisations, to ensure that those perpetrating abuse and discriminatory behaviour of this kind are brought to justice. We want to ensure that we have a tolerant society. We are proud of the diversity in this country, but we also want a united country in which all people feel comfortable and safe. That is why we are taking the actions that we are taking, and why we are working with our hate crime action group and a number of organisations all over the UK to raise awareness and to stamp out this kind of abusive behaviour where we find it.
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Question
Today, Jewish people in my constituency and around the world will be gathering to mark the festival of Shavuot, and I wish them all a good and a safe Yom Tov. As the Member with the largest Jewish community outside London, I have been contacted by constituents scared to take their children to shul, due to the appalling scenes of antisemitism on the streets of the UK over the weekend. Does my right hon. Friend agree with me that the Jewish community cannot be targeted due to the situation in the middle east, and will he reassure the community in Bury South and across the country that the police will deal with all instances of antisemitism with the utmost severity?
Minister reply
I hope I can provide the reassurance that police forces across the country, including in Greater Manchester, are taking action to ensure that there are patrols and, where there are incidents, that they are investigated and individuals are brought to justice, where necessary. I was very concerned to see the intimidating scenes at the Arndale centre in Manchester, and I would not want to see those repeated. We want to provide protection to my hon. Friend’s constituents, and that is exactly what we will do.
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Question
Plaid Cymru has a long tradition of promoting peace over conflict and of standing alongside oppressed people. This includes calling for the human right of people in Palestine and Israel to be able to live in peace. The language we use in politics matters, and everyone seeking peace knows that words used irresponsibly can be twisted into weapons. This week, Jews in the UK have suffered hate speech, threats and acts of violence both on the streets and over social media. Does the Secretary of State agree that the online harms Bill provides an opportunity to protect not only individuals, but groups of people from hate speech that incites such violence?
Minister reply
I think that the online harms Bill outlined in the Queen’s Speech will be an important weapon in our arsenal, enabling us to take action against the virus of antisemitism and other forms of hate speech where they occur online. That is absolutely critical; we find it in many other aspects of our life. That is one of the reasons we pursued the IHRA definition, and have urged institutions to sign up to it, such as councils, universities and, of course, Members of this House. There is more work to be done there, and a particular focus for this Government will now be in universities. Many have not signed up to that definition, and many have done so but not yet put it into practice. We need to see urgent change there.
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Question
I welcome and indeed echo the words of the Home Secretary at the weekend in urging the police to take the strongest possible action against those responsible for these horrific and totally unacceptable incidents of antisemitism. Will my right hon. Friend confirm that his Department will work closely with the Home Office to ensure that all those responsible will be held to account and face justice as soon as possible?
Minister reply
Antisemitic crimes, like all those with regard to racism, are serious crimes, and we expect police forces investigating these issues to do so rigorously, robustly and swiftly, and for action to be taken against the individuals if they are found to require prosecution. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is working with the Metropolitan police, and has received assurances from them that they will be doing everything they can to bring these individuals to justice.
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Question
Last night, Jewish communities across the country began our celebrations for the festival of Shavuot, and I wish all of those marking it a chag sameach. The scenes of antisemitic and misogynistic abuse yesterday have been incredibly disturbing and have caused significant alarm and distress, coming off the back of a rise in hate crime incidents both online and in physical attacks on and desecrations of our places of worship. I have been heartened by unequivocal condemnations from across society, including by the Muslim Council of Britain and the Palestinian ambassador in the UK, as they recognise that all forms of racism and oppression reinforce one another, that they cannot be fought in isolation from each other and that we all have more in common than that which divides us. What support, therefore, will the Secretary of State provide to interfaith initiatives such as the Warrington Ethnic Communities Association and the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester to help us build solidarity and co-operation across our communities, where a minority of extremists seek to divide us?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Lady, and wish her chag sameach as well. We are working with a number of different groups that help bridge the divide and ensure that there is greater understanding among different groups in society. There are many such groups, including Solutions Not Sides, and Streetwise with its Stand Up! programme. They are important, but we want other parts of civil society to step up too. The report that Sara Khan produced earlier in the year for the Prime Minister was significant, saying that there is more work to be done by schools, local councils and civil society organisations to take their responsibilities seriously now in rooting out extremism and encouraging a better understanding between different parts of society. That work needs to be done swiftly, and Sara Khan is now part of my Department, independently advising myself and the Prime Minister on how we can take that work forward.
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Question
He thanked Mr Speaker for granting an urgent question. He expressed dismay at the scenes in north London and questioned whether a tweet from the Metropolitan police missed the mark entirely, not taking what happened seriously enough.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick acknowledged that while the police are doing commendable work, action against perpetrators of such offences is crucial. Individuals have been arrested and crimes investigated.
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Question
He agreed with the Centre for Holocaust Education on the importance of education in tackling antisemitism but highlighted that only 37% of young people know what the term 'antisemitism' means. He asked how adequate funding can be ensured to support educational programmes.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick mentioned ongoing work through various trusts and museums for Holocaust education and awareness, as well as efforts online and in schools.
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Question
He pointed out that antisemitism has been inflamed by allegations regarding the al-Aqsa mosque. He asked what more could be done to prevent such mistruths from driving a wedge between communities.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick emphasised work online, in schools, through museums and educational institutions, as well as calling out antisemitism wherever it appears.
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Question
He condemned racists using the Palestinian tragedy to fuel antisemitism. He asked if far-right organisations could use this to stir further community tensions and what steps would be taken to address it.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick stated that conflicts in the Middle East have historically led to an upsurge in hate crimes against both Jewish and Muslim communities, highlighting the need for concerted action.
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Question
He expressed concern over antisemitic attacks that included a Jewish teacher being abused by pupils. He asked if there was a future for Jewish people in this country.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick, as the father of three young Jewish girls, committed to ensuring the protection and safety of the British Jewish community.
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Question
He thanked the Minister for his statement and condemned antisemitic attacks. He asked about headlines potentially preventing readers from understanding Israel's actions as defensive.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick clarified that the UK Government believes in Israel’s right to self-defence proportionately, condemning any form of antisemitism seen in this country.
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Question
She highlighted hate crimes against Jewish residents and asked for commitments on punishing such crimes and providing additional resources to protect community centres, schools, and synagogues.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick committed to ensuring reassuring police presence and support for the Community Security Trust among other organisations protecting communal spaces.
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Question
She acknowledged community cohesion work undermined by recent events and asked about long-term support from the Government, as well as reviewing local government capacity to build on this.
Minister reply
Mr Jenrick agreed that councils play an important role in tackling extremism and mentioned Sara Khan's recommendations for spotting and dealing with extremists.