Jewish people are living in fear – a fear that has been building for years but has become acute in recent weeks. It now seeps into every part of daily life: the school run, a walk down the high street, a meal in a restaurant, attending synagogue on Shabbat.
Jewish friends and colleagues have spoken to me about how they now find themselves looking over their shoulder in public and worrying about their children wearing religious symbols. This is heartbreaking. It is utterly unacceptable that Jewish people are having to live like this.
Antisemitism in our country is not new, of course. It has spanned nearly a millennium – from medieval blood libels to fascist street violence in the 20th century. But it has been rising again over the past decade, with a sharp surge since 2023. According to the Community Security Trust, last year alone nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded in London, and in recent weeks this wave of hate has begun to feel like a tsunami.
The horrific terror attack in Golders Green was just the latest in a series of antisemitic acts of violence that have targeted Jewish people, synagogues, homes and charities. Understandably, many Jewish people are angry. They are tired of warm words, and expect to see real action to ensure their safety. They are right – and I am focused on doing all I can as mayor of London to deliver that action.
We have significantly increased the policing presence in north-west London, with further deployments already planned for the weeks ahead. Last week, the government also announced £25m to boost police patrols in Jewish communities, which will help to maintain this heightened presence in the short term.
However, this will not be enough to deliver the step-change in policing that Jewish communities expect and deserve. We need a response that recognises the seriousness and persistence of the threat. I’ve been clear that this will require additional, dedicated funding from the government, which I am actively lobbying for.
The Met commissioner and I have set out to ministers a detailed proposal for a new, long-term approach. This includes permanently growing neighbourhood and firearm policing teams in areas with large Jewish populations; creating a new community policing hub near the centre of the Jewish community in Barnet; and adding another investigative team to ensure hate crimes are dealt with swiftly and effectively.
I know that many Jewish Londoners also want to see more action against those who promote hatred at protests. The right to protest is fundamental to our democracy, but anyone stirring up hatred against Jewish people should be more readily arrested and prosecuted. We must always ensure that antisemitism carries real consequences.
I also appeal again to the common decency of Londoners. Even if there is uncertainty about which chants cross legal thresholds, if it causes distress and is offensive to Jewish people – if it makes our fellow Jewish citizens scared – it should not be used. Respect for one another must remain the foundation of London life. It is not hard to express criticism of Israel without using language that incites violence.
The recent antisemitic attacks also raise serious national security concerns. There are urgent questions about how those linked to the Iranian state could be facilitating and funding attacks in our capital that must be thoroughly investigated.
Getting the policing and counter-terrorism response right will be critical, but it will not be enough on its own. As a city, and as a society, we need to confront the rising tide of antisemitism. That means being tough and uncompromising with antisemites, but also tackling the root of the problem through education and prevention.
That’s why I will continue to invest record amounts from city hall in organisations that run programmes to prevent radicalisation, challenge extremism, combat antisemitism and bring communities together. The latest phase of this work is helping 50,000 more Londoners to better recognise hateful and extremist messages and to empower them to challenge these narratives.
One of these organisations is the Anne Frank Trust UK, which I spent time with this week. Another is Tech Against Terrorism, which is putting on workshops in schools to help young people recognise radicalising content online. This is vital because disinformation, antisemitism and conspiracy theories are increasingly being allowed to spread online. We have also supported Maccabi GB with its brilliant interfaith programme that brings Jewish and Muslim facilitators into schools to help young people learn about discrimination, racism and extremism.
The history of antisemitism in London sadly stretches back a thousand years, but so too does the resilience of London’s Jewish communities and the solidarity of Londoners from all backgrounds. This has seen dockers standing with Jewish tailors on strike in the late-19th century, Irish Londoners building barricades alongside Jewish neighbours during the battle of Cable Street and British families taking in Jewish children arriving on the Kindertransport.
During many dark times, Londoners have offered a thread of hope by choosing to stand with their Jewish neighbours. Now, more than ever, it’s vital that it continues to shine. That’s why I urge everyone – including anti-racist organisations – to stand on the shoulders of great Londoners of the past by speaking up and joining the fight against antisemitic hatred.
Being the mayor of the city that is home to the largest Jewish community in our country is a privilege and a responsibility I take extremely seriously. And I will not rest until Jewish people feel safe, secure and able to live without fear once again.
Sadiq Khan is the mayor of London
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Source:
www.theguardian.com
