Record funding to protect Jewish communities
Security around synagogues and Jewish schools will be ramped up thanks to record levels of funding to protect communities and help targeted groups feel safe, the Prime Minister has announced today.
- Jewish communities will receive up to £10 million in an emergency cash injection to scale up security at synagogues and schools, taking funding to protect faith communities to record levels
- The announcement follows the horrific terrorist attack in Manchester two weeks ago, and latest statistics showing that Jewish people are more targeted by hate crime than any other group
- Prime Minister pledges to go further and leave no stone unturned to keep Jewish people safe in all parts of life
Security around synagogues and Jewish schools will be ramped up thanks to record levels of funding to protect communities and help targeted groups feel safe, the Prime Minister has announced today.
Up to £10 million will be dedicated to paying for more security staff and equipment around Jewish sites, such as CCTV, alarms and floodlights.
The emergency cash injection, which will be available immediately, comes two weeks after the horrifying terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester.
Statistics out last week also show that religious hate crime is at the highest ever levels and Jewish people were more targeted than any other group.
Following this attack, many Jewish leaders have already taken steps to increase security and protect their communities, measures that will now be supported by the government.
Local police forces have also stepped up patrols in at risk areas, and deployed more officers to manage violent protests, investigate hate crimes and support communities who feel targeted.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
I was in Manchester the day after the horrific terrorist attack and saw first-hand the fear that many Jewish people are facing. Not just on that terrible day, but every day, and in every part of their lives. The devastating truth is that antisemitism is on the rise in Britain, and we must defeat it.
In the days after the attack, I promised to do everything in my power to give Jewish communities the security they deserve, and this work has already begun. We are giving record levels of funding to scale up security at synagogues and faith schools, and we are giving the powers they need to tackle protests that cause repeat disruption to communities and intimidate worshippers, but more must be done.
Tackling this hatred will not be solved with quick fixes. It will take work across communities and in every part of our country and every part of our society. It is a national effort that I am determined this government will lead.
The Prime Minister made the announcement at the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects British Jews from terrorism and antisemitism, and who will administer the funding.
Mark Gardner, CST Chief Executive said:
This is a vital emergency boost for security measures at a crucial time for the Jewish community, as we confront the aftermath of the appalling Islamist terrorist attack in Manchester.
This fund will strengthen the security infrastructure protecting our synagogues, schools, and community buildings, at a time when Jews remain, proportionally, the most likely victims of hate crime in the UK.
We are grateful for this announcement and will continue to work closely with the government and community partners: but the root causes of antisemitism and extremism must be acknowledged and tackled if long term change is to occur.
Today’s announcement also builds on action already taken to help clamp down on hate crime and antisemitism including empowering the police to put conditions on repeat protests and ordering a review of all protest legislation to make sure the police have the powers they need to tackle intimidation, incitement and keep communities safe.
The latest statistics also show that the Muslim community has faced an increase in vile hate crime over the past year. The safety and security of all our communities is of the utmost importance, and the Government is also looking at how best to support them.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
The sickening attack in Manchester was an assault on the safety, dignity and peace of mind that every Jewish person deserves.
We are providing record funding to help protect synagogues and Jewish schools – but this isn’t just about cameras and alarms, it’s about restoring that peace of mind, and sending the message: Britain stands with its Jewish community, always.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:
Our Jewish community shouldn’t have to choose between worship and safety. No one should be forced to live a smaller Jewish life in our country.
Hatred and violence seeks to divide us. But we choose the path of solidarity. We stand with the Jewish community, and with all communities, who have been forced to live in fear.