OSCE Conference on Tackling Antisemitism, St Gallen 2026: UK statement
UK expresses deep concern about rising antisemitism across the OSCE region and calls for concrete steps to realise commitments and protect Jewish communities.
Thank you, Mr Chair. Allow me also to thank the Swiss Chairpersonship for organising this important conference, and to the canton of St. Gallen for their warm hospitality.
Mr Chair, the United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the continued rise in antisemitism across the OSCE region. As this discussion has highlighted, recent years have been profoundly difficult for Jewish communities, in the United Kingdom and beyond.
In the UK, the attack on the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar, was a stark reminder that these threats are real, immediate, and deeply felt. The shocking assault on a Chanukah celebration in Sydney further demonstrates that antisemitic hatred is not confined by borders; it is a challenge that confronts us all.
The United Kingdom is proud of its identity as a diverse, multifaith, and multiethnic democracy. Precisely because of this, we view antisemitism not only as an attack on Jewish communities, but as an attack on the principles that underpin stable and inclusive societies. Antisemitism is never a problem for others to resolve. It is a collective security issue, one that threatens cohesion and undermines trust in our shared institutions.
While physical security measures remain necessary, they cannot alone provide lasting safety. Fences and guards may deter, but they cannot replace understanding, empathy, or community confidence. True resilience requires addressing the roots of antisemitism and strengthening the social fabric in which all communities feel valued and protected.
For this reason, the United Kingdom continues to champion the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism and the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. We encourage all participating States to adopt and operationalise these tools. During our recent IHRA Presidency, we worked with partners to protect the historical record, reinforce Holocaust education, and address emerging challenges, including those arising from artificial intelligence and digital manipulation. This work remains essential.
Antisemitic content is widespread online. From overt hate speech and coordinated harassment campaigns, to coded language and conspiracy theories, online antisemitism is rapidly spread and amplified and has real world consequences. The UK’s Online Safety Act places strong duties on social media platforms to protect all users from illegal content, including illegal hate speech and abuse.
We also acknowledge the OSCE’s, and in particular ODIHR’s, essential contribution to supporting participating States in building societies grounded in tolerance and non‑discrimination.
Mr Chair, the United Kingdom reaffirms its commitment to confronting antisemitism in all its forms. But the duty is on all of us to turn these commitments and words into action. Our credibility depends not on the strength of our declarations, but on the concrete steps we take to ensure they are realised
We stand with Jewish communities across our region and beyond, and we will continue to work with OSCE partners to ensure that hatred has no place in our societies.
Thank you.