Board and JLC praise government’s new social cohesion strategy
Phil Rosenberg says 'we commit to play our part to build a more cohesive Britain for people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds'
The Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council have strongly praised the government’s newly announced strategy on social cohesion.
It includes a fresh definition of anti-Muslim hate designed to protect people from “unacceptable prejudice, discrimination and hatred” while safeguarding freedom of speech.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed told the House of Commons the government had a duty to act against record levels of hate crime against both Muslims and Jews, but that “you can’t tackle a problem if you can’t describe it”.
He was updating Parliament on Monday on a new non-statutory definition for anti-Muslim hate, while unveiling a wider strategy on social cohesion, which included the promise of further and tougher action on the rise of anti-Jewish hatred.
As he addressed MPs, Reed was asked about the government’s strategy to counter surging antisemitism and the need toprotect the Jewish community from those who may see Israel’s involvement in Iran as an excuse to attack British Jews.
Reed said the alongside the government’s recently published antisemitism action plan, “we are reviewing the visa watch list to ensure that extremists and hate preachers are not given visas to enter our country.”
He added:” Secondly, the Charity Commission will get new powers to close down charities that are promoting division, including antisemitism.”
Reed continued:” The Charity Commission will be getting new powers so that it can close down those organisations that purport to have charitable objectives but are really a cover for promoting hatred and division.
“With the changes we are announcing today, that will no longer be allowed to continue.”
He told MPs that the Government is protecting Jewish communities with “record funding for security at synagogues and schools, millions of pounds to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities, new laws to stop abusive protests outside places of worship.”
He added: “Today, we are going even further to tackle antisemitism in schools and colleges and in the healthcare system, and crucially, clamping down hard on the extremism which so often targets Jews first of all”.
The wider social cohesion strategy has been described by the Government as “a rallying call for action, setting out the first steps towards a more connected, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom – a place where neighbour continues to look out for neighbour and people come together with a shared sense of values, pride, and belonging”.
In a statement, Board president Phil Rosenberg said:”We welcome the new government plan to confront extremism and build social cohesion, including specific measures to confront antisemitism wherever and however it manifests….”
Rosenberg added, “British Muslim friends faced record levels of anti-Muslim hatred and we commit to play our part to build a more cohesive Britain for people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.”
Keith Black, Chair of the Jewish Leadership Council, said:”The deadly consequences of extremism are all too familiar for the Jewish community. “We welcome the government’s announcement of long overdue measures to combat extremist ideologies and strengthen social cohesion across the country. It is encouraging that the government recognises this call to action as the beginning of a longer process.”
Danny Stone MBE, Chief Executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust added:”“This action plan is a welcome step towards realising a vision of Britain that celebrates our liberal democratic principles, is patriotic but that is muscular in its defence of our values.
“The key now will be implementation, and I look forward to working with Ministers and others on ensuring this plan is fully enacted.”
Dr Ed Kessler MBE, Chair of the Commission on Interfaith Relations, said: “This report marks an important step in recognising that cohesion must be rooted in local relationships and shared civic life. Investment in places, people and trusted institutions is essential if we are to ensure that global tensions do not fracture our communities at home.”
During Monday’s debate, Labour MP Paul Waugh told the Commons, “Muslim men, women and children are subjected to vile Islamophobia in the street and blamed for terrorist outrages, just as Jews are subjected to vile antisemitism and blamed for the actions of Israel.”
The Rochdale MP added:” I welcome today’s new definition of anti-Muslim hostility, which is needed every bit as much as that existing definition of antisemitism. I note that the definition of antisemitism has not had a chilling effect on free speech either.”
Critics of efforts to create a new definition for Islamophobia have raised concerns that doing so could create backdoor blasphemy laws and curtail speech about Islamic extremism.
The latest Government figures, published in October, showed that religious hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales reached a record high in the year ending March 2025.
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