Britain’s antisemitism crisis: Enough words. Where is the action?

In December, the Prime Minister wrote, “If what we do does not work for the Jewish community, then it does not work at all.” He also promised to “set out in the new year a wider action plan.”

It is now March.

Our community leaders have heard many platitudes before: “We need to do more… this must mark a turning point… we have taken some important initial steps. “If you are reading this with a growing sense of despair, that feeling is rooted in reality. Jews in Britain are now eight times more likely to be racially attacked than the next most targeted demographic per capita. Eight times.

Last summer, a very senior community figure told us of politicians: “We are hitting our heads against a brick wall.”

Many of us in the grassroots Jewish and Christian communities have decided that while we wait for political leaders to get results, there might be another way to catalyse change: galvanise ordinary people, not their representatives. That is precisely what we have done.

The GPS Network of over 400 Jewish groups, Victims of Antisemitism, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) and several other large Christian networks have come together to confront the crisis. On Wednesday, we brought over 80 victims of antisemitism and allies to Parliament. Not lobbyists. Not spokespeople. Victims. New voices for new times.

We held crisis talks with constituent MPs from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, demanding they recognise the antisemitism crisis for what it is and act on it effectively and immediately. Outside, victims addressed their MPs directly. Inside, we held a mass lobby – more MPs came than expected.

Some victims sat with Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP and described the daily reality of unprovoked hatred: ostracism, false accusations, fear, violence. He was moved to tears. Literally.

Then, in the largest committee room in Westminster Palace — packed beyond capacity – GPS Network, CUFI, TV presenter Rachel Riley and Lord Daniel Finkelstein addressed the room. Priority was given to the victims. We heard harrowing first-hand accounts from ordinary Jewish people encountering this racism every day, across every part of the country. These are not statistics. They are people.

Rachel Riley put it plainly: “Behind soaring antisemitism statistics are real children, families, nurses, teachers — ordinary Jewish people experiencing levels of hate we’ve never known before in the UK. Regular Brits stand for fairness and equality. Were they to know the true extent of this crisis, they would demand something be done.”

Here are just a few of the stories we heard:

Lisa Lamkin, a local government worker from East London: “My son was abused for nearly two years at school, called ‘yid’ and ‘Jewish scum’. He was followed home by a child shouting, ‘Fuck the Jews, kill the Jews.’ The headteacher told my son to ‘be more resilient.'”*

Victoria, a recruitment manager from Ilford: “At my synagogue, people scream abuse at worshippers. My son’s bar mitzvah was ruined by someone hurling racial slurs. I had to teach my children an escape plan in case of an attack.”

Zoe, a waitress from Hastings: “I’ve had work events cancelled, death threats made to my face, and been called a baby killer and a terrorist. I’ve had my religion removed from my medical records because I no longer feel safe having it there.”

Ryan, a social media manager from Manchester: “A colleague who knew I was Jewish made death threats, told me she was Hamas, and said she was going to gut me like a fish.”

Asher, a student from Bangor: “Since 7 October, I and members of my community have been physically assaulted multiple times. The only Jewish-owned business in my university city has been repeatedly vandalised — with no action from the CPS.”

As Jeremy Wootliff from GPS Network & Victims of Antisemitism said, “British Jews are fed up with hiding behind higher walls, more cameras, and more guards. We need to address the systemic root causes – immediately. The legislation already exists. Apply it. Strictly. Uniformly. Now. Believe Jews when we call out racism – we know what it looks like.”

As Alastair Kirk from CUFI said: “To the UK’s Jewish community, you are not alone. As Christians, we will stand with you shoulder-to-shoulder until antisemitism is expelled from our midst. We are therefore pleased to partner with the GPS Network so that Christians and Jews can take meaningful action together, including putting forward new proposals that are timely and have real potential for change.”

Together, we complemented existing proposals from established organisations with new grassroots suggestions to push beyond what seems to be insufficient government action. Among our ten proposals: create an independent antisemitism ombudsman, prosecute those who use Israel as a pretext to target Jews, and enforce existing anti-terrorism and anti-racism laws in full.

Representatives from the CST, UKLFI, Our Fight and others raised depressing issues related to the crisis.

Britain has become a cesspit of anti-Jewish racism. We are not waiting for the next COBRA meeting after the next antisemitic terrorist incident, followed by yet more promises of immediate action.

This is a critical hour – for the Jewish community, for our nation, for the values we share. We demand immediate outcomes.

At our first parliamentary event, our new voices were loud and clear. The victims of anti-Jewish hatred have a message for our government: stop the antisemitism crisis. Now.

• Jeremy Wootliff is a director of the GPS Network and Victims of Antisemitism
• Alastair Kirk is UK Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI)