Home secretary pledges to use ‘full force of law’ on those using Gaza to attack community

Yvette Cooper has told a communal business gathering she will use the “full force of the law” against those “who use conflict in the Middle East as a pretext to attack communities here in Britain.”

In a well-received speech to 400 guests at the Community Security Trust’s (CST) annual business lunch, the home secretary stressed “there is no place for the glorification of terrorism or support for proscribed terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah or Hizb ut-Tahrir.

“No ifs and no buts – those who proliferate that poison, on the streets or online, must always face the full force of the law.”

Speaking at Tuesday’s event in central London, the home secretary praised the long-standing  work of the communal charity adding: it was “no exaggeration to say that CST is integral to our collective effort to counter threats and keep people safe. ”

In a clear recognition also of Cooper’s own long-standing close relationship with CST, even before Labour formed the new government deputy chairman Sir Lloyd Dorfman introduced her speech to the audience with added recognition of her commitment and engagement with the communal organisation.

Cooper was applauded as she said:”We know from experience that events in the Middle East can and do play out in increased tension and hatred here on our streets.

“And whilst there will always be room for fierce debate and disagreement on foreign policy issues…

“What is not acceptable, and will never be acceptable, is using conflict in the Middle East as a pretext to attack communities here in Britain. So let me be very clear.

“The horrific and soaring levels of antisemitism we have seen over the last year cannot and will not be tolerated. Not now and not ever. Because there is no place for antisemitism in this country.”

The Home Secretary noted how CST had recorded the alarming rise in antisemitism in this country in recent times, be it attacks on synagogues, schools or universities with great professionalism and detail.

She added:”At last night’s Holocaust Educational Trust event, I spoke with two survivors – Manfred Goldberg and Eve Kugler. “Those short conversations were the most powerful and poignant reminder of where hatred can lead.   So let me be very clear, we will not stand for it. And we will be unrelenting in our work to root it out.”

Guests were also addressed by Matt Jukes QPM, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Jukes ssaid of the period following the 7 October terror attack and the rise in anti- Jewish hatred here in the UK, “CST literally gave our community the confidence and strength to continue its way of life.

“New staff were employed and guarding had to be increased, everywhere. We did it immediately and we continue to do so. It is our mission and our privilege.

“I see more people wanting to be more Jewish, and that makes me even more proud of CST, enabling Jewish life, and empowering this community in the fight for its future and that of our children.”

CST chief exec Mark Gardner MBE, said of the period following the 7 October terror attack and the rise in anti- Jewish hatred here in the UK, “CST literally gave our community the confidence and strength to
continue its way of life.

“New staff were employed and guarding had to be increased, everywhere. We did it immediately and we continue to do so. It is our mission and our privilege.

“I see more people wanting to be more Jewish, and that makes me even more proud of CST, enabling Jewish
life, and empowering this community in the fight for its future and that of our children.”

CST’s Dorfman also commented, “We have built a state of the art, 24-7 web of protection across the Jewish community, working in close partnership with officials at the Home Office.

“Our partnership managing the government grant that pays for security guards at Jewish schools, synagogues and other premises is the most obvious manifestation of that joint effort.

“But it goes much deeper, with regular exchanges of information and insights about the latest developments in anti-Jewish extremism, whether from Islamists, far right, far left, or those anti-
Israel extremists who cross the line from legitimate political protest into incitement, intimidation and support for terrorism.”

Sir Gerald Ronson CBE concluded the lunch saying: “A lot of people seem surprised by all the antisemitism that’s out there. I’m not surprised. My war did not start on October 7, my war started 62 years ago on the streets of the East End.

“As a young man, I joined with others who protected our community. Things have come a very long way since then. Thirty years ago,CST became a registered charity and now it is widely recognized as the best community security organisation anywhere in the world.

“Everything we have built at CST is there for a time like this. That investment is what enabled us to respond immediately, so that our community kept leading its Jewish life.”