Manchester leaders warn antisemitism is getting worse, not better at Chanukah civic reception
Police chief says threat to Jewish communities has intensified as civic and faith leaders gather in city centre
Antisemitism facing Jewish communities is worsening rather than easing, Greater Manchester’s Chief Constable warned as senior civic, political and faith leaders gathered for a Chanukah civic reception in the city centre.
Addressing the event on 18 December, Stephen Watson QPM said the context for Jewish communities had deteriorated since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, with fear and risk becoming more acute rather than receding.
“The context has worsened. It has not got better,” he said, warning against what he described as a growing “normalisation of the intolerable”.
Watson said Jewish communities are being forced to live with heightened security as a matter of necessity, stressing that authorities must draw a clear line between legitimate political debate and those who exploit it to incite hatred and violence against Jews.
“That cannot be allowed to stand,” he said, adding that police were prepared to recalibrate their response as threats evolved.
He also pointed to moments of public solidarity, including silences observed at Manchester United and Manchester City football grounds, as evidence that the vast majority of people rejected hatred and violence.
The reception was held at the Performance Space in Manchester Central Library and jointly hosted by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region (JRC) and the Jewish Leadership Council, marking the fifth night of Chanukah.
MPs, council leaders, senior political figures, university leaders and ceremonial office-holders attended alongside representatives from other faith communities, in a public demonstration of solidarity with Greater Manchester’s Jewish population.
JRC chair Mark Adlestone OBE said the gathering was particularly poignant following recent terrorist attacks, including the attack at Heaton Park Synagogue and the fatal attack in Bondi, Sydney.
“We are heartened to be able to light up the darkness alongside those who stand with us in solidarity,” he said, warning that hate crime and antisemitism had continued to rise alarmingly.
Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said civic leaders had a responsibility to confront antisemitism clearly and decisively, while linking the message of Chanukah to resilience and perseverance in the face of hostility.
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Carmine Grimshaw, said the city stood “unshakeable in solidarity” with its Jewish residents and reaffirmed a commitment to keeping communities safe and protecting freedom of religious practice.
Among those attending were the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Diane Hawkins, the High Sheriff Martin Ainscough, senior emergency service leaders, local authority chiefs from across the city region, and the University of Manchester’s president and vice-chancellor Duncan Ivison.
Organisers said the breadth of representation underlined both the contribution of the Jewish community to Greater Manchester and a shared determination that it would not face the current climate alone.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
