OPINION: Islamist terror attack was damning indictment of UK’s failure to stop upsurge in Jew hate

Last week’s Islamist terrorist attack in Manchester marked a terrible turning point for this country. In an echo of our darkest history, Jewish people were murdered at their place of worship just for being Jewish.

It was a damning indictment of the country’s failure to stop an upsurge in antisemitism that has left so many Jewish people living in fear.

It was also an assault on our proud and patriotic traditions as a country that embraces a rich mix of different communities.

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The UK would not be what it is today without our Jewish friends, neighbours and colleagues, stretching back over nearly 1,000 years.

We all shared in the Jewish community’s grief and anger at this heinous act on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

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We saw an outpouring of support in Manchester and across the nation. It is clear that up and down the country, people know that the right choice, the patriotic choice, is to confront antisemitism head on.

This week, we also marked the second anniversary of the 7 October atrocities. As the Prime Minister said, time does not diminish the evil we saw that day.

I know that these are some of the hardest of times for Britain’s Jewish communities. An ancient hatred of the Jewish community has exploded, and we are seeing record numbers of appalling attacks on synagogues, campuses, Jewish schools and on our streets, alongside rising abuse online.

Visiting my local synagogue this weekend, the rabbi reminded us how abnormal it is that security fences and bomb sweeps have become the norm when attending shabbat.

I want to be clear: this Government understands the threat.

In Opposition, antisemitism became a stain on the Labour Party. With Keir’s leadership, we rooted out this racist poison so our party could once again be a safe space for Jewish people. We didn’t tolerate this hatred in our party and we won’t tolerate it in wider society.

That means doing everything it takes to keep Jewish people safe and working, every step of the way, with the Jewish community, to tackle antisemitism at source and in all its forms – on our streets, in our workplaces, public institutions, on campus, in the arts and sport. And security is clearly a priority.

Since last week’s horrific attack, the Home Secretary has announced that she will give police forces new powers to put conditions on repeat protests and she will look more widely at policing protests to make sure officers have the powers the need to keep people safe. I have written to council leaders telling them to use the Public Order Act to protect Jewish schools, community centres and synagogues, and the Education Secretary has also written to university vice-chancellors to make sure Jewish students have the support they need.

But we know we need to do more. EXCLUSIVE: Government launching ‘comprehensive action plan’ to tackle rampant UK antisemitism

We will continue to work with you at pace over the coming days and weeks to keep your communities safe and secure, to root out antisemitism from our institutions, and tackle these beliefs head on in schools, on campuses and in our workplaces.

We see this mission against the forces of extremism as one for the whole of government. Whether they’re from the far left or far right or the radical Islamism we saw last week, extremists will have nowhere to hide.

Today, tomorrow and always, we will stand with the Jewish community and for the overwhelming majority who believe the UK should always be a place of compassion, decency, dignity and belonging.