Terror attack survivors group publishes open letter in support of Jewish community

A group of British citizens who personally experienced or lost loved ones in notorious terror attacks have signed a letter in support of UK Jews, describing their “deep concern at the rise in hostility and attacks against the Jewish community in our country and with an appeal to stand united against it.”

The letter, which was co-ordinated by the Survivors Against Terror group, was published in The Guardian on Tuesday. Signatories include survivors of terror attacks including 7/7, the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, and the bombings in Bali, Brussels and Tunisia. Others who have signed are those who lost family members or loved ones through terror, such as Brendan Cox, husband of the murdered MP Jo Cox, Mike Haines OBE, brother of David Haines, who was killed by ISIS, and Jo Berry CBE, the daughter of Sir Anthony Berry MP, who was killed in the 1984 Brighton bombing.

“As victims and survivors of terror attacks, we know the devastating cost of hatred and extremism”, the letter reads.

“These acts have changed our lives forever and taken people we loved.

“We write today with deep concern at the rise in hostility and attacks against the Jewish community in our country and with an appeal to stand united against it. We understand the fear felt by the Jewish community. Those who justify those antisemitic attacks as being a result of Israel’s actions are not simply wrong, but create an environment where more attacks are more likely. Please stop.

“Similarly, those who blame all Muslims for the actions of the terrorist create the kind of division and hatred that terrorists crave. Standing together in the face of hatred is not just the right thing to do – it’s the most effective way of defeating terrorism in all its forms.

“We urge a renewed commitment to protecting the safety and dignity of all communities in this country, including our Jewish fellow citizens. This hatred has to stop.”

The UK Jewish community has experienced a series of attacks over the last 6 weeks, including the firebombing of synagogues and ambulances, and a stabbing attack last week which saw two Jewish men injured.

“Last week’s antisemitic attacks would have been bad enough had they been an isolated aberration. But they weren’t,” Cox told The Guardian.

“They followed a spate of vile attacks on the British Jewish community – designed to spread fear.

“Our response as a country must be to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish friends, neighbours and fellow citizens – no equivocating, no half-measures, no ifs, no buts.”

“That’s the message that this letter is trying to send. From people who know how terrorism destroys lives and communities: an urgent plea for all of us to stand together.

“Because these attacks didn’t come from nowhere. Like all terror attacks, they came from prejudice leading to hatred and hatred leading to violence. It might be mostly governments’ job to prevent violence, but it’s all our job to tackle the prejudice that nurtures it.