Speaking at a high-level summit in Downing Street with leaders from politics, police, education, business and the arts, Starmer said the government was working to “rapidly legislate” to counter “deadly threats” and rising anti-Semitism in the country, Sky News reported.
The ‘foreign state’ angle is under investigation
Starmer confirmed that security agencies are investigating whether a foreign state may be behind or influence some of the recent incidents targeting Jewish communities.“One aspect of the investigation is whether there is a foreign state behind some of these incidents,” he said, adding that “all possibilities are being examined”.He warned: “Our message to Iran, or any other country that might try to incite violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.”
Security has been tightened after the attacks in London
Starmer’s warning comes after two Jewish men were stabbed to death in Golders Green, north London, last week in what police have declared a terrorism-related incident. The victims suffered serious injuries and are being treated in hospital.In a separate incident on the same day, another attempted murder was reported in Southwark, while counter-terrorism officers are also investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel.Previous attacks included the targeting of ambulances belonging to Jewish emergency volunteers and suspected arson at community memorial sites,
Government will strengthen anti-insurgency framework
Earlier, Starmer had said that anti-Semitism in Britain was “growing, real and dangerous” and was not limited to any one source.“Islamists, the far-right and the far-left all target Jewish communities,” he said, stressing the need for a coordinated national response.He also announced an additional £1.5 million of funding to improve community cohesion and increase protection for Jewish communities in high-risk areas.The UK PM also indicated that new anti-terrorism legislation is being drafted to allow the government to take stronger action against state-linked threats. This may include powers to impose sanctions on organizations accused of supporting or sponsoring violence in foreign countries.The move follows renewed demands from sections of the Jewish community for sanctions on Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Western governments have long accused of sponsoring terrorism.
Increasing pressure on government’s response
The summit comes amid growing criticism from Jewish community leaders, who say the government has been too slow to take action against anti-Semitism. Starmer faced protests during a recent visit to Golders Green.Despite this, he reiterated that the government has a “clear vision” about the scale of the challenge and is committed to countering extremism “in all its forms” through a national cohesion strategy.