Sir Keir Starmer is hosting a Downing Street summit on Tuesday, bringing together senior figures from business, culture, and policing to tackle antisemitism with what he calls a 'whole of society' approach. Because apparently, simply asking people nicely to stop stabbing Jewish men hasn't quite done the trick.
The prime minister announced the gathering, stating that 'it is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities' - a sentiment that feels particularly relevant after a spate of incidents including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green on 29 April. Suspect Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in connection with that attack, which the Metropolitan Police declared a terrorist incident.
The home secretary, communities secretary, health secretary, education secretary, and culture secretary will each chair meetings with leaders from their respective sectors. No 10 hasn't confirmed exactly who will attend, but representatives from business, civil society, health, culture, higher education, and policing will participate in round-table discussions with members of the Jewish community. They'll be asked to reflect on antisemitism in their sectors, what they're already doing, and how they can go further - which is a polite way of saying 'please do more than the bare minimum.'
In the afternoon, Starmer will convene ministers for a Middle East Response Committee meeting, focused on 'the domestic security implications of the conflict in the Middle East, in particular the heightened threat to Jewish communities in light of recent attacks.' In his opening remarks, the prime minister is expected to say the Golders Green attack was 'part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left our Jewish communities feeling frightened, angry, and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.' He'll add: 'These disgusting attacks are being made against British Jews. But, make no mistake, this crisis - it is a crisis for all of us.'
Meanwhile, the numbers tell a grim story. Two Jewish people were killed and three left in serious condition after a car ramming and stabbing outside a synagogue in Manchester last October. The terrorism threat level in the UK was raised from 'substantial' to 'severe' on 30 April - the first such increase in four years. Arson attacks against Jewish community sites have proliferated: on 23 March, four ambulances belonging to Jewish charity Hatzola were set alight (three men and a teenager have been charged), and on Monday, the Met arrested two people on suspicion of arson in relation to an attack on a memorial wall in Golders Green. Cdr Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, noted the force has made 30 arrests and charged nine people across multiple investigations.
Last week, the government announced an additional £25 million for increased police patrols in areas with large Jewish populations and enhanced security at synagogues, schools, and community centres. Because when you need to spend £25 million to make people feel safe practicing their religion, you've got a problem that goes beyond a single summit.