Speaking at a high-level summit in Downing Street with leaders from politics, the police, education, business and the arts, Starmer said the government was working on “fast-track legislation” to confront what he described as “malignant threats” and rising anti-Semitism in the country, Sky News reported.
The “foreign country” angle is under investigation
Starmer confirmed that the security services are exploring whether a foreign country may be behind or influencing some of the recent incidents targeting Jewish communities.“One line of investigation is whether a foreign country was behind some of these incidents,” he added, adding that “all possibilities are being investigated.”He warned: “Our message to Iran, or to any other country that may seek to incite violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.”
Security measures tightened after the London attacks
Starmer’s warning comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, last week in what police declared to be a terrorism-related incident.
The victims were seriously injured and are receiving treatment in hospital.In a separate incident on the same day, another attempted murder was reported in Southwark, while counter-terrorism officers are also investigating an arson attack on a former synagogue in Whitechapel.Previous attacks have included incidents targeting ambulances linked to Jewish emergency volunteers and arson at community memorial sites,
The government to strengthen the framework for combating extremism
Earlier, Starmer said that anti-Semitism in the UK is “growing, real and dangerous” and is not limited to one source.“Islamists, the far right and the far left are all targeting Jewish communities,” he said, stressing the need for a coordinated national response.He announced additional funding of £1.5 million to improve community cohesion and increase protection for Jewish communities in vulnerable areas.The British Prime Minister also indicated that new counter-terrorism legislation is being prepared to allow the government to take stronger action against state-linked threats.
This could include powers to ban organizations accused of supporting or sponsoring violence abroad.The move follows renewed calls from sectors of the Jewish community to ban Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Western governments have long accused of sponsoring terrorism.
Mounting pressure on government response
The summit comes amid growing criticism from Jewish community leaders, who say government action against anti-Semitism has been too slow. Starmer himself faced protests during his recent visit to Golders Green.Despite this, he reiterated that the government is “clear” about the scale of the challenge and is committed to confronting extremism “in all its forms” through the National Cohesion Strategy.
