UK pledges £250 million over 3 years to boost protection of Jewish communities

Outgoing PM Keir Starmer says tackling antisemitism ‘has been central to my leadership from day one,’ amid major spike in attacks on British Jews

LONDON — Britain will spend more than £250 million ($335 million) across the next three years to better protect its Jewish communities, the government said Monday, following a series of recent antisemitic attacks.

The funding will deliver over 500 additional officers across England and Wales, boosting security in Jewish neighborhoods and around schools, synagogues and community centers, the government said.

There has been a string of attacks on Jewish-linked sites in ​the capital this year, including the torching of four Jewish community ambulances in March. In April, Britain raised its national terrorism ​threat level to “severe” from “substantial” in response to an antisemitic stabbing attack in north London.

The new package, which is on top of a £25 million funding announced following the stabbings in April, includes around 300 additional officers in London and around 80 in Greater Manchester — where a synagogue was attacked last year by a terrorist, resulting in two dead — alongside £43 million for forces serving other areas with significant Jewish populations.

“The rise in antisemitism we have seen in recent years is a test of our values as a country and tackling it has been central to my leadership from day one,” outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in Monday’s statement.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition

by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

London’s Metropolitan Police is due to receive £86 million from the new funding, while £59 million was earmarked for counterterrorism policing.

Police will increase patrols at times of heightened vulnerability, offering visible reassurance and helping to deter hate crime and antisemitic incidents, the government said.

This latest package is intended to be spent over a three-year period. Part of it will finance education measures in the fight against antisemitism.

“Jewish communities are facing an exceptional threat with rising hate crime alongside terrorism and interference from hostile states,” said Matt Jukes, deputy commissioner of London Metropolitan Police.

After April’s Golders Green attack, Starmer pledged extra funding, at the same time accusing Iran of wanting “to harm British Jews.”

In May, London’s Metropolitan Police announced the creation of a special unit to protect Jews following a spate of hate attacks amid growing antisemitism.

If you’d like to comment, join

The Times of Israel Community.