Starmer convenes leaders to tackle UK antisemitism surge

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer convened leaders from across society on Tuesday to address rising antisemitism following the stabbing of two Jewish men in London and a series of other attacks.

The meeting brought together representatives from business, civil society, health, culture, higher education and policing for discussions with Jewish community members, as the government seeks a coordinated response.

Starmer said the recent violence reflects a broader pattern of antisemitism that has left Jewish communities “frightened and angry,” calling it a crisis that demands action across society.

The government has raised the national terrorism threat level to “severe” and announced an additional £25 million in funding to bolster security for Jewish institutions. Officials have also pledged new legislation targeting extremist threats and faster prosecution of antisemitic offenses.

The push comes amid political pressure ahead of local elections this week and follows warnings of rising hate crimes in Britain since the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that triggered the Gaza war.

Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has called antisemitism a “national emergency.” Badenoch shared video to her social media account of a tense confrontation on Monday with an anti-Israel activist, displaying strong and unequivocal support for Jewish people.

“Today in Billericay, a heckler tried to shout me down as I spoke about the normalisation of hatred towards Jews. She tried to claim Muslims are being targeted in the same way. That simply isn’t true, and I wasn’t prepared to stand back and let her get away with false claims,” Badenoch wrote on Instagram. “This needs to be said: British Jews are being targeted. They are being singled out, threatened and harassed in ways that should shame everyone in public life.”