The Board of Deputies has today welcomed the Government’s new plan to advance social cohesion and tackle extremism, which includes important commitments on tackling antisemitism, and builds explicitly on proposals the Board has presented to government along with communal colleagues. This is a substantive and ambitious plan that rightly recognises the depth and seriousness of the challenges.
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said:
“We welcome the new government plan to confront extremism and build social cohesion, including specific measures set out to tackle antisemitism wherever and however it manifests, and the commitment to address the sources of ideological extremism through which antisemitism is spreading. This new plan builds explicitly on proposals the Board of Deputies has brought to government with our communal colleagues and we will continue working with government to ensure they are fully implemented. In the context of different forms of rising prejudice, including against our British Muslim friends and neighbours facing record levels of anti-Muslim hatred, we also commit play our part to build a more cohesive Britain for people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds.”
The government plan commits the government to continue using the recommendations of the Board of Deputies commission on antisemitism chaired by Lord Mann and Dame Penny Mordaunt, and our co published “After the Heaton Park Attack” document, to inform policy in tackling antisemitism.
It specifically commits to tackle hate crime with the full force of the law, to act on the recommendations of ongoing reviews of antisemitism in schools and in healthcare, and to advance faith literacy and religious education. It also includes substantial measures to address extremism on university campuses.
The government rightly recognises the diverse sources of antisemitic extremism, including extreme right, extreme left and Islamist, and it draws attention to the harassment and intimidation against Jewish communities associated with protests in relation to the situation in Gaza.
The Board is committed to doing its part to build a more cohesive and tolerant society for everyone in Britain, regardless of faith or ethnic background. The Board will continue to build bridges of understanding with British Muslims, including through our “Optimistic Alliance” project.
The Board will also continue to hold government to account in ensuring the actions in this plan are fully implemented with sustained and long term commitment. This includes through our role on the government’s Antisemitism Working Group, and through our other engagements across government and with civil society.