We are a decent, tolerant, respectful nation where people of all faiths and backgrounds stand together under the same flag as neighbours and friends. Our shuls, Jewish charities, communal organisations and Jewish schools, among our institutions, have long been an integral part of British society.

Yet for British Jews, security at the doors of their community institutions is now also a part of what it means to be Jewish in Britain. And antisemitism has been rising in recent years. The atrocities of 7 October 2023, the worst attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust and the ensuing conflict in Gaza, have heightened division here in the UK. At the heart of this antisemitism for some has been hatred of the world’s only Jewish state, Israel. On our streets, as some have exercised their legitimate freedom to protest the actions of the Israeli government, others have used this as a despicable excuse to threaten British Jews and stoke division and hate in our communities.

When I heard the news of the attack on Heaton Park Synagogue on Yom Kippur, I was horrified. And my thoughts remain with the families and friends of Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby. Yet I am struck by what the Jewish community have said to me so many times in these recent months. Time and again I heard this sense that antisemitism has become normalised – from our schools and universities to workplaces and even the NHS. I heard how people felt they had to hide their Jewish identity in modern Britain, and that the attack was a shock but not a surprise.

The same is true around the world. There has been an alarming rise in antisemitism with international attacks targeted at Jews, the latest of which occurred at a Chanukah candle lighting in Sydney with the brutal murder of Jews in front of their family and friends.

Our first response is one of solidarity. We stand together with British Jews and with all Jewish people. We condemn unequivocally the hatred and poisonous extremism which has led to these attacks. And we reaffirm that defending the Jewish way of life is part of defending the liberties and freedoms of the British way of life.

But words alone are never a substitute for action. Rooting out antisemitism in my political party was the single most important task for me when I became Labour Leader. And I am just as determined to root it out of our country. This document sets out some of the important steps we have taken, both before and after the Heaton Park attack. We will continue to build on this work, listening to our Jewish community and working with them closely.

Britain has a great future ahead, where opportunity is shared, and pride is restored. But I know that standing between us and that future is a pervasive hatred which must be confronted. Working together, united in this common cause, we can and must succeed. Together, we will defend our values and uphold the country we are and want to be.

These actions are only the beginning. We know that we need to do more to uphold our shared values and strengthen social cohesion.

This must mark a turning point in confronting the rising tide of antisemitism. We have taken some important initial steps and made progress. Work is underway across Whitehall as we continue to root out this hatred from every part of British life.

Yet tackling antisemitism requires action and resolve across society.

We must be more robust in standing up for our shared values and calling out the hateful ideologies that seek to divide us. Alongside further work on antisemitism, we will set out in the new year a wider action plan to improve social cohesion and to counter extremism across the board. This will address the deeper drivers of hate and prejudice within the UK.

We know extremism drives antisemitism. Tackling this remains an operational priority for our security and intelligence services, and we are committed to ensuring they are equipped to confront this evolving challenge.

This is a test of who we are as a country: our commitment to fairness, to one another, and to the values that bind us together.

We must all rise to that test.

If what we do does not work for the Jewish community, then it does not work at all.

This government is committed to stamping out antisemitism wherever, and however, it manifests. We recognise the need to work with Jewish communities to understand and tackle antisemitism. Since coming into power, we re-established the cross-government Antisemitism Working Group which had not met since 2020. We are extremely grateful to representatives from the Antisemitism Policy Trust, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust, and the Jewish Leadership Council for their contributions to this group, and to Lord John Mann, the government’s independent advisor on antisemitism. The reports produced by the Board of Deputies, Lord Mann, and the Rt. Hon. Dame Penny Mordaunt, both before and after the Heaton Park attack, have also provided a valuable framework for our discussions and wider thinking. The role of the Working Group is to enable government to understand antisemitism and how to tackle it, working across government departments on specific issues and the implementation of any changes.

Working with this group and wider stakeholders, this government has made several policy and funding announcements to address antisemitism. We have prioritised interventions in the following areas: 

1. Security: Providing better support to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities.
2. Education: Tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges, and universities and ensuring that we raise children and young people who embrace people from all backgrounds and faiths.
3. Institutional Action: Tackling antisemitism in key institutions, particularly the NHS, and the culture, sport, and voluntary sectors.