Synagogues and Jewish faith schools will get £1 million extra to guard against attacks and a new dedicated police taskforce is being created in a bid to crack down on antisemitic crime.
Specific chants, banners and emblems could be added to policing guidance, with the first meeting of the Jewish Community Police, Crime and Security Taskforce likely to consider whether it is necessary to review such guidance in light of concerns shared by the Jewish community.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the Government wants to ensure “vile criminals who threaten the peace and safety of Jewish communities feel the full force of the law”.
The funding increase will see the Jewish Community Protective Security grant rise by £1 million on last year to £15 million, covering security measures such as CCTV and alarm systems to protect against what the Home Office described as persistent hate crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and state threats.
The total amount allocated through the grant since 2015 is £122 million and the department said the measures are being taken in light of the latest Home Office hate crime statistics showing despite making up less than 1% of the population, almost a quarter of recorded religiously motivated hate crimes in the UK were against Jewish people in 2021-22.
