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Jewish Londoners deserve to live without fear – we are taking action to ensure their safety

8 0
yesterday

Jewish people are living in fear – a fear that has been building for years but has become acute in recent weeks. It now seeps into every part of daily life: the school run, a walk down the high street, a meal in a restaurant, attending synagogue on Shabbat.

Jewish friends and colleagues have spoken to me about how they now find themselves looking over their shoulder in public and worrying about their children wearing religious symbols. This is heartbreaking. It is utterly unacceptable that Jewish people are having to live like this.

Antisemitism in our country is not new, of course. It has spanned nearly a millennium – from medieval blood libels to fascist street violence in the 20th century. But it has been rising again over the past decade, with a sharp surge since 2023. According to the Community Security Trust, last year alone nearly 2,000 antisemitic incidents were recorded in London, and in recent weeks this wave of hate has begun to feel like a tsunami.

The horrific terror attack in Golders Green was just the latest in a series of antisemitic acts of violence that have targeted Jewish people, synagogues, homes and charities. Understandably, many Jewish people are angry. They are tired of warm words, and expect to see real action to ensure their safety. They are right – and I am focused on doing all I can as mayor of London to deliver that action.

We have significantly increased the policing presence in north-west London, with further deployments already planned for the weeks ahead. Last week, the government also........

© The Guardian