The UK Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has revealed that up to £7m will be given to charities that are tackling antisemitism in the UK over the next three years. Mr Hunt expressed his intense concern at the alarming rise of antisemitism in the country, a concern which was intensified following the insurrection in Gaza. During the autumn statement, Mr Hunt pledged that he will provide the Holocaust Educational Trust and similar organisations necessary funding to impel their crucial efforts in combating antisemitism in schools and universities. The Trust is a charity that supports Holocaust survivors, as well as aiming to educate people about the atrocities of the event.
Mr Hunt also confirmed that he will repeat last month’s £3m commitment for additional funding for the Community Security Trust (CST). The charity provides crucial help to Jewish people located in the UK. This additional funding will explicitly be earmarked to protect schools, synagogues, and other crucial Jewish community buildings. Mr Hunt has emphasized that “when it comes to antisemitism and all forms of racism, we must never allow the clock to be turned back.”
Following the Hamas attack on Israel last month, the UK Metropolitan Police recorded a significant surge in antisemitic incidents. These incidents have quadrupled since the assault which occurred on October 7th. As a result, the Jewish community has expressed fears and feels socially marginalized. The sharp rise of antisemitic attacks has been disturbing, to say the least.
The UK has made significant strides in countering antisemitism, but recent events have highlighted that much more needs to be done. The Labour-led government has been severely criticized in the past two years for its weak approach to antisemitism, alongside the mismanagement of internal matters. The pledges made by Mr. Hunt have been welcomed by Labour, and it has also been acknowledged that an ample amount of funding is required to fight racism
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