Fighting anti-Semitism? London
Fighting anti-Semitism? LondonFlash 90

British Home Secretary Amber Rudd called anti-Semitism a “deplorable form of hatred" and declared that the UK government is doing all it can to protect the country’s Jews, according to a report by the British tabloid The Sun Saturday. She added that the British government had allocated 13.4 million to safeguard Jewish schools and religious sites.

Rudd was speaking at the annual fundraiser for the Jewish charity Community Security Trust (CST) — where she was the guest of honor. She spoke in the wake of recent threats by ISIS to disguise themselves as Jews and target Jewish sites in the UK.

“There have been terrorist attacks on our doorstep, in France, Germany and Belgium and attacks on British people overseas,” Rudd said. “We’ve seen terrorists target Jews specifically in recent years including in Paris, Brussels, Toulouse and Copenhagen. Just last month a 16-year-old girl was charged with terrorism offences in Denmark after she was caught planning to blow up a Jewish school. And ISIS literature continues to identify the Jewish community as a ‘desirable and legitimate target.’”

Referring to the CST’s role of assisting police in protecting Jewish sties, Rudd went on, “However friendly and professional security guards are, I’m sure you would all prefer to go to your local synagogue or drop your child at school without being greeted by one and this is a future that we are all working towards.”

She added that “security measures alone are not enough. We must deal with those who promote hatred, intolerance and violence. That’s why in 2015 this government introduced our Counter Extremism Strategy which focuses on four pillars: building partnerships with all those opposed to extremism, countering extremist ideologies, disrupting extremists and building cohesive communities. All these areas of work challenge extremism in all its forms – from Islamist to the far right.”

Prime Minister Theresa May set a video message to the CST dinner, stating that “there is one thing I want you to know: I am with you, and we will defeat this evil together. For as long as I am prime minister there will be no excuses for any kind of hatred towards the Jewish people… let us reaffirm our resolve with confidence that hatred will never prevail in our country. Together we will keep Jewish people safe in Britain, and together we will defeat the scourge of antisemitism by standing up for our values and our way of life, today and for every generation to come.”