British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday stressed the importance of the Jewish community’s right to practice their faith “without fear” in a Passover message.
“As Jewish families come together to relive the story of escape from slavery in ancient Egypt, it gives all communities an opportunity to join with you in thanks for the liberty and freedom that we all hold dear,” she wrote.
“The history of the Jewish people and the horrors of the Holocaust highlight what happens when freedom is lost and anti-Semitism is allowed to flourish. That is why we are establishing a national Memorial to the Holocaust, together with an accompanying education center, next to Parliament at the heart of our democracy. For in remembering the Holocaust, we will also reaffirm our national commitment to fighting hated and prejudice in all its forms in the world today,” continued May.
“The freedom to practice your religion, without anxiety or prejudice, is one of the fundamental tenets of our society and as Prime Minister I will defend your rights to practice your faith without fear. As I have said before, without its Jewish Community, Britain would not be Britain,” she stressed.
“Your community makes an enormous contribution to the UK and has excelled in every field helping create a successful and prosperous country,” concluded the British Prime Minister.
May is a strong supporter of Israel and the Jewish community and has repeatedly denounced anti-Semitism.
The British government recently adopted an international definition of anti-Semitism that includes over-sweeping condemnation of Israel as an anti-Semitic manifestation.
This past week, May criticized the British Labour party for failing to expel former London Mayor Ken Livingstone from its ranks, despite his anti-Semitic remarks, accusing Labour of betraying the Jewish community.
Labour suspended Livingstone for another year over the comments he made a year ago that Hitler supported Zionism but has ignored calls to expel him altogether.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)