British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters on Thursday outlined in a press briefing the UK’s response to recent antisemitic threats and said there had been “much more than words, despite what some have alleged.”
The purpose of the briefing was to outline the actions that the UK is taking to protect its Jewish communities. Walters acknowledged that this is an issue that is also of concern for Jewish individuals and families in Israel who have links to the UK, or who simply wish to travel to the UK.
The last year has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents globally, including several fatal attacks in Australia, the US, and the UK. There has also been a recent series of incidents in the UK, including a terror stabbing in Golders Green last month and several violent arson attacks orchestrated by an organization calling itself the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right (HAYI).
Walters emphasized first and foremost that this is not just one issue, but a set of overlapping problems, such as state-backed proxy terrorism, domestic hate speech, vandalism, and others. This means that the UK government is having to take a multi-pronged approach to protect the Jewish community.
LOCAL RESIDENTS look on from outside a cordoned off area in the Golders Green neighbourhood of north London on April 29, 2026, following the stabbing to two people nearby. (credit: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
“This is not about tinkering around the edges,” Walters said, and the UK is deploying a complete change in how it protects communities, moving to a sustained nationwide effort.
The first priority of the UK government is the immediate protection of Jewish communities. As such, it has announced additional funding of £25 million to strengthen protective security and policing for Jewish communities and sites across the UK, bringing the total investment this year to £58 million.
The money is being used to increase police patrols, to enhance security at synagogues, schools, and community centers, and place specialists and plainclothes officers in communities to prevent serious harm before it occurs, Walters explained.
The Metropolitan Police has also significantly increased the number of officers in and around North West London, including both uniformed and plain-clothed officers, and additional stop and search powers have been introduced across the areas affected. Armed response vehicles and Counter Terrorism Policing resources have been deployed alongside local policing to respond to potential threats.
UK police arrest around 50 people for antisemitic hate crimes
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police announced that, in the past four weeks alone, it has arrested around 50 people for antisemitic hate crimes, with eight individuals charged. This is in addition to 28 arrests linked to arsons and other serious offenses investigated alongside Counter Terrorism Policing. In total, more than 80 arrests have now been made in the last month.
However, Walters acknowledged that while security is essential, it is not enough. That is why he said the UK is also confronting the “forces that drive this hatred in the first place.” This means the focus is also on ideologies, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.
In order to combat this, Walters explained that the UK is taking action in the areas of education, health, and culture. This includes independent reviews into antisemitism in education and health services across the NHS.
“There will be zero tolerance for inaction in our cultural venues and spaces,” he said.
Walters also said that the UK is taking the unusual step to prosecute hate chants, something that it has avoided in the past for fear of compromising free speech laws. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has, however, been clear that “globalize the intifada” is a call for violence against Jewish communities, and there should be prosecutions when this is being used to target and intimidate people.
The Met Police and Greater Manchester Police both said in December they would arrest people for employing “globalize the intifada” chants or slogans. And in March, the UK banned an al-Quds march in London, the first such ban since 2012.
Last week, the Crime and Policing Bill was also given Royal Assent – imbuing the police with more powers over protests and the conditions around them, including powers to deal with large, repeated protests, as well as demonstrations outside places of worship.
Finally, the government is fast-tracking legislation to give authorities the power to go after individuals and groups acting on behalf of state-sponsored organizations, and to investigate and prosecute them under the National Security Act if necessary, as the UK does with foreign intelligence services.