Starmer warns Iran antisemitism will not be tolerated at Downing Street summit

Sir Keir Starmer said antisemitism has multiple sources, including Islamists, the far left, and the far right, and noted that the government has implemented the first coordinated national plan to confront extremism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described antisemitism as a national emergency, blaming Islamist extremists and a hard-left strand observed at pro-Palestine marches and suggesting some marches might be banned due to their impact on Jewish communities. Campaign groups defended the right to peaceful protest. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the summit was helpful but anger over antisemitism had festered; he outlined three aims: protect, prosecute, and partner. Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson urged zero tolerance for hateful speech and supported stepped-up policing around protests.

At the summit, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a series of measures to tackle antisemitism: universities will publish the scale of antisemitism on their campuses and demonstrate action to address it. The government announced extra funding: £1.5 million to strengthen community cohesion and protect Jews in high-risk areas; £1 million to expand the Common Ground programme; £500,000 to Barnet Council; and £25 million for increased police patrols and enhanced security at synagogues, schools, and community centres. Ministers indicated plans to consider banning state threats such as the IRGC in the next parliamentary session and stressed a coordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all forms.

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel, east London, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning, May 4, 2026.

Sir Keir Starmer faced criticism from many in the Jewish community following the Golders Green attack and was heckled when he visited the north London suburb on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

The Metropolitan Police declared a terrorist incident following the stabbing of Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine (referred to in court as Norman Shine), 76, in Golders Green on April 29, 2026. The attack heightened concerns about antisemitic violence in Britain.