UK government ministers are set to launch a mass crackdown on antisemitism in the country, targeting education and health care in particular, with details of some of the measures emerging over the weekend.
The measures come in the wake of the terror attack outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur in Manchester, during which two Jews were killed.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the BBC and Sky News on Saturday that she is introducing measures to tackle antisemitism at universities, including writing to vice-chancellors asking them to take steps to protect Jewish students from harassment and intimidation.
"On campus, Jewish students don't feel safe," she told the BBC. "And often, parents worry about sending their children to university. We cannot accept that. There can be no place for it."
"There can be no place for harassment and intimidation," she added.
Phillipson also announced that the Union of Jewish Students will deliver 600 training sessions on combating antisemitism to university staff. She told Sky News that attendance at the sessions is encouraged, particularly for those working in campus security and student welfare. The sessions will commence this month.
As the universities’ regulator said on Friday, the Office for Students has powers to fine universities – and ultimately could cut off public funding – if they fail to uphold their responsibilities to protect Jewish students.
In an op-ed in the Express, Philipson also announced that the Office for Students has powers to fine universities – and ultimately could cut off public funding – if they fail to uphold their responsibilities to protect Jewish students.
"The past two years have seen an appalling rise in antisemitism, not least in our universities, where the number of incidents grew by 413% in the year following the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7," she continued, adding that such Jew-hatred must be "rooted out."
Preaching hate
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is also cracking down on antisemitism and hate speech, announcing via The Telegraph that hate preachers will be barred from leadership roles at mosques and Islamic Centres. Nandy is drawing up plans for a new law to disqualify anyone who has been convicted of a hate crime from senior positions at charities.
“Having worked in the charity sector, I’ve seen the power these institutions have to transform lives and support our communities," Nandy told The Telegraph. "But we have seen too many shocking cases where extremists have tried to exploit charities to spread hate and division. That cannot be allowed to continue."
“That is why we will ensure the Charity Commission has the powers it has asked for to bar anyone convicted of hate crimes from serving as a trustee or using charitable status as a shield for extremist activity. There can be no place for hate in our charity sector.”
It was revealed last week that the Manchester synagogue attacker had been previously reported to the Charity Commission in 2023.
Antisemitic doctors
The UK's Health Secretary Wes Streeting has additionally promised to immediately ban antisemitic doctors from treating patients, and is set to update legislation so that doctors accused of misconduct will be suspended while the investigation is underway.
This would change the existing policy, which is that doctors cannot be suspended until their case has been heard at tribunal, meaning they are able to continue treating patients in the interim.
Streeting said that he would “make it easier [for the General Medical Council] to kick racists out of the NHS."
The move seemingly comes as a response to the failure to suspend prolific antisemite Dr. Rahmeh Aladwan, who has - among many things - celebrated the October 7 massacre, but was nevertheless ruled fit to practise last month by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS). On 25 September, MPTS said that complaints against Aladwan were not “sufficient to establish that there may be a real risk to patients”. She has since been referred to tribunal.
“Sickening comments like these have no place in the NHS and action needs to be taken to root the evil of racism out," said Streeting, adding that the current medical regulatory system is "completely failing to protect patients and NHS staff."
A Department of Health and Social Care source told The Times: “It is ridiculous that racist medics are free to continue operating with impunity until a tribunal can be held. Wes is furious with the glacial pace at which the system operates and the failure to recognise blatant antisemitism. What does this say to Jewish patients about the safety of NHS care?"