Home Secretary Amber Rudd committed to renew the £13.4 million in annual security funding for the Jewish community at the Community Security Trust’s annual dinner on Wednesday evening, and underlined that “Great Britain simply would not be Great Britain without our Jewish community”.
Speaking at the charity’s dinner, Rt. Hon. Amber Rudd MP said the Government would “continue to protect and celebrate the UK’s Jewish community” and confirmed the money for 2018/18 to synagogues, schools and communal buildings.
The Home Secretary emphasised that Conservative Governments since 2015 have provided over £38.5 million for protective security measures in response to the terrorist threat.
CST chair Gerald Ronson said that Home Secretary Rudd “typifies this Government’s strong practical and moral support for British Jews at a time of rising antisemitism and extremism”.
The Home Secretary said: “Britain is so much richer for its diversity and if you’re Jewish you should be able to go about your daily life and express your religion without fear of hatred or antisemitism”.
Home Secretary Rudd celebrated the Duke of Cambridge HRH Prince William’s upcoming visit to Israel and hailed the CST’s work in protecting the Jewish community and monitoring antisemitism.
A recent CST report revealed that the number of antisemitic hate incidents reached a new high in 2017, and a 34% increase in the number of violent antisemitic assaults.
Read the Home Secretary’s speech in full here.
