Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a letter this week that he supported the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and underlined that he stands “shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community, who have contributed so much to our country”.
He confirmed that the Conservative Party adopted the IHRA definition in full in 2016. Prime Minister Johnson added: “Reflecting the particular threat posed by antisemitism, the Government has consistently increased funding for synagogues, Jewish schools and communal facilities, spending £14 million annually in 2019/20”.
He pledged further funding if the Conservatives are re-elected: “If re-elected on 12 December, we will continue to provide government funds via the Home Office grant to the Community Security Trust to deal with the specific threat of antisemitic attacks on Jewish people in the UK”.
PM Johnson asserted: “We will also ban public bodies from imposing their own direct or indirect boycotts, disinvestment or sanctions campaigns against foreign countries as these undermine community cohesion”.
In a separate interview with the Jewish Chronicle this week, Prime Minister Johnson reiterated his support for the safety of the Jewish community, expressing dismay that such steps were needed in the first place.
He also reflected on on concern about the impact of text books preaching “incitement and hatred against the Jewish people” circulated within Palestinian schools, stating: “We are deeply concerned by the Palestinian Authority’s new curriculum”. Read the interview here.
