- [Deputy Speaker] Right, questions on an
answer to an urgent question
asked in the House of Commons on Monday 17 May
on recent anti-Semitic attacks across the UK
I call Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town.
- [Baroness Hayter] My Jewish 97 year old aunt Rose
lives in St. John's Wood.
I never imagined I would see such scenes on her street.
As Simon Wiesenthal said, "For evil to flourish
it only requires good men to do nothing."
and Pastor Niemöller wrote:
"First they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew."
Does the minister agree that each and every one
of us must stand up to and speak
out against what we saw the weekend?
- [Deputy Speaker] Minster Lord Greenhalgh.
- I completely agree that we must stand
in solidarity with British Jews.
The events that we saw in the past week
absolutely abhorrent and I'm pleased
the police acted swiftly to arrest
four individuals for that particular offense
of driving up and down the Finchley road.
But equally there was the violent attack
on Rabbi Rafi Goodwin in Chigwell.
And I'm pleased to say the latest news
is the police have arrested two individuals
concerning that particular incident.
- [Deputy Speaker] Baroness Ludford
- My Lord, it is poignant
that today's exchange on anti-Semitism coincides
with the important Jewish festival of Shavuot
And this has kept some
of our colleagues away from this, this event.
One of the examples that accompanies the
international Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition
of anti-Semitism is quote
"Holding Jews collectively responsible
for actions of the state of Israel."
So can the noble Lord the minister
tell me what steps is the government taking to ensure
that all public
and private bodies adopt not only the definition
but also the examples
and can the government stress at every opportunity
that the supposedly pro-Palestinian demonstrations
of recent days have actually been pro Hamas
not in support of the Palestinian people.
- [Deputy Speaker] Sir
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My lords, this government
is very proud of the fact
that they were the first adopters of the international
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition.
And we're working very hard to ensure that that's fully
embedded across all universities, local councils.
And of course, every single member of parliament
bar one, has also signed up to that particular definition.
And it is important that we take that forward
and we will continue to work very hard to ensure that
that we tackle anti-Semitism, wherever we see it.
- [Deputy Speaker] Lord Pickles.
- My Lords I draw attention to
my entry in the register of interests
the Jew haters and the women-despising thugs
who threatened murder and sexual violence
onto our streets brought great shame to our nation.
Within the first chance they expose the thin veneer
between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
Does my noble friend share my sadness
that many of the car convoys
of violence came from my native city of Bradford.
A city that has a proud record
of cooperation between the communities, not least of which
in the Near Neighbours program.
Does my noble friend agree
that we cannot allow the men of violence to define
the relationship between communities would he
commit to measures that combined strict precinct
and a strong social cohesion?
We must, as our priority remove fear from our streets.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My noble friend, with his
experience as a leader
of Bradford is absolutely right, that we do need to
combine that strict policing, where we do more than engage
and that the police act to ensure that we take the hate
off our streets and online, wherever it occurs
but equally that there's also that strong, robust approach
to social cohesion.
And in fact, it is Bradford that pioneered the
Near Neighbours program, something that brings a
different communities, both the Muslim community
and the Jewish community closer together.
And we can learn from that.
- [Deputy Speaker] The Bishop of Manchester.
- Is the Lord, the minister aware that the union
of Jewish students have raised serious concerns
that Jewish students and societies are now being targeted
with really quite disgusting anti-Semitic abuse due
to the conflict in the middle East will the novel
Lord reassure Jewish students
that the government will clamp
down on all forms of campus anti-Semitism
and indeed encourage all universities, not just to adopt
but to implement the IHRA definition on anti-Semitism.
- [Deputy Speaker] Minister.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My Lords, we are aware of this tension
the community security trust
the CST, has reported a massive spike
in anti-Semitic incidents, but equally
tell MAMA has seen a similar increase
of anti-Muslim issues of an increase of some 420%
in the last week, we are funding the union
of Jewish students to do precisely that
to tackle with these issues.
And we want to see the full implementation
not just the adoption
of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.
- [Deputy Speaker] Lord Pannick
- [Lord Pannick] The Jewish community will be very grateful
to the minister for what he said today.
He knows that anti-Semitism is not confined
to appalling attacks on a Rabbi
in Chigwell and threats to Jewish women in North London.
The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism to
which the minister referred a few moments ago gives
as an example, the applying of double standards
by requiring the state of Israel to behave in a way
not expected of any other democratic nation.
Would the minister
except that there have been many examples
of those double standards in the past week
particularly by broadcasters and that this more subtle form
of anti-Semitism contributes to an atmosphere
in which the cruder forms breed?
- [Deputy Speaker] Minister.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My Lords, my right honourable friend
in the other House talked about how
sometimes anti-Zionism was that subtler form of anti-Semitism.
And we need to root out even those more subtle forms.
Absolutely. And, ensure that we, that we take these forms
of anti-Semitism away from both the internet
and also away from the streets of our big cities.
- [Deputy Speaker] Lord Triesman
- [Lord Triesman] Just a couple of days ago
and less than half a mile
from my own home that the motor convoy, with loudhailers
past calling for Jews to be killed and our daughters raped.
And I know that there has been a quick response
from political leaders and the police.
Although I must say to what effect I don't yet know.
Now I abhor Islamophobia
and I abhor anti-Semitism.
No decent safe society can live with either.
I've never come across a Jewish group
according to the death or rape of Muslims.
And if I did, they would find me an outspoken enemy.
What discussions is the government held
with the many law abiding Muslim groups to
encourage public expression of their anger
and repudiation of the hatred of Jews
and what concrete additional help can be given to the
community security trust to enhance community protection.
- [Deputy Speaker] Minister.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My Lord, we continue to have
both our cross government working groups to tackle
both anti-Semitism and anti Muslim sentiments.
And we continue to work
with a number of stakeholders to
to address those particular challenges.
We also provide a substantial degree of support for the
for the community security trust in
in there's 14 million this year
but it's been 65 million to date.
And we'll continue to support what they do
but they also provide important support
for other minority and faith communities as well.
- [Deputy Speaker] Lord Polak has withdrawn.
So I call Lord Carlile of Berriew.
- [Lord Carlile] The remarks by the Noble Lord
Lord Greenhalgh
speedy action by the police were extremely welcomed.
For the sake of Holocaust survivors
like my beloved sister and for the whole of the community.
Can we ensure that once prosecutions are brought
they are brought quickly and not delayed.
And will the government call upon the director
of public prosecutions to account to the government
for the speedy way in which these cases should be processed?
- [Deputy Speaker] Minister.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My Lord, I cannot talk
about the specific cases
but equally justice delayed is justice denied.
And we do need to see swift
and shore justice in these matters.
- [Deputy Speaker] Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale.
- [Baroness Ramsay] My Lord, does the Minister
understand that while all decent people
in the United Kingdom disapprove of anti-Semitism
and find it abhorrent, there is a particular resonance
for the Jewish community in what was happening
on the streets of London just a few days ago.
And that is that in the 1930s, that's exactly the kind
of thing that was proved to be
a precursor to a Holocaust.
And so would the minister agree that it behoves all of us
not just the police of the judiciary
but in this House and the other House and,
for journalists to take the utmost caution in the language
they use in describing events in the Middle East just now
so that they don't inadvertently flame the fact
increased and flame the fires off anti-Semitism.
[Deputy Speaker] Minister.
- [Lord Greenhalgh] My Lords I completely
agree with those sentiments.
We do need to robustly in short react and, and enforce
but equally find the right tone to cover these sorts
of events.
- [Deputy Speaker] My Lord's apologise to Baroness Eaton
but the time has now elapsed for this question.