Britain Pledges £250m to Protect Jewish Communities

The British government will spend more than £250m ($335m) over the next three years to strengthen protection for Jewish communities following a series of recent antisemitic attacks.

The funding will provide more than 500 additional police officers across England and Wales, increasing security in Jewish neighborhoods and around schools, synagogues and community centers.

Around 300 officers will be added in London and about 80 in Greater Manchester, where a synagogue was attacked last year. A further £43m ($58m) will go to police forces serving other areas with significant Jewish populations.

London has seen a series of attacks on sites linked to the Jewish community, including the torching of four community ambulances in March. After an antisemitic stabbing in north London in April, Britain raised its national terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe”.

Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the rise in antisemitism was a test of the country’s values and that tackling it had been central to his leadership from the outset.

London’s Metropolitan Police will receive £86m ($115m) from the new package, while £59m ($79m) has been earmarked for counterterrorism policing.

(Reuters, bak)