Schools, NHS and ‘two-tier' police accused over antisemitism
The investigation, led by a former cabinet minister and the government's tsar on tackling discrimination against Jews, said decision-making and standards varied across the country.
The investigators' report, commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, is set to be published on Tuesday.
It includes warnings about a 'normalisation' of antisemitism, with prejudices against Jewish people evident across British society from the NHS to arts organisations.
Documents seen by The Times reveal concerns over police forces' approach to allegations of antisemitism. The report says: 'We would like to see consistent decision-making and standards across all police forces throughout the country. Our evidence shows that this is not the current reality. We recommend that the [National Police Chiefs' Council] and the College of Policing come forward with proposals on how such consistency can be embedded in dealing with antisemitic crimes.'
• Dozens of universities yet to adopt antisemitism definition
Among the most egregious examples concerned the alleged failure by Essex Police to protect Jews during a protest in Westcliff-on-Sea in April. Residents said police should not have allowed the route of a rally to pass five synagogues around the time of Passover, with worshippers intimidated into staying at home. Those who did venture out were targeted by demonstrators who shouted 'baby killers' at them, The Telegraph reported.
Police forces are told to take 'a consistent approach' towards those who 'act as organised crime groups by calculatedly planning to cause damage to buildings, property and people'.
The report is the culmination of a six-month research project led by John Mann, a Labour peer and the government's antisemitism tsar, and Dame Penny Mordaunt, the former Conservative cabinet minister.
Sir Michael Ellis, a former Tory attorney-general who is also Jewish, said: 'There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that policing in this country is two-tier, and is completely failing the Jewish community and wider society.
'Having prosecuted in criminal cases for 17 years before becoming attorney-general I have been shocked at the double standards that exist when it comes to dealing with antisemitism in this country … it is critical that this report's recommendations are immediately actioned.'
Other measures suggested in the report include ensuring primary school teachers avoid passing on antisemitism in lessons or using Jewish 'tropes' in front of children. Faith schools are told that staff should receive training on biases in Christian sources used as teaching materials.
There are also claims of a 'specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS'. Health service leaders are advised to hold a summit 'to begin to address this', and establish basic training on contemporary antisemitism at every NHS trust.
Jewish comedians and artists who had work cancelled after pressure from pro-Palestine groups are encouraged to pursue discrimination claims in the courts. The report says: 'Discrimination is illegal but costly to challenge legally and we received substantial evidence of more hidden barriers being put in front of Jewish involvement within the arts … there should always be a robust response for those who choose to discriminate and government at every level should ensure this.'
Also among the ten recommendations presented to ministers are categorising Judaism as an ethnicity as well as a religion; creating an antisemitism training qualification to standardise such courses; and including education about antisemitism in workplaces' equity, diversity and inclusion materials.
• Member of Board of Deputies of British Jews quits over Gaza row
Some of the largest police forces in the UK noted two spikes in types of religious hate crime in 18 months. Antisemitic offences recorded by forces including Greater Manchester, West Midlands and the Metropolitan Police soared after October 7 and the conflict that followed. The same forces logged an increase in Islamophobic offences after the stabbings in Southport in July last year and the subsequent violent disorder.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'The findings of this report rightly shock a lot of ordinary Britons. But sadly, to the Jewish community they are the everyday reality.
'The infiltration of antisemitic tropes into our primary school sector is particularly distressing, as this not only puts Jewish children at risk but instils the worst prejudices in the next generation at an impressionable age.
'It is critical that all educators and head teachers arm themselves with the tools to identify antisemitism so that it cannot find its way into the classroom and is challenged and confronted whenever it does. Educating against racism is among teachers' first responsibilities. Schools must redouble their efforts to stamp this hatred out.'
The government said ministers would consider the review's recommendations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'The poison of antisemitism has reared itself in the UK and across Europe and this government will work unrelentingly to stamp it out wherever it is found. Religious and racial hatred have absolutely no place in our society, which is why we're taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms.'
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