The UK government is facing calls to toughen its approach to antisemitism after unveiling a 14-page action plan that was met with a mixed reaction from Jewish leaders and campaigners.
Published with little publicity on Wednesday, the Antisemitism Action Plan sets out recent achievements and future measures, highlighting work with community partners including the Antisemitism Policy Trust, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council. It pledges deeper action across public life, from the arts and sport to education, workplaces, the NHS and social media.
The document urges ministers to be “bolder in calling out hateful ideologies” and notes rising concern around antisemitism from the far left, far right and Islamist movements.
In his foreword, Prime Minister Keir Starmer restated his “absolute determination” to combat Jew-hate nationwide, arguing that antisemitism threatens trust between communities and the fabric of British society. He warned that anger over Israel’s actions had “often crossed the line” at UK protests, with some demonstrators justifying or calling for violence against Jews.
However, the timing and tone of the plan drew criticism, particularly in the wake of the terror attacks in Sydney and at Heaton Park Synagogue. Some expected a far firmer stance on the dangers posed by radical Islamism at home and abroad.
The Board of Deputies welcomed the document as a useful update, but urged the government to move more swiftly, pointing to recent incidents and the spread of chants such as “Globalise the Intifada.” “Action must now follow,” the organisation said.
Senior government sources told 'Jewish News' that the plan does not reflect the full range of measures under development and promised intensified efforts next year, including work aimed at tackling radicalisation within parts of the Muslim community and fresh initiatives on community cohesion.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed was praised by communal leaders for his handling of the issue, though one urged ministers to go “further and faster.”
Starmer, speaking to ‘Jewish News’, stressed that defeating Islamist ideologies required partnership with British Muslims, the “vast majority” of whom oppose extremism.
Yet critics said the strategy does not match the scale of the threat. Lord Walney, former independent adviser on extremism, described the plan as “timid when British Jews feel under siege and demand tougher action.”
Labour figures also acknowledged the long, complex task of tackling both the causes and symptoms of radicalisation, arguing that the challenge extends beyond Westminster to public institutions across society. Some noted that Jewish community leaders responded more positively to recent police guidance on dealing with “Globalise the Intifada” slogans than to the government plan itself.
Questions have also arisen about why Starmer did not reference the new policing guidance at Prime Minister’s Questions last week, after previously condemning the chant in Parliament.
Within Labour, there is debate over how far restrictions on pro-Palestinian demonstrations should go. One party source warned that wide-scale bans would harm British democracy. But a senior communal figure insisted that society needed a “fundamental reset” to defeat Islamist extremism.
The government is expected to present further measures in the new year, as pressure builds for more decisive action to protect Jewish communities and confront rising antisemitism across the UK. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.