Baroness Williams stressed the importance of Jewish-Muslim interfaith initiatives in Britain in the wake of the increasing violence in Israel.

Speaking ahead of the formal launch of the Jewish-Muslim women’s group Nisa-Nashim on Wednesday evening, the parliamentary under-secretary for the Department of Communities and Local Government said: “I think [interfaith initiatives] are always important, but obviously now it is a good time - in terms of diffusing some of those tensions for people who share common values together.”

She said both communities valued “the importance of family, education, achievement in employment and the importance of their faith.”

However Baroness Williams went on to say that Muslim and Jewish interfaith groups did not have to discuss the Middle East conflict, unless they felt comfortable enough to do so.

She said: “Common interests and shared aspects of family and community life are a very good place to start. Quite often, political tensions get diffused through the things that we spend most of our lives doing.

“I think dialogue is easier once people feel familiar and comfortable with each other. It’s very difficult to proceed headlong into difficult discussions.”

She added: “They say ‘politics and religion’ should not be discussed at dinner parties. Therefore, not to start with them is a good thing, and that’s where we make progress.”

Baroness Williams confirmed that she was working with both communities to tackle the surge in hate crime attacks. She said extra protection measures were being put in place, but noted that they would be announced “in due course”.

The Tory peer reaffirmed the prime minister’s commitment to fighting Islamic extremism being bred in mosques and madrasas across the UK – including those that preach antisemitism.

Baroness Williams was due to speak at the Nisa-Nashim event in north-west London but is now unable to attend due to commitments in the House of Lords.

Baroness Williams urged people to: “Celebrate what unites you and not what divides you.”

Around 150 people attended the launch event this week.