President of the Board of Deputies Jonathan Arkush met the Home Secretary Theresa May on Monday to discuss extremism, antisemitism and the refugee crisis.
Mr Arkush said that the current refugee crisis has a “historic resonance”' for the Jewish community and outlined cross-communal plans in the Jewish community to offer support on this crucial issue.
He also offered the Board's support in developing constructive engagement with Muslim communities aimed at tackling antisemitism, Islamophobia and other forms of extremism. He said that the British Jewish experience of being at once a religious minority and proudly British was one that could prove to be a model to other communities.
Ms May described how the Government was dealing with the challenges of antisemitism in Britain including online hatred and social media abuse, as well as the recent rallies in Golders Green and Liverpool.
She said: "It was a pleasure to meet the Board of Deputies again yesterday. I greatly value the support of Britain's Jewish community in overcoming some of the biggest challenges we face, whether that is providing refuge to the victims of conflict in Syria, combating anti-Semitism and hate crime, or standing united to beat the extremists who wish to divide us."
