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Michael Gove: When Jews are under threat, all of our freedoms are threatened

During a speech at JW3 on Tuesday, Gove condemned pro-Palestinian march organisers for not doing more to prevent symbols of anti-Jewish hate on the streets of London

May 21, 2024 13:13
Gove
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, speaks at JW3, May 21, 2024
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Michael Gove has warned that Britain risks “descending into darkness” if it fails to tackle growing antisemitism in the UK.

In a special address on Tuesday at Jewish community hub JW3, requested by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the communities secretary said the safety of the Jewish community in the UK is the “canary in the coalmine” for the health of the whole political system.

The Community Security Trust recorded the highest number of anti-Jewish hate incidents nationwide in 2023, a 147 per cent increase from the previous year. The CST recorded 2,699 incidents in the period on or after 7 October, constituting 66 per cent of the annual total, and this figure alone exceeds all previous annual totals.

Gove’s speech was delivered on the same day that Lord Walney is expected to publish a landmark report on political violence and disruption, ahead of the publication of the Government’s Counter Extremism Action Plan in the coming weeks.