Sir Keir Starmer has affirmed that the UK will “always stand tall” against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities, as he urged students to avoid protesting on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
The 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas led to the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and 251 others being taken hostage.
Marking the anniversary, the Prime Minister stated that every child of Israel should be able to live alongside their Palestinian neighbours in “safety and security”.
Writing in The Times, Sir Keir described protests scheduled for universities on Tuesday as “un-British”, claiming they demonstrate a lack of respect for others.
He added that the pro-Palestine protests have been used by some as a “despicable excuse to attack British Jews”.
Sir Keir wrote in the newspaper: “Today, on the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7, students are once again planning protests.
“This is not who we are as a country. It’s un-British to have so little respect for others. And that’s before some of them decide to start chanting hatred towards Jewish people all over again.”
The anniversary of the attacks comes less than a week after knife-wielding Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, launched a terror attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, killing two men.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were both killed in the attack which unfolded on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has pledged to put “every available resource into making sure that we understand precisely what has happened”.
Sir Keir said: “Today we mark two years since the horrifying attacks on Israel by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
“Time does not diminish the evil we saw that day. The worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. The brutal, cold-blooded torture and murder of Jews in their own homes. And the taking of hostages, including British citizens, some of whom remain in Gaza today.
“Since that awful day, so many have endured a living nightmare. When I spoke with some of the families of the British hostages, I promised them in person that we will not cease in our efforts to bring their loved ones home.
“But back here in the UK, our Jewish communities have also endured rising antisemitism on our streets, in our country. And last week, a horrifying terrorist attack on the holy day of Yom Kippur in Manchester.
“This is a stain on who we are, and this country will always stand tall and united against those who wish harm and hatred upon Jewish communities.
“Our priority in the Middle East remains the same – release the hostages. Surge aid into Gaza. And a ceasefire that can lead to a lasting and just peace as a step towards a two-state solution. A safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state.
“We welcome the US initiative towards peace in the Middle East, and this Government will do everything in our power to bring about the day where every child of Israel can live peacefully, alongside their Palestinian neighbours, in safety and security.”
Thousands of people attended an event in Trafalgar Square in central London on Sunday to mark the two-year anniversary.
Pro-Palestine protests also took place in the same location, with almost 500 people arrested.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the pro-Palestine demonstrations showed “the same hatred that fuelled (the October 7 attacks) still festers today”.
“Israel, the world’s only Jewish state, has faced hatred, war and terror since the day it was founded. And yet, it has stood strong. A beacon of democracy and resilience in the Middle East,” she said.
“But two years on from the horrific massacre on October 7, we must also be honest: the same hatred that fuelled those barbaric attacks still festers today.
“We see it in the so-called ‘protests’ that turn into hate marches on our streets. We hear it in chants calling to ‘globalise the intifada’. And we saw it again, tragically, in the appalling terrorist attack on our Jewish community right here in Manchester just last week.”
She added: “It is shameful that in recognising Palestine as a state, the Government has rewarded the terrorists that perpetrated the 7th October atrocities.
“Appeasement does not work. There are still 48 hostages held captive in Gaza. They must come home now.”
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick branded plans for protests in towns and cities including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Bristol, on the anniversary of the attacks “a f****** disgrace”.
He told a fringe event at the Tory party conference: “I heard today that there are protests being scheduled in universities for October the 7th – that’s a f****** disgrace.
“I would say first and foremost to people, our fellow citizens who are thinking of doing that, show some common decency.”
If organisers refuse to call off such protests then a change in the law to consider the “cumulative impact” should be considered, he said, noting Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has already taken steps towards this.
Ms Mahmood said repeated large-scale protests had caused “considerable fear” for the Jewish community, as she pledged to give police greater powers to restrict protests.
The Government will amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 to explicitly allow the police to take account of the cumulative impact of frequent protests on local areas in order to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies.
The Home Secretary will also review existing legislation to ensure powers are sufficient and are being applied consistently by police forces – this will include powers to ban protests outright.
