By Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council
The recent antisemitic hate crime data published by the Community Security Trust (CST) is stark evidence of the surging levels of abuse and violence experienced by Britain’s Jewish communities. As the Leader of Barnet Council, I am deeply concerned and angered by the fact that 40% of all antisemitic crimes recorded in Greater London in the first half of this year occurred in our borough.
The huge spike in reported crimes followed the 7 October attack. Distressingly, openly antisemitic rhetoric seeped into the counter-protest against the far right in North Finchley. The vast majority of the counter-protestors did not indulge in that hate, but it was still shocking that antisemitism could be found in what should have been a safe space for our Jewish community, many of whom came to support the counter-demonstration despite their concerns. I have heard from Jewish residents how troubling it is that they can find antisemitism among those who say they are peaceful protestors who call for tolerance.
The current rise in antisemitism is following an all-too-familiar pattern. There is a long history of antisemitic narratives being peddled at times of national crisis, with racists promoting the lie that Jewish people are intent on overthrowing the natural order of things and so to blame for all of society’s ills. We are seeing some of that rhetoric now being used to blame Jewish people for the recent chaos on UK streets, and not just by out and proud racists.
Barnet is home to Britain’s largest Jewish communities so sadly that makes us an obvious target for antisemites. We are also a borough with a strong partnership with local police to combat this.
Tackling antisemitism in Barnet in all its forms requires us, the council, to continue working closely with the CST, Shomrim and our police partners. We must work together to stamp out hate crime and we must work together to maintain an open dialogue to promote greater community cohesion.