Ban the marches now! Starmer faces rising calls for to cease anti-Israel hate as he hosts one other No10 speaking store

Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure to ban pro-Palestinian marches because of anti-Semitic chanting as he gathers senior figures from the police and the political establishment to discuss a recent wave of attacks on British Jews.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the situation ‘a national emergency’ ahead of a ‘whole of society’ meeting hosted by the Prime Minister in No10, less than a week after two people were stabbed in Golders Green.

A major Gaza march is due to take place in London on May 16 at the same time as one led by far right agitator Tommy Robinson. 

Mrs Badenoch warned British Jews are ‘being singled out, threatened and harassed in ways that should shame everyone in public life’.

‘If we do not stand up now and stop this rise in antisemitism, then why bother saying ”Never Again” at Holocaust Memorial Day? 

‘Because this is how it starts. I am not prepared to play along with the pretence that this is normal, or manageable, or just another example of tension between groups. It really is not. It is targeted hatred and it is getting worse.’

The Prime Minister used this morning’s meeting to lay the blame at Iran’s door, warning it and other states that attempts to incite anti-Semitism in Britain ‘will not be tolerated’.

He has pledged an extra £1million for Jewish communities in the wake of attacks in London and Manchester.

Speaking at a roundtable in Downing Street, the Prime Minister listed a series of security measures put in place to protect the Jewish community, before adding: ‘Security is essential, but that is not enough. We must also deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place, so we’re confronting them directly.

‘One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents. We’re investigating, of course, all the possibilities and we’re clear that these actions will have consequences if that proves to be the case.

‘Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated. That is why we are fast-tracking legislation to tackle these malign threats.’

Sir Keir also said: ‘We’re clear-eyed about the fact that antisemitism does not have one source alone: Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities.

‘That is why this Government has put in place the first co-ordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms.’  

Earlier, a senior Cabinet Minister said that social media was to blame.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed told Times Radio: ‘People feel our society has become more divided and I think social media has a role to play in that.

‘The algorithms very quickly move people to more extreme content, to conspiracy theories.

‘They’re intended to monetise people’s use of social media, but actually they promote hateful content as well and there needs to be much stronger action to stop that kind of thing happening, particularly where it involves younger people and developing minds that are being warped by this kind of hatred.’

Jewish communities across England are set to receive an extra £1 million of Government funding as ministers seek to tackle a rise in antisemitism.

The money is expected to pay for community safety work and projects aimed at countering antisemitic narratives.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to host senior figures from public life in Downing Street to discuss a ‘whole of society’ response to antisemitism in the wake of the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green last week.

The Prime Minister will warn everyone has a responsibility to stand with Jewish communities as attacks on British Jews are ‘a crisis for all of us’ and ‘a test of our values’.

Tuesday’s meetings are expected to include senior ministers and police chiefs, along with representatives from the arts, higher education, trade unions and businesses including the CBI.

Sir Keir will later focus on the domestic security implications of the Iran war, including a heightened threat to Jewish communities, during a ministerial meeting of the Middle East Response Committee, the crisis team set up to respond to conflict.

Alongside the £1 million announced ahead of the meeting, the Government said it would also provide an additional £500,000 to Barnet Council following a spate of antisemitic attacks in the area.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: ‘While we know there is more to do, we believe that quickly channelling government funding directly to the communities and places facing the greatest risks today will help local partners to take early, practical action to keep people safe, strengthen communities and stand up to hate.’

The funding follows the £25 million announced last week in response to the attack in Golders Green to provide more security for Jewish communities.