UK envoy says Britain boosting security for Jewish communities amid antisemitism surge

The UK government is investing an additional $34 million in protective security and policing for Jewish institutions.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

British Ambassador to Israel Simon Walters said the United Kingdom is undertaking a “complete step change” in efforts to protect Jewish communities as antisemitic incidents continue at elevated levels across the country.

Speaking at a press briefing, Walters said there had been “much more than words, despite what some have alleged,” describing a broad security and law enforcement response by British authorities.

As part of the measures, the UK government is investing an additional $34 million in protective security and policing for Jewish institutions, bringing the total allocated this year to $78 million.

According to Walters, the funding is being used to expand police patrols, strengthen security at synagogues, schools, and community centers, and deploy plainclothes officers aimed at stopping attacks before they occur.

Walters said the British government views antisemitism as part of a broader set of overlapping threats that include “state-backed proxy terrorism, domestic hate speech, vandalism, and others,” requiring what he described as a “multi-pronged approach.”

Antisemitic incidents in Britain have risen sharply since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The Community Security Trust recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, the second-highest annual total on record.

Recent incidents have included stabbings, attempted synagogue arson attacks, vandalism, and threats targeting Jewish communities, particularly in London and Manchester. Britain has also raised its national terror threat level to “severe.”

The Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday that approximately 50 people had been arrested for antisemitic hate crimes during the previous four weeks, with eight individuals formally charged.

Police also reported 28 additional arrests connected to arson cases and other serious offenses investigated together with Counter Terrorism Policing. In total, more than 80 arrests have been made over the past month.

Walters said security measures alone would not resolve the problem, adding that Britain is also confronting “the forces that drive this hatred in the first place,” including extremist ideologies, misinformation, and conspiracy theories.