The National Jewish Assembly (NJA) hosted a special event with its first government minister on April 18th featuring Sarah Dines MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Safeguarding), in conversation with Dr Alan Mendoza, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society. The event aimed to address the pressing issues of safeguarding the Jewish community and rising anti-Semitism in the UK.
During the event, Dines shared her insights on the necessity of safeguarding the Jewish community and discussed the unfortunate rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the UK. She highlighted the government’s commitment to combating anti-Semitism and ensuring that Jewish people are protected from hate crimes and other forms of discrimination.
Dines further emphasised the importance of creating a safe and secure environment for the Jewish community in the UK. She also defended Suella Braverman MP against recent criticism levelled at Braverman for her astute observation that established Jewish organisations are becoming increasingly unrepresentative of the British community.
Attendees at the event had the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion with the MP and raise their concerns about the rising incidents of anti-Semitic attacks in the UK. The discussion allowed for a constructive dialogue between the community and the government on the steps that can be taken to prevent and address instances of anti-Semitism. Attendees were especially concerned about recurring incidents of antisemitic and anti-Israel bias in the BBC’s reporting.
During the event, Dines also highlighted the harms arising from online hate and the government’s commitment to take legislative measures to curtail discrimination and the promotion of antisemitism on digital platforms. She discussed the need for social media platforms to take a proactive approach in removing hate speech and ensuring that online environments are safe and secure for all users.
Dines also emphasised the importance of education and awareness-raising to tackle antisemitism and discrimination, and highlighted the government’s investment in training programs for law enforcement officers to better recognise and respond to hate crimes. The NJA commends the government’s efforts to combat online hate and ensure that digital platforms are not used as tools for promoting hatred and intolerance.
NJA Vice Chairman Keith Rowe offered the vote of thanks and expressed the NJA’s appreciation to Dines for her valuable insights and her unwavering support for the Jewish community. The NJA looks forward to continuing their work with the government to ensure that Jewish people are protected and can live without fear of discrimination or violence.
NJA Chairman Gary Mond commented: “It was fantastic for a large number of our members to have the opportunity to listen to a government minister whose role at the Home Office is of great relevance to the UK Jewish community. They were also able to ask her questions on pertinent subjects such as antisemitism at the BBC, the Online Safety Bill and the ethnicity question in our national census. At least one more government minister will speak to us later his year.”
The event was well-received by attendees, who appreciated the opportunity to engage with a government official on the important issue of safeguarding the Jewish community. The NJA hopes that events like these can help raise awareness about the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the UK and encourage the government to take stronger action to address this issue.
The NJA is committed to promoting the welfare of the Jewish community as a conduit to decision-makers at all levels. NJA Zoom Speaker Events routinely feature key decision-makers in the UK and Israel, and further information about upcoming events can be found here.