By Steve Winston, Managing Director, National Jewish Assembly
After nearly 18 months of Jewish communities being hounded, harassed, and vilified on the streets of Britain in the wake of the worst anti-Jewish pogrom since the Holocaust, the British government has finally proposed something. A measure – tucked into a broader policing bill – that would allow police to restrict protests in the vicinity of places of worship. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has reportedly confirmed the provision is aimed at preventing pro-Palestinian demonstrators from targeting synagogues, particularly on Shabbat.
One might be tempted to say: better late than never. But frankly, this is cold comfort to those of us who have spent months walking past baying mobs calling for the destruction of Israel and the “liberation” of Palestine – by which they plainly mean the elimination of Jewish sovereignty from the river to the sea. It is now, allegedly, a step too far to march outside synagogues on the Jewish Sabbath. But what about everything else?
What about the hate that pours through megaphones every weekend in central London, from the PSC and their Islamist bedfellows? What about the Met’s consistent refusal to enforce the law when protestors carry signs openly supporting proscribed terror organisations? What about the mosques, some of them registered charities, where preachers incite hatred with impunity? What about the infiltration of our teachers’ unions and school curricula by fringe groups pushing anti-Zionist propaganda as “human rights education”? What about the BBC propagandising on behalf of Hamas?
This latest government proposal is a crumb tossed to a community reeling from months of intimidation. That it has taken until March 2025 for this measure to surface is itself an indictment. It should have been passed the first weekend after October 7, when these marches began in earnest – just days after Hamas butchered 1,200 innocent Israelis and dragged children and grandmothers into Gaza as trophies. Instead, the authorities stood by as those who celebrated the massacre marched through our streets, unopposed and unashamed.
Now, we’re told we may no longer be targeted within some arbitraryily defined exclusion zone around our synagogues – but the moment we step outside, we will be invariably reminded of just how little the authorities have done to secure the broader public square. The same political class that dithers over banning the IRGC – the terror arm of the Iranian regime – is remarkably swift in condemning Israel for defending its people. The same MPs who campaign for “peace” in the Middle East are too busy playing footsies with Islamist constituents, or lobbying for new airports in Pakistan, to speak out about the daily incitement against Jews happening right under their noses.
This isn’t just weakness; it’s dereliction. Of course, the government should pass this measure. It should pass it immediately. But it must not be the end of the road – it must be the beginning of a serious, national reckoning with the explosion of antisemitism and terror-apologia we’ve seen since October 7. That includes robust enforcement of existing hate speech laws, proscription of organisations like the IRGC and Samidoun, audits of charities and mosques that give platforms to extremists, and full-scale investigations into the infiltration of our education sector by anti-Israel activism.
If this country wishes to retain even a shred of moral credibility, it must make clear – without hesitation – that Hamas supporters have no place in Britain’s streets, institutions, or public discourse. Jewish citizens should not have to fear for their safety at school gates, on university campuses, or walking home from synagogue. And yet here we are.
The government’s proposal is a modest, long-overdue measure. But as long as the hatred continues to fester elsewhere – with the blessing or indifference of our political elites – it will remain a bandage on a gaping wound.
If the UK truly wants to stand against extremism, then it must do more than gesture. It must act – swiftly, seriously, and without apology.
