Britain at risk of becoming a ‘hostile environment for Jews’ the government’s anti-Semitism Tsar warns
BRITAIN is at risk of becoming a “hostile environment for Jews”, the government’s anti-Semitism Tsar has warned.
Lord John Mann said there has been a massive increase in anti Jew race hate since the October 7 Hamas terror attack.
His stark warning comes as we reveal that anti-Semitism at universities is now so bad, Jewish teenagers are being trained in how to deal with it.
Lord Mann told The Sun on Sunday: “What is happening to the Jewish community is people are being targeted because they are Jewish.
“Since I took up my role in 2019 anti-Semitism has grown. It has grown dramatically since the October attacks.”
He added: “It is the biggest threat to Jewish families in Britain since the 1960s.
“When you talk about extremism a lot of politicians think of terrorism.
"But actually there is another level of extremism, which isn’t about trying to kill people but is about trying to totally demoralise them.
“That is what I am seeing and the growth in, and that is really serious.
“The danger is that Britain is becoming a hostile environment for Jews.”
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Jewish children as young as 9 years-old are being bullied and branded “baby murderers” by their classmates in the playground, he warned.
While Jewish adults who dare to express support for Israel are being hounded out of their jobs in organised “pile-ons”, he said.
This “insidious low level, constant hostility” is the main threat facing the Jewish community in the UK, he warned.
The targeting of children “is a new thing” and leading some Jewish families to consider taking their kids out of mainstream schools and putting them into faith schools, he said.
Parents and grandparents have been “in tears” telling him about the abuse their children and grandchildren, Lord Mann said.
“This is very dangerous for society. There is a danger if Jewish children ending up segregated", he said.
“If all the Jewish kids are in one school and all the Muslim kids are in another school, that is not a very happy future for the country.”
He is urging the government to train teachers, employers, councils and NHS staff in how to spot and tackle antisemitism.
Meanwhile, Jewish sixth formers are being trained in how to cope with anti-Semitism on campus because the problem as got so bad.
Pupils from 35 schools were given tips on what to expect and how to live confident lives at a centre in London last week.
Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, helped deliver the training.
Sixth formers are having to “hide their Jewish identity” on the way to and from school, he said.
They are taking off their kippahs and concealing necklaces and any stars of David they may wear.
He said some teens are picking their unis according to how bad anti-Semitism is on campus.
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He said: “Like everyone else they’re buying their first ever set of pots and pans and deciding what field to specialise in, but at the back of their minds they are having to ask themselves whether being Jewish on campus might be a problem.
“Most Jewish students have a wonderful time at university. But we have to be honest that far too often this all takes place in the shadow of on-campus intimidation and appalling inaction or even complicity by those in positions of authority."