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Antisemitism report finds increase in anti-Jewish discrimination Antisemitism report finds increase in anti-Jewish discrimination
(about 3 hours later)
Ex-Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt led the review with Labour peer Lord MannEx-Conservative cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt led the review with Labour peer Lord Mann
A new report into antisemitism has laid out a number of recommendations, including that the NHS tackle what it found was a "specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism". A new report into antisemitism in the UK has found widespread failures to address anti-Jewish discrimination including within the NHS, education, the arts and policing.
Launched by the Board of Deputies of British Jews in 2024, the report made 10 recommendations after taking evidence from a range of organisations, including the NHS, the arts industry and the police. Commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews - the country's largest Jewish community organisation - the review was co-authored by Lord John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism and former Conservative defence secretary Dame Penny Mordaunt.
Lord John Mann, the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, who led the review with ex-Conservative cabinet minister Dame Penny Mordaunt, said the commission heard "shocking experiences". It followed extensive evidence gathering from a range of institutions including the NHS, the police and the arts sector.
He said it was "unacceptable" there had been what he called an "onslaught of antisemitism" in the UK since 7 October. Lord Mann described hearing "shocking experiences" from Jewish individuals during the review process.
He added that they hoped the recommendations would provide guidance and action. He said it was "unacceptable" there had been what he called an "onslaught of antisemitism" since the 7 October Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
About 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, while 251 others were taken hostage. In the months since, the Israeli military's campaign in Gaza has resulted in at least 57,823 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The Israeli military launched an ongoing campaign in Gaza in response to the attack. At least 57,823 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Lord Mann told BBC's Today programme that ordinary Jewish men and women are "going about their everyday life particularly at work and suddenly being held to account for what's happening in the Middle East in their workplace".
The majority of the recommendations in the report pointed towards antisemitism training in different capacities. He said people are being "ostracised" in the workplace "simply because they're Jewish".
One was the creation of an "Antisemitism Training Qualification" for those who carry out training on what it called "contemporary antisemitism". He said antisemitism is "often missed off the agenda" in equality training, but he praised a recent programme in English football that successfully introduced antisemitism training nationwide within two years, showing that "it's working."
It explained that Jewish communal organisations wanted to increase knowledge on anti-Jewish discrimination, which could be done if there was a standard training given by a "credible provider".
On Jewish identity, it said Judaism "should always be seen and understood... as an ethnicity as well as a religion", which the commission said would ensure antisemitism is dealt with appropriately.
The report found many Jewish employees within the NHS felt antisemitism was not being addressed in the workplace, as well as some Jewish patients feeling "uneasy about using the service".The report found many Jewish employees within the NHS felt antisemitism was not being addressed in the workplace, as well as some Jewish patients feeling "uneasy about using the service".
Among its recommendations are that the NHS should hold a summit to tackle the "specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism" within the health service. Among the report's education-focused findings was evidence of some Christian primary school teachers "inadvertently using antisemitic tropes" in lessons, particularly in religious studies.
It also suggested that antisemitism should be included in all Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) training, which it said would increase the number of people "educated" about it and "confident in tackling it". It welcomed a joint initiative between the Winchester Diocese and the local Jewish community to train teachers in avoiding such tropes and recommended that the programme be expanded to all faith schools.
"No person should face abuse or discrimination whilst going about their business, whether it is pursuing the career of their choice or accessing public services," Dame Penny said. The report outlines 10 key recommendations, many of which centre on education and training, to tackle what it calls "failure to apply the protections rightly afforded to different vulnerable groups equally to Jewish people in the same positions."
On education, the report claimed to have received evidence of some Christian primary school teachers "inadvertently using antisemitic tropes" in subjects such as religious studies. To help drive change across sectors, the report proposes creating a formal "Antisemitism Training Qualification" for those delivering instruction on what it terms "contemporary antisemitism."
It said it welcomed an initiative proposed by the Winchester Diocese and the local Jewish community to teach the teachers how to avoid doing so, and recommended that it be evaluated and applied to all faith schools. It also calls for training to be delivered by "credible providers" and to reflect Jewish communal concerns - particularly the need to recognise Judaism "as an ethnicity as well as a religion," to ensure antisemitism is understood and addressed appropriately.
The Board of Deputies said that while it believed "everyone should have the right to express their opinions and beliefs", those in a role of "welfare, safety or security... have an additional duty to ensure people feel able to ask for their assistance". Other recommendations focused on equal treatment for Jewish members of the arts industry and trade unions, as well as a more "consistent approach" by the police to dealing with antisemitic crimes.
Other recommendations asked that Jewish members of the arts industry and unions be treated equally. Dame Penny emphasised that "no person should face abuse or discrimination whilst going about their business, whether it is pursuing the career of their choice or accessing public services."
Another key recommendation was on policing and devising a "consistent approach" to dealing with antisemitic crimes. The Board of Deputies echoed that point, stressing that while freedom of belief is vital, those in positions of "welfare, safety, or security" have "an additional duty" to ensure that people feel able to seek help without fear.
Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg said the report could be "summarised as one of a failure to apply the protections rightly afforded to different vulnerable groups equally to Jewish people in the same positions". Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg summarised the findings as evidence of systemic failure: "This report can be summarised as one of a failure to apply the protections rightly afforded to different vulnerable groups equally to Jewish people in the same positions."
An NHS spokesperson said: "It is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, whether staff or patient, and the NHS takes any instance of antisemitism or discrimination extremely seriously. In response to the report, an NHS spokesperson said: "It is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, whether staff or patient, and the NHS takes any instance of antisemitism or discrimination extremely seriously.
"The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background and all NHS healthcare providers should have policies in place to address issues like this in the workplace.""The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background and all NHS healthcare providers should have policies in place to address issues like this in the workplace."