‘JEWISH PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN BRITAIN’ ADMITS LABOUR MINISTER

A Labour minister has defended Keir Starmer’s approach to tackling anti semitism but admitted Jewish people do not feel safe in Britain.

Speaking on GB News Dr Zubir Ahmed said:

“Frankly speaking, this is something that’s happened too frequently to our Jewish communities and friends up and down the country. That’s why the Prime Minister tonight will be convening a Cobra meeting to discuss further actions we can take on top of the actions we’ve already been taking to try and protect Jewish communities up and down the country.

“£30 million pounds to the community security trust, as well as funding to schools and universities to make sure we’re carrying on trying to root out anti semitism from the branch down in our country.

“It is definitely true that until Jewish people feel safe in our country, none of us are safe, including in any minority community. Frankly speaking, Keir Starmer has been someone since the day he adopted a leadership position in politics, has been firm about his stance on anti semitism.

“And that is why today, he’ll be convening a Cobra meeting to see how we can go further to help assuage the fears, the rightful fears and anxieties of this community.

“And can I say, just say up front, because I think people wondering this at home, watching this, you can quite legitimately have your views about the Middle East, about the conflict there, and you can quite legitimately also say that Jewish communities are feeling afraid right now.

“And for those of us that are not part of that community but want to support that community, we have a particular responsibility at this time to say that Jewish communities are part of our country and that none of us can feel safe until they feel safe.

“I can tell you, as a Muslim minister in this government, I am more vehement about my support for my Jewish friends and colleagues than anyone else. This isn’t an issue of ethnicity or religion.

“Unfortunately, this cancer pervades every colour of skin I’ve ever met and every religion I’ve ever encountered. There’s got to be a root and branch approach here, and that’s why, actually, with the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in place, through the Crime and Policing Bill powers, she was very firm in making sure that police had the powers, in addition to the powers they already had, to make sure that when things perhaps like marches, which some people exploit to direct hatred at certain communities, the police had the power to redirect those marches away when they perceive there was harm or disproportionate threat to a particular community.

“We live in a country, thankfully, where there’s free speech and freedom of movement. And the vast majority of people that march in this country for whatever cause do so with right and sincere intentions.

“Do small numbers exploit marches like that? Of course they do.

“I think what the police are doing is a very difficult job in trying circumstances, balancing the rights of freedom of expression versus the legitimate concerns and anxieties of certain communities.

“And the Police and Crime Bill that Shabana Mahmood just passed through Parliament in the last session before it was prorogued today, gives police more powers and more discretion to apply those powers.

“It’s not a Labour Party. It’s not the Home Secretary. This is a police investigation led rightly and operationally by the police and I am sure that information will be released at the earliest opportunity possible.

“I can totally appreciate your desire and the public’s desire to get as much information as possible. But I would just say to you, ethnicity is not the issue here. It is the hatred that underlies these actions and that pervades all ethnicities and all backgrounds and all religions. And that’s why we have a broad sweep here when we try to address this cancer of anti semitism.

“I think Jewish people do not feel safe in Britain, and for me, that keeps me up at night, and that, as a government minister as a member of parliament, I have a particular responsibility to make sure I can do all I can to change that.

“Because having a situation where a community like the Jewish community has been present in this country for hundreds of years, questioning their place in this community shames us all, and we must do better.”