King Charles has accepted the role of patron of the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that protects Jewish communities in the UK. The CST said the King's acceptance highlights his support for the fight against antisemitism. The new role is understood to have been part of a regular review of royal patronages rather than a response to recent events.
The announcement comes amid a rise in national security cases involving hostile states, according to the head of counter-terrorism policing. Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner Laurence Taylor said there has been a 50% increase in National Security Act investigations in the six months to December last year, following a fivefold increase over the past four to five years. He identified Iran, Russia and China as the top three states of concern.
On Monday, four ambulances belonging to the Jewish charity Hatzola were firebombed in Golders Green, north London. A group calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia has claimed responsibility, but the claim is yet to be verified. The incident is being treated as an antisemitic rather than a terrorist attack.
The Met Police has announced it will deploy an extra 264 officers and specialist teams, including firearms officers and drones, to boost security for Jewish communities ahead of Passover in early April. Four replacement ambulances, on loan from the government, arrived on Tuesday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the government will cover the cost of permanent replacements.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch suggested tougher immigration rules would help tackle antisemitism, saying people are entering the UK from cultures with a history of hatred against Jews. She called for sanctions against those inciting violence and for medical staff who refuse to treat Jewish people to lose their jobs.
