Religious leaders from across Britain have united with prominent figures from business, sport, and media to declare antisemitism "a problem for all of us to fix", ahead of a major rally in support of the Jewish community outside Downing Street on Sunday. The open letter, coordinated by the Together Coalition, follows a series of attacks on Jewish individuals, including the stabbing of two men in Golders Green on 29 April.
Open Letter Warns of 'Nightmare' Scenario
The letter starkly warns: "The spectre of Jewish people being stabbed at random in the street, killed defending their synagogues and Jewish infrastructure being firebombed feel like a nightmare from another time. A throwback to grainy images of somewhere else, not delivered in technicolour from the streets of London in 2026." It asserts that this is not an issue solely for the Jewish community to address, but a collective responsibility. "As leaders of British organisations – with different views on faith, politics, foreign policy and pretty much everything else – we come together today to send a message to our Jewish brothers and sisters. This country belongs to you as much as any of us," the letter states, adding that signatories share a vision of a diverse and inclusive Britain.
Among the diverse signatories are the Football Association, the Premier League, faith leaders from the Church of England, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities, the National Lottery Community Fund, and the Women’s Institute, alongside numerous media, sport, and charity organisations.
Together Coalition Calls for Action
Brendan Cox, co-founder of the Together Coalition, described the letter as "an incredibly powerful statement of solidarity with the British Jewish community from every section of our society." He emphasised that it is also "a commitment to action to fight antisemitism together," which he believes is urgently needed. Mr Cox added: "Too often antisemitism is seen as a problem just for the Jewish community. It’s not. It’s a cancer in our society that undermines the kind of inclusive country that we all want to build. Extremists are trying to divide us, to target minorities on the basis of their race or religion and to turn community against community. We won’t let them."
Julie Siddiqi, co-chair of the UK Muslim Network and a signatory, highlighted the growing threat: "Antisemitism is real, it’s growing and it’s totally unacceptable. We have a duty not just to condemn it – but to take it on wherever we find it, including in our own communities." She drew parallels with the Muslim experience, stating: "As British Muslims we know what it’s like to face hatred and violence because of our faith – that shared experience should make British Jews and British Muslims allies in tackling extremism."
Downing Street Rally Expected to Draw Thousands
Thousands are expected to attend the protest against antisemitism outside Downing Street, which begins at 1pm on Sunday. Organised by the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the rally will feature speakers including the Chief Rabbi.
Responding to the open letter, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called it "a powerful riposte to the hateful extremists who have targeted the Jewish community in recent weeks." He expressed hope that the leadership shown by these institutions would inspire others in workplaces, boardrooms, classrooms, and on social media to tackle the "scourge" of antisemitism.
Rally organisers have urged the British public to "face down extremists" following multiple alleged antisemitic attacks in recent months. Keith Black, chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, warned: "For two and a half years we have warned about the staggering rise in antisemitism in this country. Yet, antisemitism in Britain is not just rising, it is escalating into deadly acts of violence and terror." He stressed that the rally should not be attended solely by Jewish people, as "British values are being challenged by antisemites, and we have to stand against it together."
Police Response and Threat Level Raised
In response to the escalating concerns, the Metropolitan Police announced this week the deployment of a community protection team of 100 extra officers to safeguard the Jewish community. This comes despite Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley’s previous call for 300 additional officers, as he warned of a growing "pandemic" of antisemitism in the UK and expressed deep concern about the sustainability of the force’s current approach to protecting Jewish communities in the capital.
Following the recent attack, the UK terrorism threat level was raised to "severe" by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, indicating a terror attack is "highly likely".
