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Angela Rayner warns the antisemitism conference that 'criticism of Israel must never become an excuse' for hatred of British Jews

Karen Newman, pictured with a colleague at the Lancaster House conference, where the Board of Deputies of British Jews launched a new Employer's Guide to Jews and Judaism.
Karen Newman, pictured with a colleague at the Lancaster House conference, where the Board of Deputies of British Jews launched a new Employer's Guide to Jews and Judaism.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, speaking at the inaugural Antisemitism Conference at Lancaster House, declared that the fight against hatred targeting Jewish people cannot fall on them alone and called for a collective national response. Hosted by the Antisemitism Policy Trust, the event brought together three cabinet ministers and highlighted community-led initiatives to combat prejudice across healthcare, sport and professional networks. Separately, MPs are pushing the BBC to conduct its own antisemitism inquiry.

Rayner argued that antisemitism is unacceptable in every form — whether it surfaces as protest, ideology, or commentary on Israel and Zionism: 'the politics might be different but the antisemitism is not.'

Jewish community representatives told the conference they are 'physically and mentally exhausted' after more than three years of combating a surge in antisemitism since 7 October 2023.

MPs are demanding the BBC launch a formal antisemitism inquiry.

MoreJewish NewsThe Lancaster House Conference was impressive, but the hour is lateThe TelegraphBBC must hold anti-Semitism inquiry, MPs sayThe Jewish Chronicle‘Criticism of Israel must never become an excuse for antisemitism in UK’, says Angela Rayner
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