Government funding to help protect Bury's Jewish Community amid Israel-Hamas conflict
One of the UK's largest Jewish communities has welcomed financial support from the Government after a wave of antisemitic attacks amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Rishi Sunak has pledged £3 million in extra funding for the Community Security Trust (CST) to protect schools, synagogues, and other community buildings.
It comes after a spate of UK-wide anti-semitic incidents since the terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel over a week ago
Bury, in Greater Manchester, is home to more than 10,700 Jewish people and has seen antisemitic hate crime rise by a third in the first six months of 2023, compared to 2022.
The CST works closely with the police to secure Jewish community buildings and events, enabling them to place additional guards in schools and more security staff outside synagogues on Friday nights and Saturday mornings during the Sabbath.
The news has been welcomed by Arnie Saunders, who is a councillor in Salford and local Rabbi and Conservatives parliamentary candidate for Bury South saying: “I thank the Prime Minister, the Government, Opposition leaders, MPs, and local councillors for their support.
"I particularly welcome the Government's commitment to protecting the Jewish community in the UK through extra resources for policing etc.
“However, we must not allow the situation in the Middle East to spill over to the streets of Bury, Salford or anywhere in Greater Manchester.
"I call for calm and harmony in our wonderful diverse and multi- cultural cities and towns - of which we are rightly proud.
“If anyone is a victim of antisemitism or Islamophobia, they should report it to the Police as well as the appropriate Muslim or Jewish Security organisation.”
The Prime Minister said:“This is now the third deadliest terror attack in the world since 1970. The United Kingdom must and will continue to stand in solidarity with Israel.
“At moments like this, when the Jewish people are under attack in their homeland, Jewish people everywhere can feel less safe.
“That is why we must do everything in our power to protect Jewish people everywhere in our country.
"If anything is standing in the way of keeping the Jewish community safe, we will fix it. You have our complete backing.”
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