Government announces extra £25m to protect Jewish communities after Golders Green terror attack
The announcement comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London on Wednesday
The Government will invest a further £25m in increased police patrols and protective security to help keep Jewish communities safe following yesterday’s terror attack in Golders Green.
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It brings total funding to £58m this year, which ministers say is the largest investment ever made to protect Jewish communities.
The funding will be used to increase police presence and patrols in Jewish communities, strengthen security at synagogues, schools and community centres and deploy specialist and plain-clothed officers.
The Government has also announced it will fast-track legislation to give authorities stronger powers to pursue individuals and groups acting on behalf of state-sponsored organisations.
It means anyone operating as a proxy for a state-backed group could be investigated and prosecuted under the National Security Act.
It is understood the draft laws will be included in the King’s Speech, which sets out the Government’s legislative agenda for the next parliamentary session, on May 13.
The announcement comes after two Jewish men – 34-year-old Shilome Rand and 76-year-old Moshe Ben Baila – were stabbed in north London on Wednesday, in what Counter Terror Policing London has formally declared as a terror attack.
A 45-year-old man, said by police to be a Somali-born British national, was arrested following the incident on Wednesday.
It comes amid mounting concern over Iran’s use of criminal proxies, after the Metropolitan Police referenced the issue following arson attacks in north-west London earlier this month.
Deputy assistant commissioner Vicki Evans said: "We are considering whether this tactic is being used here in London - recruiting violence as a service.
"Individuals carrying out these crimes often have no allegiance to the cause and are taking quick cash for their crimes.
"To anyone even considering getting involved – my message to you would be this - the stakes are high - and it is absolutely not worth the risk for a small reward."
The stabbings are the latest in a series of attacks on Jewish sites over recent weeks and have prompted calls for urgent action and accusations the Government has not done enough to tackle antisemitism.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signalled she would consider banning the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an Iranian military group, as she faced questions about the new laws.
Speaking on Thursday morning, she said it would be inappropriate to confirm such a move before the laws are on the statute books, but that she would be looking at “all organisations that would then fall within the purview” of the legislation.
“Just to reassure you, the only reason I’m not giving a wider commentary on who this will include is because we would never give any commentary on organisations that we are considering for either our proscription regime… or indeed, this new regime.
“I expect to be making decisions in the very near future about the groups that we will be designating as state-linked.”