She said: “Social media has been used in the past few years as a place for radicalisation for different groups and individuals, including those that later go on a violent spree against a synagogue or a school – and now AI is part of it.”
Lord Mann, the UK government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, called for a “clear, calm and methodical” approach to tackling anti-Jewish hatred, warning that governments which avoidede their responsibilities contributed to the problem.
Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, told the BBC she was “appalled by the horrific rise of antisemitism in the UK”. “It is intolerable,” she said.
“Across government, we’re also working with international partners, including the J7, to strengthen the global fight against antisemitism and stand up for Jewish communities wherever they face discrimination, abuse or violence,” she added.
The government recently announced a £251m funding boost to help police forces protect Jewish communities across England.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews told the BBC it was urging the government to deliver on measures to “strengthen Jewish community security, tackle antisemitism in schools, universities and public life, and ensure social media companies are held accountable for the spread of anti-Jewish hatred”.
Board president Phil Rosenberg told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the rise in antisemitism was “symptomatic of something more dangerous that affects everybody”, not just Jewish people.
He spoke of an “open sewer” of online hate that he believes has got much worse recently, with the stifling of debate and the actions of hostile foreign states.
Barry Frankfurt, chairman of a north London synagogue, told the BBC he had seen the nature of antisemitism change in his lifetime – from people shouting at him through a car window and swastikas daubed on gravestones to something “a lot more frightening”.
“This is now will someone be shot dead at a synagogue, will someone be stabbed outside a kosher shop, will a synagogue be firebombed,” he told the BBC.
An independent review on antisemitism in schools and colleges in England is due to report to the government this autumn.
In a joint statement, the J7 Large Communities Task Force Against Antisemitism said: “Antisemitism in our seven countries is no longer a surge; it is our new normal.
“Governments must stop reacting after Jews are attacked and start acting before, with real security funding, stronger laws and social media platforms that enforce their own rules.”
