Society Must Not Tolerate Anti-Semitism

While his Royal Highness, Prince William, the heir to the British throne, was visiting a synagogue in London, he made a powerful statement asserting that “anti-Semitism has no place in society.” This proclamation came during a time when the government has announced a substantial financial commitment to bolster the security of the Jewish community in the United Kingdom. This commitment involves the transfer of tens of millions of pounds for this purpose.

Prince William’s visit to the synagogue comes a day after he had to cancel his public appearances unexpectedly due to a personal matter. He visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, an event that was initially planned to coincide with the International Holocaust Day observed last month. However, it was postponed due to the surgery of his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate.

During his visit, Prince William engaged in a conversation with Renee Salt, a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor. He also met with students, members of the Jewish community, and ambassadors of the Foundation for the Study of the Holocaust. They shared their experiences of rising anti-Semitism and their efforts to promote programs to combat hatred.

“Anti-Semitism has no place in society,” the Crown Prince reiterated. “Prejudice has no place in society. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.” He went on to express his and Catherine’s deep concern about the increasing anti-Semitism that they had discussed. “I’m just sorry you had to experience this. That’s why I’m here, to assure you that everyone cares. People are listening,” he said.

Karen Polk, the director of the Foundation for Holocaust Studies, appreciated the Prince’s visit. She stated, “His Majesty reminded us that anti-Semitism is not only a problem for the Jewish community, but for the whole society.” She added that the visit sends a potent message that Britain welcomes Jews, from Holocaust survivors seeking refuge to young Jewish students. It signifies that during the darkest days, the Jewish community is not alone.

While the Royal visit was happening, the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced a significant increase in government aid to the Jewish Community Security Fund. This organization dedicated to the protection of community sites in Britain will receive an additional 54 million pounds over the next four years. This is in addition to the 18 million pounds already pledged for this year and the next. This aid will enable the fund to hire security guards and install alarm systems as well as closed-circuit cameras for enhanced security.

Addressing the issue at the Community Safety Foundation’s annual dinner, Sunak said, “The racism we’ve seen in recent months is appalling and it’s wrong.” He labelled it as “hatred, plain and simple. An attack on the Jewish people.” He pledged to confront this anti-Semitism with everything at their disposal. As Prime Minister, he vowed to lead the government in a long-term effort to fortify the Jewish community’s security, safeguard their liberal values, and address the root causes of this hatred.