Britain has unveiled a security package worth more than £250 million to strengthen police protection for Jewish communities following a wave of antisemitic attacks across the country.
The funding, announced by the UK government on Monday, will support the deployment of more than 500 police officers to neighbourhoods with significant Jewish populations, including 300 officers in London.
The package will also increase police patrols around synagogues and Jewish schools while expanding the use of plainclothes officers to enhance security.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed his government’s commitment to tackling antisemitism, saying, “The rise in antisemitism we have seen in recent years is a test of our values as a country and tackling it has been central to my leadership from day one.”
The funding is expected to be spread over three years, with a portion dedicated to educational programmes aimed at combating antisemitism.
Highlighting the security concerns facing the community, Deputy Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, Matt Jukes, said, “Jewish communities are facing an exceptional threat with rising hate crime alongside terrorism and interference from hostile states.”
The announcement follows a string of attacks targeting Jewish communities in recent months.
In late April, two Jewish men were stabbed in London’s predominantly Jewish Golders Green area in what police described as a terrorist attack.
The incident came amid several other attacks during the spring, including arson and attempted arson targeting Jewish sites, among them synagogues in London.
In October 2025, an attack on a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, claimed the lives of two people.
According to the government, £59 million of the new funding will be allocated to Britain’s counter-terrorism police to strengthen security measures and improve responses to threats linked to hostile states.
Following the Golders Green stabbing attack in April, Starmer promised additional support while accusing Iran of seeking “to harm British Jews.”
In May, the Metropolitan Police established a dedicated unit to safeguard Jewish communities after a surge in hate-related attacks amid rising antisemitism.
