Tom Morrison

It is an honour to serve under your chairship, Sir Christopher. There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that our Jewish communities are under threat from a persistent and toxic hatred that has the worst possible outcome. Innocent people have been murdered simply because of who they are and the faith they practise. That cannot continue. Everything possible must be done to ensure that our Jewish communities are no longer threatened. Prejudice and hatred must be tackled at their root, and the casual othering of minority groups such as the Jewish community must be called out and stopped. When institutions fail to act against hatred, prejudice simply becomes policy. History shows us the dark path that follows if that is allowed to happen. Two weeks ago, I was honoured to join the congregation at Heaton Park synagogue for a memorial service commemorating the victims of the terror attack that occurred on Yom Kippur last year. It was heartbreaking to hear the stepdaughter of Melvin Cravitz talk about her experiences of that day and the days and nights that followed. She described with such warmth the man Melvin was and the profound impact that he had on her life and that of her mother. She told us how the community stood together after Melvin’s murder and supported her family through their darkest hours, but she also talked about how she became the target for malicious and vile trolls who would send her antisemitic abuse about the death of her stepdad. Those trolls would claim that Jewish people were to blame for the murders of Adrian Daulby and her stepfather. That is a vile and disturbing distortion. Its purpose is not only to dismiss the horrendous experiences of a grieving daughter, but to paint the Jewish community as somehow deserving of the fate they receive. Sadly, that sentiment is not uncommon. The latest Home Office statistics show that a higher rate of religious hate crime is targeted towards Jewish people over any other faith group. Both online and in person, British Jews experience a very real threat while living their everyday lives. The Yeshurun Hebrew congregation sits proudly in my constituency and does so much for the wider community, but I know from speaking to the leaders at the synagogue that keeping the congregation safe is becoming ever more difficult, despite their best efforts. They told me about the lengths to which they must go to protect their community, including increasing wall heights, as it was assessed that someone could get over the existing wall in just 10 seconds; looking at additional CCTV provision to ensure that every single corner is covered; and keeping children from playing outside in the car park in case an attack happens and they cannot get inside. I was told that people often question whether they should attend their synagogue because of the potential for harm. We must be clear: no one should have to consider those things to practise their faith, and it should make us angry that that is the case. Things need to change. We need solutions, conscious action and resolve. The CST must be properly funded. I was lucky enough to visit its headquarters, so I could see the vital work it is doing to keep people safe and secure, and I thank it for everything it does. We must see an increase in police presence and patrols. Greater Manchester police do an incredible job in working with our Jewish community, but their resources are becoming ever more stretched. They need more capacity to ensure that they can deliver proper neighbourhood policing. The Government must act on their community cohesion strategy without delay. When people feel connected and invested in common values, they are better able to work together to address division and tackle hatred. We cannot rest until our Jewish friends and neighbours no longer need to build high walls, install more cameras and stop their children playing outside. I urge the Minister to do everything in her power to ensure that the Jewish community is safe, and I urge all Members not to rely merely on the words spoken in this Chamber, but to turn those words into action. Through positive action, challenging antisemitism wherever it appears and standing with our Jewish communities when they need support, we will surely ensure that our country is a safe place for Jews.