Sir Eric Pickles MP has said that, as attacks across Europe and more broadly demonstrate, the problem of anti-Semitism continues to be a serious one.
Sir Eric was formerly Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, but now leads the government’s work on post-Holocaust initiatives.
The UK works closely with our international partners to tackle anti-Semitism, and has recently supported the publication of a British Best Practice Guide to tackling anti-Semitism.
The most recent Community Security Trust report recorded 924 individual incidents during the course of 2015 – and Sir Eric says that the UK government is committed to ensuring that British people of all faiths and ethnicities can live without fear of abuse or attack.
He added that one issue identified by international partners was the absence of an agreed international definition of anti-Semitism.
Sir Eric said that, In the UK, the definition of hate crime in general is used to describe anti-Semitism:
“Hate crimes and incidents are taken to mean any crime or incident where the perpetrator’s hostility or prejudice against an identifiable group of people is a factor in determining who is victimised.”
He said that the UK government’s overall policy was that “it is up to the victim to determine whether a crime against them was motivated by any particular characteristics”.
“This builds trust in the police among minority communities – and allows flexibility in our response,” Sir Eric added.
The UK’s College of Policing includes a working definition of anti-Semitism in their guidance to police forces in the UK.
The definition says that criminal acts are anti-Semitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.
The definition is comprehensive but also states that anti-Semitic discrimination is the denial to Jews of opportunities or services available to others – and is illegal in many countries.
The full guidance is available from the College of Policing website.
Hate crimes such as anti-Semitism are criminal offences and may include threatening behaviour, assault, robbery, damage to property, inciting others to commit hate crimes and harassment.
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Duncan Lewis crime lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving hate crimes, including charges relating to criminal damage, assault, harassment, online abuse, or threatening behaviour.
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