UK allocates £250m to boost security for Jewish communities after attacks

• The UK government announces a £250 million security package to boost police protection for Jewish communities following a rise in antisemitic attacks and threats.

The British government announced on Monday that it will allocate more than £250 million to strengthen police protection for the Jewish community following a series of attacks in recent months.

The new funding package will support the deployment of more than 500 police officers in areas with large Jewish populations, including 300 officers in London.

The funds will also be used to increase police patrols outside synagogues and Jewish schools, as well as expand the deployment of plainclothes security officers.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the rise in antisemitism in recent years represents a challenge to the country's values, adding that tackling the issue has been a key priority of his leadership since taking office.

The funding will be spent over three years, with part of the package dedicated to educational programmes aimed at combating antisemitism.

London Deputy Police Commissioner Matt Jukes said Jewish communities face an "exceptional threat" from rising hate crimes, along with risks linked to terrorism and hostile state activity.

The announcement follows a series of incidents targeting Jewish communities, including a late April attack in London's Golders Green area, where two Jewish men were stabbed in what police described as a terrorist incident.

The attack was among a wider wave of incidents, including fires targeting Jewish sites and places of worship.

In October 2025, an attack on a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, killed two people.

The government said £59 million of the new package will be allocated to Britain's counterterrorism police to strengthen security measures and respond to threats linked to hostile states.

Following the Golders Green attack, Starmer pledged additional funding and accused Iran of seeking to "harm British Jews."

In May, London's Metropolitan Police announced the creation of a dedicated unit to protect Jewish communities amid a rise in hate-motivated attacks and antisemitic incidents.