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In March 2007, the Government presented
to the House of Commons, its response to the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism.
Race and Faith Minister, Phil Woolas MP said:
“We will not tolerate
racially motivated crime of any kind. We share the concerns of Jewish communities, and fully support the police and prosecuting
authorities in taking a tough line to stamp out antisemitism wherever it occurs.
“We have one of the
strongest legal frameworks in the world to protect people from discrimination or persecution on the grounds of their faith
or race, and this was strengthened by the introduction of the Racial and Religious Hatred Act last year.
“The Government shares
the Jewish community’s concerns over recent manifestations of antisemitism. Apart from what may be criminal acts, I
am concerned about the tone of the general discourse. Open and public debate is one thing, but rhetoric and an undercurrent
of hate and racism is quite another. This is not acceptable.”
Commenting on the Government’s response, Chair
of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Antisemitism, John Mann said:
“I am encouraged
that the Government are taking the scourge of antisemitism seriously and I look forward to working with them to confront it
head on. We must not allow this alarming rise in incidents and hostility to go unchecked.”
Previous to this, both the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat
Party issued a responce to the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism.
Announcing the Conservative Party response, Party Chairman
Rt Hon Francis Maude MP said:
“We accept the Report’s warning that there is
no room for complacency on the overt threat from the far right towards Jews; while it is now overlain in ways which give further
study and analysis from a new dimension of threat arising from extremists, namely exploiting more widespread concern about
the weak economic and social position of some Britons and also political issues in the Middle East conflict. These provide
no justification at all for extremist behaviour.”
“We welcome the Report’s call for greater openness
and focus on all these issues and its call to public authorities, groups and individual for relevant action, including the
core Government role exposing current problems and stimulating the appropriate response at all levels. The report represents
a major step forward in understanding Anti-Semitism and in recommending ways to address it, and we look forward to working
with the Government on an issue that should of course be above and beyond the Party political divide.”
Announcing the Liberal Democrat Party response, Simon Hughes MP – President of the
Liberal Democrats, Shadow Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Shadow Attorney General, said:
“Anti-Semitism is no less insidious or dangerous an evil in the 21st century than it was in the 20th.
We must all be active, alert and aware. Democratic political parties like the
Liberal Democrats have the duty to make sure that our national language, leadership and policies all assist in challenging
and confronting anti-Semitism. This Report is a useful assessment of where priorities should lie in the days immediately ahead.”
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