A British archbishop who leads on dialogue with other faiths has condemned rising antisemitism as the likelihood of a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom was raised from “substantial” to “severe”. Source: The Tablet.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre raised the UK National Threat Level following the stabbing of two members of the Jewish community in Golders Green in North London on April 29, but the decision to raise the threat level was not solely a result of that attack.
The terrorist threat level in the UK has been rising for some time, driven by an increase in broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threats from individuals and small groups based in the UK, according to a government policing statement.
The threat level was raised as the suspect in the Golders Green attack was remanded into custody after appearing at Westminster magistrates’ court. Essa Suleiman, 45, was charged with two counts of attempted murder.
There are growing calls for the suspension of pro-Palestinian marches due to fears they can contribute to the rising antisemitism.
Birmingham Archbishop Bernard Longley, chair of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales’ department for dialogue and unity, called for “all members of society to consider seriously how we may counter the alarming rise in antisemitism which is tearing at the fabric of our society”.
Archbishop Longley, a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and a member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and who last September was appointed a consultor to the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, said, “I was shocked and deeply disturbed by the antisemitic terror attack which took place on the streets of London [on Wednesday].
“I hold the victims and the whole Jewish community in my prayers, and I applaud the emergency services and first responders, including Shomrim and Hatzola, for their swift actions to prevent further suffering and violence.
“People of all faiths should be free to worship and express their faith without hate and prejudice. The targeting of the Jewish community is abhorrent.“
“This is a stark call for all members of society to consider seriously how we may counter the alarming rise in antisemitism which is tearing at the fabric of our society.”
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Archbishop Longley condemns ‘abhorrent’ antisemitism (By Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet)
