Iran will face “consequences” if it is found to be stirring up antisemitism in Britain, Sir Keir Starmer has warned, as the government rushes through new legislation to counter “malign threats” from foreign states.
Speaking after a knife attack in Golders Green last week that left two Jewish men injured, the prime minister told community leaders, senior ministers and police chiefs that intelligence agencies are actively investigating whether a foreign state – specifically Iran – is behind recent attacks on Jewish communities. “Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated,” he said.
Describing the situation as a “crisis”, Sir Keir confirmed that new laws would be fast-tracked to allow the government to take action against state-backed groups. The move comes amid renewed calls for the proscription of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A group believed to be linked to Iran, Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), has claimed responsibility for several recent arson attacks and attempted attacks targeting Jewish sites in Britain and Europe. However, investigators are also examining the possibility that such claims may be opportunistic, and there is no initial evidence of direct Iranian state direction for the Golders Green attack – the arrested suspect has a history of serious violence and mental health issues.
“One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents,” Sir Keir said. “We are investigating, of course, all the possibilities. And we are clear that these actions will have consequences if that proves to be the case.”
The prime minister also acknowledged that antisemitism does not come from a single source. “Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities,” he said. “That is why this government has put in place the first coordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms.”
Prosecutions to be fast-tracked under new DPP guidance
In a significant development, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Stephen Parkinson has issued new guidance requiring hate crime prosecutions to be fast-tracked in the wake of what he called “a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country”. The guidance instructs prosecutors to make charging decisions swiftly, focusing only on the core evidence needed to meet the evidential test. Once the threshold for prosecution is satisfied, any supporting evidence can be obtained subsequently, meaning cases will no longer be delayed while additional material is gathered.
Mr Parkinson said that “only a fraction” of antisemitic crimes are currently referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), describing the Jewish community as facing “extreme acts of violence and criminal damage”. Under the new approach, prosecutors are told: “Its purpose is to ensure that charging decisions are made swiftly and efficiently, with prosecutors focusing on the core evidence required to determine whether the evidential test is met. Where that threshold for prosecution is satisfied, then a prosecution decision should not be delayed – any supporting evidence can be obtained subsequently.”
The guidance comes after two Jewish men, Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, were stabbed in Golders Green on Wednesday, 29 April. The attack, which has been declared a terror incident by police, is the latest in a string of violent actions against Jewish people. The alleged attacker, Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday and was remanded in custody.
Separately on Tuesday, counterterror police are investigating an arson attack at a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets, east London. Jewish security charity Shomrim said fire crews were called to the building in Nelson Street, Whitechapel, in the early hours. Minor damage was caused to a set of gates and a lock at the front of the building, the Met Police said, and there were no reports of injuries.
Funding and community protection measures
Jewish communities across England are set to receive an extra £1 million in government funding to pay for community safety work and projects aimed at countering antisemitism. This includes an immediate £500,000 for Barnet Council due to recent incidents and its large Jewish population. The funding is on top of the £25 million announced last week for additional security following the Golders Green attack, bringing total government funding for Jewish community security to £58 million this year. An additional £7 million has been allocated to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.
The prime minister also announced an independent audit of how allegations of antisemitism are handled. “This will be a hard-edge review of where systems are failing,” Sir Keir said. “We will not, and cannot, accept complacency, delays or weak enforcement, and where inconsistency is found, it will be challenged and addressed swiftly.”
New action is also being taken to implement a “zero tolerance” approach to antisemitism on university campuses and in the arts. Universities will be expected to “demonstrate action” – including publishing data on antisemitism – while the Arts Council will be expected to withdraw funding and claw it back from anyone found to promote antisemitism.
Among the specific incidents that have heightened concern: four Jewish community ambulances were destroyed by fire in Golders Green in late March. A series of arson attacks have also targeted synagogues in Finchley, Hendon and Harrow in April. In October 2025, a fatal terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur resulted in the deaths of two Jewish men and injuries to three others – the first fatal antisemitic terror attack in the UK since the Community Security Trust began recording incidents in 1984.
Statistics from the Community Security Trust (CST) show that 3,700 antisemitic incidents were recorded in the UK in 2025, a 4% rise from 2024 (3,556 incidents) and the second-highest total on record. For the first time, the CST recorded over 200 antisemitic incidents in every calendar month of 2025, with the average monthly total double that of the year preceding October 2023. Online antisemitism reached a record high of 1,541 incidents, a 23% increase from 2024, while incidents of damage and desecration of Jewish property rose by 38% to a record 217 cases. Antisemitic incidents in schools recorded by the CST reached 204 in 2025, double the levels typically seen before 2023.
Sir Keir said that although security measures are essential, they are “not enough”, as he vowed to “deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place”. Counter-Terrorism Policing London is investigating the Tower Hamlets arson attack and considering potential links to other incidents, while a national coordination group has been established to lead the policing response across different forces. Police have increased patrols and deployed specialist officers to protect Jewish communities, and the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have announced a more assertive approach, including arresting protesters using certain slogans.
In England and Wales, victims of hate crimes are already eligible for enhanced rights under the Victims’ Code, which may include specialist support and accelerated timescales for case updates. The new DPP guidance is expected to reinforce these protections by ensuring that prosecutions themselves are no longer held up by bureaucratic delays.
