Some pro-Palestine protests could be banned, the Prime Minister has suggested in the wake of the Golders Green terror attack.
The marches have been widely criticised for their perceived encouragement of antisemitism after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London on Wednesday. Organisers behind the protests strongly deny such accusations.
The terror attack is the latest in a series of incidents targeting Britain’s Jewish community.
Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has said it is currently “impossible” for such marches not to “incubate” antisemitism.
Mr Hall’s comments were echoed by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirivis, who said “hate marches” together with “purposeful anti-Israel demonisation” had contributed to “a tone of antisemitism” in the UK.
Speaking to Radio 4, Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether he wanted tougher action on language used at protests and if he wanted to stop some protests. He said: “I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter.”
Although the PM said he defended the right to protest, he expressed concern about the “cumulative” effect of numerous marches on the Jewish community.
Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared in court on Friday charged with attempted murder over the Golders Green attack.
Describing recent attacks on Jews as a “massive national security emergency”, Mr Hall called for a “moratorium” on pro-Palestinian marches, in comments to Times Radio.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who visited the scene at Golders Green on Thursday, accused the Government of having been “weak, weak, weak on all of this”.
He told reporters: “I’m afraid we have allowed marches to take place, with chants being heard over the streets of London and other cities.
“We’ve not acted and the Government has been weak, weak, weak on all of this.
“I’m not pretending we can reverse this tide of hatred overnight. We can’t. It’s here. It’s embedded.”
Sir Keir also said that protesters have a responsibility to call out those chanting “globalise the intifada” at Gaza marches.
The Prime Minister also suggested he wanted to see “tougher action” against people using certain phrases at Gaza demonstrations, but stopped short of agreeing with calls for a ban on the marches.
His latest intervention comes amid repeated warnings from the authorities of a “deeply troubling rise” in antisemitic incidents across the country in the wake of the double stabbing in Golders Green.
The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”.
Sir Keir said: “I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly and freedom of speech. I have defended those principles all my life and I will continue to do so. And so I’m not stepping back from that one bit.
“But if you are on a march or a protest where people are chanting, ‘globalise the Intifada’, you do have to stop and ask yourself, why am I not calling this out? Why am I on a march where this is the chant? And I do think it’s time for people just to ask themselves that.
“I’m not saying, of course, that there aren’t very strong legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza. We all have deep concerns about it. This Government has recognised Palestine just last year. So, of course, there are important issues.”
The Metropolitan Police is reviewing whether upcoming pro-Palestine marches in London can go ahead in the wake of the Golders Green terror attack.
The Stop the War Coalition is planning a major demonstration in London on May 16 to mark Nakba Day, commemorating the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.
The group has described attempts to link recent attacks with marches as “false”.
