Liberal Democrats welcome Medway Council's support of International Anti-Semitism definition

Medway Liberal Democrats welcome Medway Council's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of Anti-Semitism.

We recognise that the definition as an invaluable tool for public bodies to understand how anti-Semitism manifests itself in the 21st century.

Monday marked Holocaust Memorial Day 2020, 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The day gave an opportunity for people from our towns and across the country to reflect on the tragic events of the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Last year saw a series of attacks on Chatham Memorial Synagogue in the run up to Rosh Hashanah, leaving the whole community shocked. The Synagogue has been marred by anti-social behaviour over the past two years with recent attacks seeing the front door covered in excrement and the desecration of its cemetery.

Acts of this kind challenge the values of free, democratic and inclusive societies and has no place in Medway. The Council, formally adopting the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, demonstrates the Council's commitment to engaging with the experiences of Jewish communities, to support them against the contemporary challenges they face, and sends a clear message that anti-Semitic behaviour will not be tolerated in Medway.

Liberal Democrats are committed in tackling the appalling rise in hate crimes in all its forms and will continue to fight against prejudice and discrimination, to ensure equality and protection for people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

In 2016, the British Government became the first in the world to adopt the International Definition of Antisemitism. Attacks on people based on religion, disability and transgender people have risen year on year.

The government released figures in October which revealed that the number of hate crimes that took place last year was a ten per cent increase on the previous year.

There were 103,379 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 2018/19.

The Community Security Trust (CST)'s report on anti-Semitic incidents in the first six months of 2019 showed the highest total on record over a six-month period, and an increase of 10% on the same period in 2018, with over 100 incidents per month for the third year running.