Individuals involved in antisemitic offenses that are supported by foreign entities, including Iran, could face up to 14 years in prison under new legislation set to be presented in the upcoming king’s speech.
Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, will gain authority through the National Security Act to classify proxy organizations, believed to be responsible for recent attacks against the Jewish community, as foreign intelligence services.
Those executing activities on behalf of these designated groups will be liable for a maximum sentence of 14 years, regardless of their knowledge about the affiliations of the organization they serve.
This legislative initiative aims to address the rise of foreign proxies recruiting individuals via social media to conduct acts of terrorism, sabotage, and espionage.
The head of counter-terrorism policing has reported a 50% increase in national security cases involving hostile nations engaged in operations like spying and sabotage within the UK over the past six months.
This development, initially reported by the Times, follows the Metropolitan Police’s announcement of a dedicated community protection unit comprising an additional 100 officers to enhance security for the Jewish community. The police previously indicated a need for 300 more officers to effectively combat the escalating antisemitism in London.
The proposed legislation will grant the Home Secretary powers akin to proscription, enabling the prohibition of state-affiliated groups such as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), fulfilling a commitment made by the Labour Party three years ago.
The new laws will empower law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and charge individuals under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which criminalizes actions that may aid a foreign intelligence service.
The rise of proxy groups acting on behalf of Iran and Russia has taken advantage of weaknesses in the UK’s national security framework.
This legislation will also permit the Home Secretary to designate Islamist organizations, such as the Iranian-linked Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, which has claimed responsibility for multiple antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish communities.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister condemned Iran’s attempts to incite “violence, hatred, or division” within British society, attributing the recent surge of attacks on the Jewish community to Tehran.
He made these remarks during a meeting with leaders from police, prosecutors, the NHS, trade unions, universities, and community organizations, alongside senior ministers, to strategize on how to address the alarming increase in antisemitism.
Following this meeting, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced new guidance urging prosecutors to prioritize hate crime cases in response to the “deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents.”
Since the end of March, there have been a number of arson incidents targeting Jewish sites in London, along with a double stabbing in Golders Green that is currently being investigated as a potential terrorist act.
Counter-terrorism police are also looking into a suspected arson at a former synagogue located on Nelson Street in Whitechapel that occurred early Tuesday morning.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated, “British Jews now seem to be targets for hate from various extremist groups, including extreme right-wing factions, Islamist terrorists, elements of the far left, and hostile state actors. This troubling overlap raises significant concerns, and Jewish communities are facing the implications of this threat daily.”
They emphasized that this concentrated effort does not diminish the Metropolitan Police’s commitment to other communities, affirming that addressing all forms of hate crime—including racism, anti-Muslim hate, homophobia, and other types of discrimination—remains a central policing objective in the capital.
