Jewish people 'will suffer most over extremism curbs', Government’s antisemitism adviser warns

Warning issued as row breaks out over Michael Gove’s attempt to tackle groups fanning hatred

Jewish people will suffer most from divisions caused by a new definition of extremism, the government’s antisemitism adviser warned on Thursday, as a row broke out over Michael Gove’s attempt to tackle groups fanning hatred.

The new definition, unveiled by the Communities Secretary, will be used to bar individuals and organisations advancing “hatred, violence or intolerance” from receiving government money or public appointments.

Civil servants and ministers will also be told not to engage with any person or group creating a “permissive environment” for the undermining of British parliamentary democracy and “fundamental rights”.

Mr Gove insisted that the reform was needed in response to the “significant increase both in antisemitism and in anti-Muslim hatred both on our streets and on social media” seen since the conflict in Gaza and would help grassroots organisations from all faiths seeking to combat extremists.

But amid claims that Muslim groups would be targeted by the new policy and a barrage of other criticism, Lord Mann, the Government’s antisemitism adviser and former Labour MP, warned that Mr Gove’s plan would backfire on Jewish people.

“The politics of division do nothing to help the Jewish community,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “The Jewish community is always the loser if there are tensions and divisions.

“What we need at the moment... is much more concentration on bringing communities together. The Jewish community is under tremendous hassle and harassment at the moment, feels very bombarded by everything. Anything that leads to division among communities is bad for the country, bad for the politics of the country, and the biggest loser of all will always be the Jewish community.”

Mr Gove emphasised that actions such as chanting “from the river to the sea” at the pro-Gaza marches would not be covered unless they reflected an ideological stance covered by the new definition.

He added that decisions about whether to deem groups and individuals as extremist would be taken by a panel of Whitehall experts in a new “counter extremism centre of excellence” and that a “high bar” would be set for inclusion on the list of those to be shunned.

“We want to avoid some of the errors of the past where government money and sponsorship has gone to individuals and organisations that have been extremist,” Mr Gove said.

“It’s important when government seeks to counter hatred, working on the ground in communities with grassroots organisations, that we are able to choose our friends wisely.”

In response to criticism, including from the former Conservative minister Baroness Warsi, that the new definition would target Muslims, Mr Gove said there was a clear distinction between Islamists, who wanted to impose authoritarian rule on others, and the “overwhelming majority” of Muslims who opposed extremism.

“I want to strengthen the hand of British Muslims who are working on the ground to counter extremism and to counter anti-Muslim hatred,” he said.

Labour’s shadow treasury secretary Darren Jones said there was a “cross-party political consensus that hateful extremism is not welcome... should not be tolerated and action should be taken” but criticised “confusion” in the Government’s approach.

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner added that extremism was “a serious problem that needs serious action” but that “tinkering with a new definition is not enough”.

The Muslim Council of Britain warned that those targeted under the new definition were likely to take legal action.

Meanwhile, new figures today showed a 31 per cent rise in terror-related arrests in the year to the end of December with 219 suspects held. That was 52 more than for the previous year.

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