P F ap re er e o We f th ek e ly Y ea r
Digital denial Lasting Shw-ka Reuben rma! Jewish s wins kosher News’ award… kebab again! P23
PROUD VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY
Deborah Lipstadt on Jewish conspiracy myths in the wake of 7 October Interview, p6-7
Sunak: I’ll stop anti-Israel hate with new laws 29 February 2024 • 20 Adar Rishon 5784 • Issue No.1356 •
Lord Rothschild’s remarkable life P11
@JewishNewsUK
Prime minister tells CST annual dinner of plans to restrict staging of Palestinian rallies Rishi Sunak last night announced tough new legislation aimed at restricting proPalestinian rallies, writes Lee Harpin. He made clear the government’s intention to halt the rise in antisemitic hatred and the intimidation of MPs by anti-Israel extremists. In a keynote speech due to be given at the Community Security Trust’s annual dinner in central London yesterday evening as Jewish News went to press, the prime minister was expected to outline his determination to crack down on antisemitic hate that has escalated in this country since 7 October. Sunak was due to confirm that a new £31m funding package announced by the Home Office will include moves to provide further assistance to the CST and other groups involved in protecting the community and the deployment of additional police patrols in response to increased community tensions. A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed to Jewish News that the new package was designed to further protect the commu-
legacy
New legislation: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
nity from anti-Jewish racism, along with protecting MPs from pro-Palestine extremists. Sunak was also due to tell 1,100 guests of his “disgust” at the beaming of a projection on to London’s Big Ben with the words, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” being shown, as seen during last Wednesday’s pro-
Palestine protest outside Parliament. While Sunak is expected to refrain from directly criticising the Metropolitan Police, he will call for them to be more assertive in taking action against those deemed to be responsible for “antisemitic” acts such as the projection onto the iconic landmark. The PM was also expected to confirm moves to stop pro-Palestine demos from taking place on a near weekly basis in the capital, and elsewhere in the country, leading to many in the community complaining that London’s West End has become a no-go area at weekends. The government is planning to act on recommendations made by the Home Affairs Select committee to tighten the law around demonstrations, including a requirement for protesters to increase the notice they give to police before large demonstrations. In his CST speech, it was anticipated Sunak would also reflect on the horrific plight of those still help captive by Hamas.
DANIEL LIBESKIND: RETHINK SHOAH MEMORIAL FOR WESTMINSTER World-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind has called for a rethink of plans to locate a National Holocaust Memorial next to the Palace of Westminster, writes Beatrice Sayers. Although Victoria Tower Gardens was very visible, it was “a small site”, he said in comments that also referenced the opposition from local people and others to the plans. “It has so many obstacles and, who knows, maybe the whole question should be reopened to think about what is the best site for the memorial, where people really agree to build it, and which has the impact on London and the UK that it should have.” Libeskind (below) is perhaps best known for his Jewish Museum Berlin, which opened in 2001. His design for a National Holocaust Monument in Canada, titled Landscape of Loss, Memory and Survival, was unveiled to acclaim in 2017. From above, the building in Ottawa is a skewed Star of David. Forty-ft high photographs of Holocaust sites across Europe are embedded in the monument’s six concrete and metal walls. Born in Poland to two Jewish Holocaust survivors, Libeskind, 77, now lives and works in Continued on page 8
• Cleverly questions purpose of rallies, p3
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