UK unveils $335 million plan to boost security for Jewish communities
The funding will allow for the deployment of 500 additional police officers across the UK
Britain's government announced more than £250 million ($335 million) in funding over three years to strengthen security for Jewish communities following a rise in antisemitic attacks. The package includes hundreds of additional police officers and expanded counterterrorism resources.
The funding will allow for the deployment of 500 additional police officers across England and Wales, strengthening police presence in Jewish neighborhoods and providing security at schools, synagogues, and community centers. The plan includes 300 additional officers for London and about 80 additional officers for Greater Manchester.
Police forces in seven other areas with large Jewish populations will also receive funding: Hertfordshire, Essex, Sussex, Thames Valley, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Northumbria. Funding includes £86 million ($115 million) for London's Metropolitan Police and £59 million ($79 million) for counterterrorism policing.
Met Deputy Commissioner Matt Jukes said the investment would allow the force to bolster its existing Community Protection Teams, establish further teams across three sites in London, recruit up to 300 officers and create a Golders Green community hub. Greater Manchester Police is set to receive £22 million ($29 million) to sustain increased policing following the attack in Heaton Park last year in which two Jewish men, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, were killed.
The package also follows a series of arson attacks in London and the raising of the national terrorism threat level from "substantial" to "severe." The government also confirmed £32.4 million ($43.3 million) for the 2026-27 fiscal year for security at Jewish sites, including synagogues, schools and community centers.
The Community Security Trust reported about 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, one of the highest totals ever recorded in Britain, with more than half of all incidents involving antisemitic language, slurs or references connected to Israel, Palestine or the war.