Antisemitism 'a national security emergency', government's terror adviser says

Attacks on Jewish people in the UK are "the biggest national security emergency" in almost a decade, the government's adviser on terrorism has told the BBC. Jonathan Hall KC said British Jews were "now thinking they cannot live a normal life" due to a series of incidents in recent months in which Jewish communities have been targeted. The most recent of these came on Wednesday, when two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in what police have declared a terrorist incident. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she did not agree that attacks against Jewish people amounted to a national emergency, but insisted the government was treating the issue as an "absolute priority". She also said that she viewed the rise in antisemitic attacks as an emergency for her in her role as home secretary. She told BBC Breakfast that the phrase "national emergency" had particular connotations, including suspending elements of democracy. "I don't believe this is where we are today," she said. The UK's terrorism threat level was raised from "substantial" to "severe" on Thursday evening, partly in light of Wednesday's attack. It was last at this level in February 2022. The two victims of