Expert warns ‘education is too late’ for many after spate of anti-semitic attacks
Lord John Mann, the Government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, has issued a stark warning that extremists are “actively dangerous” and that “education is too late” for those intent on violence.
After the deadly Manchester synagogue attack on October 2, Lord Mann claimed that Britain is facing a level of “overt” hatred not seen in a lifetime.
He warned that the threat has become so severe that staff at nurseries for children under five are now being trained on how to respond to terrorist attacks.
His comments come as The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors anti-Semitism in the UK, has reported a sharp spike in incidents following the recent synagogue attack.
Speaking to GB News, Lord Mann said: “It’s very dangerous, actually. You know, we see a rise in antisemitism immediately after the first murder of Jewish people in our country, in our lifetime very overt antisemitism.
“This isn’t stuff where you’re arguing whether it is antisemitic or not it, is very straightforward.
“So people who hate Jewish people who want to do them damage and having murdered two wonderful people and injured others, you have others celebrating and baiting the Jewish community and threatening more.
“And we’ve got laws that laws should be used. These people should be arrested and jailed.”
Lord John Mann is the Government’s independent adviser on anti-Semitism
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GB NEWS
He added: “Too often, the focus is on people saying stupid things, which is a different issue. Education can deal with that. For example, if an MP is antisemitic, I insist their party provides re-education.
“We don’t publicise or name them if they are willing to learn, and this applies across all parties. That approach is effective for individuals who are ignorant or careless.
“But this is different. These are people intent on causing harm to individuals and to the Jewish community. Education is too late for them.
“There’s no redemption. They aren’t merely thoughtless; they are actively dangerous. What they say suggests they might commit violence, which is against the law.
Two people died following the terror attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue in Manchester on October 2 | PA“They must face sanctions. They should be arrested, prosecuted, and, where relevant, sacked by employers. We cannot tolerate this in any form.
“If we allow it to continue, more people will be murdered. Terrorists have already killed British citizens some Jewish, some not and the threat is ongoing.
“I also think the media has not given enough attention to what’s really happening. After the last prosecutions in Manchester, thankfully some were caught, but the targets were horrifying children under five.
“Nurseries in Manchester are having to train staff on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack, particularly in Jewish nurseries, but also others. This is happening right now.”
On the day of the killings, 40 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded, with a further 40 reported the following day the highest daily totals seen this year.
The incidents ranged from face-to-face harassment of Jewish individuals, to online abuse and hostile emails targeting Jewish people and institutions, as well as public celebrations of the attacks and abusive responses to condemnations from Jewish organisations.
The CST report, published on Wednesday, also highlighted a surge in copycat incidents linked to punk duo Bob Vylan.
Their chant of “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury Festival sparked 32 new anti-Jewish incidents, with no recorded examples of the phrase being used before the festival appearance.
For 2025 as a whole, the CST recorded 3,700 anti-Semitic incidents across the UK, marking the second-highest annual total on record and a 4 per cent rise from 2024, when 3,556 incidents were logged.
Only 2023 saw more, with 4,298 incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel in October.
