Hate crime is something that directly threatens the fair, compassionate and educated society that we want to be part of, and proud of. Two of the most common forms here in the UK are Antisemitism and Islamophobia, which always escalate when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is prominent in our media headlines, such as in May-June 2021 when Antisemitism increased more than 500% and Islamophobia more than 400%.

Muslim and Jewish communities are a much-valued part of our society, enriching it with diversity and making it a place where we can learn from one another and celebrate together. What we have in common is far stronger than our differences and no human being should have to face the kinds of discrimination that they did last summer, when racist slurs were chanted from cars and young people were accused of supporting terrorism or apartheid just because of their faith background. It was a shameful and unacceptable period of polarisation and hate that we must ensure does not happen again for British Jewish and Muslim communities. Whatever happens in Palestine-Israel, they are not responsible and should be able to express their views and concerns without being vilified and attacked.

Here at SNS, we take an empathic and critical approach to understanding difference of identity and opinion when it comes to Israel-Palestine - an approach that we believe can help to counter the ignorance and prejudice from which Antisemitism and Islamophobia stems, and which often leads to hate crime. It is vital that we listen respectfully to those with different opinions and beliefs to ourselves and seek as much breadth and depth of information as we can before forming our own, remembering that however strongly we may disagree with someone on any issue, they are still human. And we must stand united in ensuring that all members of society have the chance they deserve to live in safety, free to be who they are and live the life they choose.