Iranian proxies which are behind antisemitic attacks on British soil could face up 14 years in prison under new laws set to be introduced by Labour.
Fresh legislation – which will be included in the King’s Speech next week – will grant Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood the ability to designate proxy groups as a foreign intelligence service, even if they are not aware of what foreign country they are working for.
The move is designed to tackle the rise of antisemitic attacks – including the arson attack in Hendon, London – which are believed to be linked to Iran.
The legislation will introduce proscription-like powers for the Home Secretary to ban groups such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to The Times.
The laws will allow police and intelligence agencies to disrupt the activities of proxies with counterterrorism-style measures, and will allow prosecutors to investigate and prosecute individuals under section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.
The Islamist group known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) have claimed responsibility for at least half a dozen antisemitic attacks against Jewish communities last month.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Vicki Evans, said the force was investigating if the attacks were conducted by Iranian proxies.
The Met has also said it will deploy 100 extra officers to help safeguard the Jewish community.
New legislation is set to allow Shabana Mahmood to designate Iranian proxy groups as a foreign intelligence service
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The Community Protection Team is set to merge neighbourhood policing expertise with specialist protection and counter-terrorism resources.
The 100 extra officers have been announced after Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley previously said 300 more officers would be needed to effectively tackle the rise in antisemitism.
The Home Office will provide the Met with £18million to support the tackling of antisemitic hate crime, supported by a further £4million made available through the Jewish Community Protective Service Grant for community-led and charity work.
Ms Mahmood said: “We will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism.”
ANTISEMITIC ATTACKS IN LONDON – READ MORE:
The Met will introduce 100 new officers to help combat antisemitism, after Sir Mark Rowley said 300 officers would be needed
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The announcements follow the latest London antisemitic attack at the site of a former synagogue in Tower Hamlets.
The President of the East London Central Synagogue told GB News he felt “not enough is being done” to counteract antisemitism in the capital.
On Monday, a 46-year-old man and 38-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of arson after they allegedly committed an arson attack on a memorial wall in Golders Green.
And Somali born British national Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with two counts of attempted murder in relation to the Golders Green attack of two Jewish.
Groups designated as serving foreign intelligence agencies by Shabana Mahmood could face a minimum of 14 years
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Protesters previously took to the streets of Golders Green, accusing Sir Keir Starmer and Labour of not doing enough to combat antisemitism in Britain.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “British Jews now appear on the hate lists of every major extremist movement: extreme right‑wing groups, Islamist terrorists, elements of the extreme left and hostile state actors.
“It is a deeply concerning convergence, and Jewish communities are living with the consequences of that risk daily.
“This focus does not mean the Metropolitan Police is deprioritising other communities. Hate crime in all its forms – including ongoing efforts to tackle racism, anti‑Muslim hate crime, homophobia and other forms of hatred in the capital – remains a core policing priority.”