London, United Kingdom. Britain said it will introduce new legislation to tackle state-sponsored threats, after two Jewish men were stabbed in the latest apparent antisemitic attack. Ministers cited warnings that states including Iran were using criminal proxies.
Proposed legislation and enforcement
Ministers said the government would fast-track legislation allowing the prosecution of people acting as proxies of a state-sponsored group, so they can be dealt with in the same way as spies for foreign intelligence services.
Security warnings and recent cases
British police and security officials have warned that Iran has increasingly sought to use criminal proxies to carry out hostile activity, and that Russia and China have done the same. A pro-Iranian government group has claimed responsibility for some recent attacks.
Last month, two men were charged under Britain’s existing National Security Act with being tasked by Iran to carry out hostile surveillance, and last year three men were convicted of an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses.
Officials say Moscow turned to criminals or those with existing grievances following the expulsion of Russian spies over the 2018 poisoning of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.
Responses from accused states
Such accusations have been rejected by Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, which say they are politically motivated.
Context of antisemitic attacks and criticism
Thursday’s announcement of new powers, and additional funding for security, follows criticism of Britain from Jewish community leaders and the Israeli government after a spate of recent attacks, mostly arson, on Jewish targets in London.
The recent incidents are part of a rising number of antisemitic attacks in Britain and worldwide since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
Jewish leaders in Britain have said regular, large marches in support of Gaza have created a more hostile environment in the capital, where they say antisemitism is increasingly common.
Last October, two people were killed after an attack at a synagogue in the northern English city of Manchester. A week later, two men went on trial over a plot to kill hundreds in an Islamic State-inspired gun rampage against the Jewish community.
What impact do you think the proposed legislation could have on prosecuting state-sponsored proxy activity in Britain?
