The war in Gaza and the deadly escalation in Lebanon have sparked "flare-ups in our own communities," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday, denouncing the rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts in the UK since October 7. "The flames of this deadly conflict now threaten to consume the region. And sparks ignite in our own communities, here at home," the Labour leader wrote in an op-ed published in The Sunday Times.
"There are always people who use conflicts abroad to stir up conflicts here. Since October 7, we have seen vile hatred against Jews and Muslims rise in our communities," he continued, referring to the surge in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts. In this lengthy text published on the eve of the first anniversary of the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Israel, the Labour leader once again calls "all parties to act with restraint" and "to return to political, not military solutions."
"The anniversary of the October 7 attacks must remind us of the cost of political failure," he continued. The Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7 resulted in the death of 1,205 people, mostly civilians. As of October 3, 97 people are still held captive, 64 presumed alive, 33 declared dead by the Israeli army. Calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza, Starmer stated that a two-state solution was the "only viable solution" to the conflict.
The Israeli retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip has claimed the lives of nearly 41,900 people, mainly civilians, according to Hamas. On this point, Starmer believes that "traumatizing, orphaning, and displacing another generation (of Palestinians) will not lead to a better future."
In an open letter published Sunday, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, and leader of the National Advisory Council of Mosques and Imams (MINAB), Qari Asim, called on the British population to reject "hate in all its forms."