Tackling Antisemitism: National Security Adviser

Lord Katz Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Lord in Waiting/Government Whip (Lord Katz) (Lab)]

My Lords, we have plenty of time. It is the turn of the Liberal Democrat Benches.

[Lord Palmer of Childs Hill (LD)]

My Lords, I believe that the previous speaker made the big mistake—I hope that the Minister will comment on this—of conflating what is happening in Israel and the Palestinian territories, with what is happening in the UK. In the UK, we are plagued by increasing antisemitism. Can the Minister assure the House that the National Security Adviser is not overinfluenced by the comments that his wife has made in national newspapers this week?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Altmann (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

My Lords, we still have time for questions from more than one Bench. We will go to the Labour Benches first.

[Lord Mann (Lab)]

My Lords, following my letter to the new Prime Minister outlining some serious issues with the security and well-being of the Jewish community, I was delighted to hear that last week, for the first time in our history, the National Security Council was convened specifically to discuss the Government’s response to, and actions on, antisemitism. Does the Minister agree that, going forward, a cross-government response to antisemitism is crucial—not one that hides in individual departments but one where the whole of government, using the principles that the National Security Council will have met on, take forward a whole of government response?