Jewish refugee work to go on despite rightwing harassment, says rabbi

A Jewish refugee advocate has vowed that solidarity work with asylum seekers will continue despite harassment from far-right activists targeting Jewish organisations supporting refugees.

- Aamna Mohdin Community affairs correspondent

Rabbi David Mason, the executive director of the UK Jewish refugee charity HIAS+JCORE, said groups such as theirs had increasingly faced antisemitic abuse and conspiracy theories from far-right activists, most notably online.

"It's to frighten us," he said, adding that such abuse would not deter them from their work. "It's a badge of honour, in a way. I'm doing something and I'm determined, as a Jew and as someone who believes in a strong, cohesive Britain."

Mason said some of the hostility was driven by conspiracy theories such as the "great replacement", which falsely claims that Jews are orchestrating migration to undermine western societies. Similar antisemitic conspiracies were cited by the gunman who attacked three Jewish congregations in Pittsburgh, US, in 2018, targeting Jews he believed were helping refugees through organisations such as the US-based refugee agency HIAS.