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22
Apr
Harrogate Jewish couple thinking of emigrating because of safety fears, says MP
A Jewish couple in the Harrogate and Knaresborough area are considering emigrating because of safety fears, their MP has said.
Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, raised concerns about the safety of the local Jewish community in Parliament on Monday (April 20).
Mr Gordon said he had recently attended a Passover service at Harrogate Synagogue, adding:
“It saddens me whenever I meet with the Jewish community there, they always talk about their security and safety and it’s a topic that always comes up.”
Mr Gordon then referenced recent comments by the Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, that attacks on the Jewish community are “gathering momentum”.
He asked security minister Dan Jarvis what steps the government was taking to make Jewish people feel safer.
Mr Jarvis replied that the government had “invested record sums of money” to ensure places of worship had the support they require.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Gordon said one local Jewish couple he spoke to were considering leaving the UK because they felt so unsafe. He added:
“It is a bare basic of a liberal society that people can freely practice their religion. No one should feel their security is conditional because of their faith or ethnic background."
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