How is the Welsh Government supporting Wales's Jewish communities, given the rise in antisemitism?
We are committed to embedding anti-racism within everything we do and have set out our ambitions in the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan.
The First Minister and I along with other Cabinet colleagues have met with leaders and members of the Jewish community multiple times since the start of the conflict on 7th October to offer our condolences to all affected by the current crisis and to hear from them about the impacts the current situation is having on our communities. We will continue to do so.
Following discussions with both Jewish and Muslim faith leaders, in December 2023, I along with the Minister for Education and Welsh Language wrote to schools to highlight the statutory anti-bullying guidance 'Rights, Respect, Equality' for education settings and governing bodies to tackle prejudice-related bullying and harassment, including tackling Islamophobia and antisemitism. We also highlighted the availability of professional learning resources to support senior leaders, teachers and education practitioners in undertaking a dialogue around the conflict appropriately and tackling all forms of racism.
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language also wrote to colleges and universities regarding this issue.
Through our anti-hate crime campaign Hate Hurts Wales, we are raising awareness of religious hate, encouraging the reporting of it, and highlighting the supporting available via the Wales Hate Support Centre. We continue to fund the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to deliver its important engagement work in Wales and raise the dangers of antisemitism and other forms of identity-based hate.
Through the Wales Faith Communities Form, co-chaired by the First Minister and myself, we work closely with faith representatives on matters affecting the social, economic and cultural life of Wales.