The prime minster has warned Iran that attempts to incite antisemitism in Britain "will not be tolerated" at a summit in Downing Street.

Sir Keir Starmer said his government was "fast-tracking legislation to tackle these malign threats".

Announcing an extra £1.5m in funding to strengthen community cohesion and protect Jews in areas where they face the greatest risk, the PM said: "It is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities".

It comes after the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green and a spate of attacks at synagogues and other Jewish sites in recent months.

The prime minister has faced criticism from many in the Jewish community following the Golders Green attack that the government has not done enough to keep them safe and was heckled when he visited the north London suburb on Thursday.

Labelling the situation "a crisis", Sir Keir said the country must confront "the forces that drive this hatred in the first place".

"One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents," he said.

"Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated."

Many in the Jewish community have expressed frustration in recent days with what they see as a lack of government action on hate speech, and have renewed calls for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be proscribed.

Ministers are now planning new anti-terror powers that would enable them to ban state threats such as the IRGC in the next parliamentary session.

Sir Keir also said: "We're clear-eyed about the fact that antisemitism does not have one source alone: Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities.

"That is why this government has put in place the first co-ordinated national plan to strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms."

The Metropolitan Police declared a terrorist incident following the stabbing of Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine (referred to in court as Norman Shine), 76, in Golders Green last Wednesday.

Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder in relation to the attack on 29 April, including a third man - Ishmail Hussein, who knew Suleiman - who was attacked earlier the same day.

Counter terrorism officers are also investigating a suspected arson attack at a former synagogue in Whitechapel, east London, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The government has announced an extra £1m will be added to expand the £4m Common Ground programme, led by the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government (MCHLG).

The funding will help local people – especially those from Jewish communities and Jewish organisations who have been hit hardest recently - take rapid, visible action, ranging from community safety work and targeted youth and schools initiatives, to interfaith projects and programmes to challenge antisemitic narratives or hate crime.

An additional £500,000 will also be allocated to Barnet Council, in north London, Sir Keir said, reflecting recent serious antisemitic acts in the borough and the large number of Jewish residents there.

The prime minister, whose wife is Jewish, said tackling antisemitism was personal for him.

"I have seen this poison up close," he said, as he described "rooting out" antisemitism from the Labour Party, adding there must be "zero tolerance" in the UK.

Tuesday's summit will see discussions with members of the Jewish community, hosted by senior ministers, with leaders in their sector, reflecting on identifying the forms of antisemitism on display and what can be done to tackle it.

Guests include Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson from Greater Manchester Police, as well as university vice-chancellors, Arts Council England, NHS bosses and trade union leaders.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she believed antisemitism levels were "a national emergency", akin to the political climate of the 1930s.

"I am talking about the normalisation of hatred towards Jews," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

She blamed "two particular groups, Islamic extremists but also the particular, nasty strand of hard-left ideology", which she claimed was on display at pro-Palestine marches.

Badenoch labelled the marches "a festival of hatred" that has continued for "far too long".

Sir Keir has suggested there may be a case for banning some pro-Palestinian marches because of the "cumulative" effect on the Jewish community.

However, campaign groups involved in the marches have said it is wrong to connect them with attacks on Jews and argued they have the right to peaceful protest.

Last week, the terrorism threat level in the UK was increased from "substantial" to "severe" for the first time in four years.

Two Jewish people were killed in October last year and three left in a serious condition after a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester. One of the men was killed by a bullet fired by police.

Last week, the government announced an additional £25m in funding for increased police patrols in areas with large Jewish populations, and enhanced security at synagogues, schools and community centres.

There has also been a £7m investment in tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.

In 2025 there were 3,700 antisemitic incidents in the UK – according to the charity which provides security for the Jewish community – the CST.

Recorded antisemitic incidents have been at a high in the UK since October 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, and the Israeli military response began.

Members of the Jewish community told a recent BBC Panorama programme of their experiences of antisemitism day to day – such as being spat on, or shouted at, for wearing the religious symbol of a star of David.

Police and policy experts tasked with tackling it believe it has helped to create the conditions for more serious attacks.

Additional reporting by Judith Moritz and Olivia Ireland.