Reform's Suella Braverman: UK antisemitism ‘not going to get better’ amid systemic Islamism crisis

Islamism is a “systemic” and “deep-rooted” problem in the UK, while antisemitism is “not going to get any better,” former British home secretary Suella Braverman told The Jerusalem Post.

The Post spoke to Braverman, 46, ahead of the publication of her first book, the memoir Patriot: Empire, Betrayal and Hope. Released on October 1, it explores Braverman’s time as a barrister-turned-MP-turned cabinet minister, and her wider views on the issues in the UK, such as Islamism and political weakness. She served as home secretary under the Conservative government, before leaving the party for Reform UK in 2026.

Braverman noted that there are “systemic, profound, deep-rooted, social and cultural and institutional problems with Islamism in the United Kingdom.”

“Whether it’s in our schools, our police force, our political parties, our broader institutions – there’s a crisis. And it’s been caused by cowardice and appeasement by political leaders, most recently conservative political leaders who actually – instead of just failing to stand up to Islamism and extremism – actively engaged with it.”

She cited an example from her book of how former prime minister David Cameron invited the Muslim Brotherhood’s spokesman to lunch at Chequers, the prime minister’s official country residence.

“That’s a group that should be prescribed, not embraced by governments,” she continued.

Braverman says political courage, strong leadership can counter Islamist extremism

Despite the pervasiveness of the problem, Braverman said she does believe it can be fixed.

“We don’t need to surrender to the fate of our country being taken over by Islamists and extremists. It’s not going to be easy. It does require a high level of courage and political leadership. But I do think it is possible with a clear formula,” she said.

In fact, in Braverman’s view, the solution to Islamism in the UK is “not complex” but simply requires “a high level of political determination.” And that’s not something that can be found under a conservative leadership, she opined.

“They had 14 years, and it got worse under the conservatives during that time,” she noted.

The Conservative Party’s failure to address the worsening issues of radicalization and Islamism was the reason Braverman left the cabinet.

“There were Islamists demonstrating in our streets in marches day in, day out. I wanted to ban them and actually stop antisemitism. The prime minister of the day didn’t agree with me, and he sacked me instead,” she recalled.

“I blame the Conservative Party and many of the people still in the party for the problems that we are enduring today.”

But is there enough public concern about these issues that it could sway a future election?

Braverman claims Islamist extremism accounts for 75% of MI5's caseload

Braverman acknowledged that her views are derived from running the Home Office, dealing with counter-terrorism, working with MI5 – in fact, she revealed that Islamism makes up 75% of MI5’s caseload – which does not mirror the everyday experience of most people, and most voters.

“I am beginning to see that with the crisis of illegal migration and the insecure borders that the UK has had now, coming up to a decade – the consequences of that are making people more alert to the issues of Islamism, because the two are connected,” she said.

She pointed out that a large proportion of the people entering the UK illegally have “Islamist tendencies and intentions.”

“There’s no doubt that among them will be Iranian hostile actors coming illegally into our country who want to terrorize British citizens.”

The boat issue has made Islamism in the UK a more pressing issue, she said, because it’s on television every day.

“When people start considering that crisis in more detail, they can join the dots and see that our illegal migration crisis is a cause that will exacerbate our security threat.”

If she were here, home secretary again now, Braverman is very clear on what her first steps would be.

“First of all, we’d have to secure our borders and take a robust approach to who is coming into the country, and stop illegal migration. That would very quickly reduce the national security threat that we’re facing.

“When it comes to the existing threat of Islamism in our country, we need to make the law clear that the damaging aspects of Islamist culture are unlawful.”

Braverman calls for UK bans on burkas, polygamy, and first-cousin marriage

She cited banning the burka, polygamy, and first-cousin marriage as priorities.

“Banning the burka would be unequivocal. It’s clear in law that it’s unlawful, and there would be police powers to enforce against it. It is an obstacle to communication and integration, and is a simple symbol of female oppression. It has no place in 21st century Britain,” she said, adding that people who wanted to wear the burka and their families “would leave the country.”

“Polygamy; first-cousin marriage, which has led to a high level of severe deformities among children born of these unions, should be made illegal. Sharia courts – all of that must go.”

Braverman also said that Islamist preachers who are routinely invited and platformed at mosques and public events in the UK must be put behind bars and be deported “if they’re not British,” and that the Muslim Brotherhood needs to be proscribed.

She also believes the Muslim call to prayer should not be permitted in large public spaces.

“This is a Christian country, not a Muslim one,” said Braverman. “People need to speak English in the country.

“Constitutionally, we are not actually a secular country. We are constitutionally and institutionally a Christian country. And our head of state is the head of the Church of England,” she continued.

Braverman nevertheless stressed that she is not calling for other religions to be banned. She is a Buddist, and her husband, Rael, is Jewish.

“We are a Christian country, and I’m trying to encourage people to have that confidence in their Christian faith and the Christian heritage of this country.

“However, having said that, we are not banning non-Christians. And we are in many ways de facto a secular society. So people of other faiths are free to practice their faith. They’re free to participate in their religion’s customs and rituals. But there has to be a line whereby they do that in a way that’s consistent with British values and the Judeo-Christian values of Britain.”

Braverman says fear of Islamophobia accusations prevents politicians from confronting Islamism

While she said there is a desire by many to return to these values in Britain, Braverman said that many in politics are afraid of cracking down on Islamism for fear of being labeled Islamophobic.

“On the Right, my Conservative colleagues were terrified of being called Islamophobic,” she said. “They wanted to do everything they could to avoid that accusation, from inviting the Muslim Brotherhood to lunch at Chequers, to biting their lips when it came to calling out grooming gangs.

“On the Left, it’s slightly different. For example, we’re seeing the Labour government do appalling things right now. They have basically come out against Israel, opened a refugee route for Palestinians and people from Gaza, recognized Palestine, and put an arms embargo on Israel. All of that – that’s not because they don’t want to look Islamophobic. That’s because they want to shore up the Muslim vote.

“It’s all about cynical politics,” she continued, arguing that Labour’s policy is more about suppressing the Greens by pivoting against Israel and securing a Muslim vote.

All of this – the cynical anti-Israel politics, the permissibility around Islamism, and the decrease in Christian values – have led to a situation where the UK is arguably not safe for Jews, Braverman said.

“Almost every week, there are more Jewish people who seriously question whether they have a place in the United Kingdom. The Labour Party has now nailed its colors to the mask, which is that they are anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and have joined the hate movement calling for Intifada.

“They don’t see Israel as an ally anymore; they see Israel as the aggressor in the wrong. I think that is morally devoid and heartbreaking.”

Because of this, Braverman believes that antisemitism in the UK, “which is already at unprecedented levels,” is not going to get any better.

“I think if we don’t turn it around at the next election, there’s no hope,” she said, adding that the next general election will be the most consequential of her lifetime.

“I think the choice will be very, very clear and binary. And it will either be four more years of socialism, and more immigration, higher taxes, more poverty, more humiliation on the world stage, more antisemitism.

“Or we can begin the fight back and the recovery. I’m with Reform because I genuinely believe that the only vehicle that can stop Labour and stop socialism is Reform.

“The Conservative Party isn’t viable as a serious proposition to win. So to anyone on the Right, to anyone who wants to bring an end to this kind of madness and chaos and nonsense that’s going on in the UK, there is only one way.”

Braverman rejects antisemitism allegations against Reform UK and Nigel Farage

When asked for her response to accusations of antisemitism in the Reform party, including those against its leader, Nigel Farage, she replied: “I would never join ranks with people who are antisemitic. I’ve taken a political stand over antisemitism. I was sacked as home secretary over antisemitism. I’m not going to join a party, or try and make someone prime minister, who I thought had a gram of antisemitism in them.”

She also noted that many leading figures in the party are outspoken friends of Israel.

Deputy leader Richard Tice, for example, has traveled to Israel to show support, and is a strong advocate against antisemitism, against Islamism, and for the Jewish community.

“And the same with Nigel and obviously Robert Jenrick [elected as a Conservative Party MP who joined Reform in January 2026], and myself,” she said.

In fact, Braverman wanted to stress that she has “always been a friend of Israel and will always continue to be a friend of Israel.”

She visited Israel after the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacres, showing her solidarity with the country, and meeting with survivors, heroes, and families.

“I was incredibly inspired, frankly, by the resilience of the people in Israel. and Israel as a whole, and particularly the young people who were fighting to defend their nation.

“If there is a Reform government, which I hope there will be soon, we will reestablish diplomatic relations with Israel.”

Braverman backs recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, moving UK embassy

While Braverman said she could not speak about Reform’s official stance on recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving the embassy there, she noted that she has personally supported this in the past.

Regarding recognition of a Palestinian state, Braverman said it is “an ideal,” but currently not realistic.

“Hamas needs to be totally degraded, disarmed, and disabled. There must be no authority in Palestine that has access to arms or the ability to attack Israel. There must be zero tolerance of extremism, antisemitism, and Islamism in a potential future Palestinian state. There needs to be authority with whom neighbors, whether it’s Israel or Jordan or Egypt or any other country, can do business.

“We need to know they’re honest brokers, that they’re legitimate, that they have free and fair elections, that they’re not going to distort figures and statistics and elections and stop aid. And they’re not going to divert aid to the construction of tunnels. If those conditions can be met, then I think Israelis would support living side by side with a peaceful neighbor.

“But if those conditions are nowhere near being satisfied, then I’m afraid no, we cannot allow Palestine to be an independent state; we cannot recognize it. And right now, it seems that we’re very, very far away from that.”