I know that many people in Salisbury will be saddened to find out that the Holocaust Memorial Tree in Churchill Gardens has twice been vandalised in recent weeks. I am reliably informed that there have been occasions when other acts of anti-Semitism have also taken place at the site with the destruction of flowers at the foot of the tree.
The myrtle tree was planted back in 2007, and just last January, along with the Bishop of Salisbury, Mayor, and President of the Chamber ofCommerce, we recommitted ourselves to oppose anti-Semitism in our community.
The latest acts of vandalism disrespect the memory of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. They are also a further sign of a worrying trend in our society where extremism is increasingly drifting into the mainstream. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that anti-Semitism plays no part in our society and politics.