Sayeeda Hussain Warsi aka Baroness Warsi. Photo: Wikipedia.

A government minister has spoken out against “antisemitism in the Muslim community” in Britain, the Jewish Chronicle reported.

Baroness Warsi, the Minister for Faith and Communities, said that anti-Zionism was often a mask for anti-Jewish hatred.

“I am aware that anti-Israeli sentiment can sometimes be a cover for antisemitism. As the Community Security Trust will tell you, antisemitic attacks spiral in the UK when there is increased unrest in the Middle East.”

She did insist, however, that it was “absurd” to suggest that criticisms of Israeli policy would “automatically equal to criticisms of Jews.”

Baroness Warsi, who is a Muslim, admitted that the relationship between the Muslim and Jewish communities was “not an easy subject to tackle.”

But she believed that British Muslims should “celebrate” the success of Anglo-Jewry “I would go as far as saying, indeed, emulate it .”

The Baroness was speaking at the launch of an exhibition celebrating Righteous Muslims who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

“We need to be robust when extremists hijack our faith. An attack on one faith, is an attack on all faiths,” The Jewish Chronicle also quoted her as saying.

Laura Marks, the senior vice president of the Board of Deputies, told the Jewish Chronicle: “We hear so much about communities fighting each other, but we need each other in so many ways.

“Our religious practices – whether circumcision or ritual slaughter or even faith schools – need defending. We face challenges when our own community prejudices stand in the way of our strong community ties.”