🔗 Share this article

Britain's chief rabbi has expressed that countless members of the Jewish community and outside it are questioning the cause for rallies including those against the ban on Palestine Action are permitted to continue.

Sir Ephraim Mirvis stated: “Some contain clear hatred of Jews, blatant support toward Hamas. Not all participant, however there is so much of such behavior, which is clearly hazardous for numerous within our community.”

Speaking prior to traveling to Manchester last Friday to join those mourning the deaths of two men in a violent assault at a synagogue, he stressed an “urgent need for national introspection.”

The attack had occurred following what he described as a persistent tide of hostility against Jews” on UK streets, colleges, digital networks as well as in some sections of news outlets, the chief rabbi informed a national radio broadcast.

Pointing out the chant “internationalize the uprising” – that numerous regard as an appeal to violence aimed at Jewish people – he remarked the UK had seen “with devastating obviousness” last Thursday the meaning of those words.

Returning to his earlier description as being aired on public grounds and on the internet, he commented: “Much of it is extremely hostile and additionally, when there is the unjustified demonisation of Israel that feeds right into hostility toward Jews across the climate in the UK and subsequently promotes radical views. National leaders must be aware of such risks.”

In response to queries concerning protests organized by pro-Palestinian groups urging a halt to hostilities within Gaza and protests supporting the revocation of the prohibition on the outlawed entity the group Palestine Action, he answered that “a large part” of such activities are risky to many in British society.

“From the 7th of October last year there have been countless citizens who have wondered why those protests are allowed to occur in public spaces.”

“You cannot separate the speech across the nation, the deeds of participants in such manner and what inevitably results … The two are intertwined and so we urge leaders again to take control regarding these rallies because they are dangerous.”

Faith leaders also possess a particular duty to play, the chief rabbi stated further, saying: “We need to talk concerning managing our mouths, the perspectives that we express, how we express those views and likewise a faith leader must encourage harmony and peace in our communities and in our homes.”

His comments coincided with the head of Israel, Isaac Herzog, commented that the day proved to be “terrible day” for Jewish people across the UK, Britain at large, and Jewish populations around the globe.

“It is a stark warning regarding what we’ve been alerting for a long while, that this surge of hatred toward Jews and animosity toward Jewish people all over the world eventually reaches bloodshed,” he told a radio station.

Within the group demanding more official steps toward combating antisemitism were former executive Danny Cohen, the past director at the BBC channel, who commented to Times Radio there should be a “national inquiry into antisemitism established straightaway” as “something has turned badly wrong across our community, and it requires urgently addressing.”