Senior Jewish Leader Calls for ‘National Soul-Searching’ In Wake of Terrorist Act
Britain's chief rabbi has stated that many members in Jewish society and outside it are asking the cause for rallies such as those against the prohibition against Palestine Action are allowed to take place.
Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis remarked: “A portion include clear hatred of Jews, explicit endorsement of Hamas. Not each participant, yet we see an abundance of this, which proves undoubtedly dangerous to many within our community.”
Talking ahead of coming in Manchester last Friday to join grieving families the deaths of two individuals in a terrorist attack near a synagogue, he highlighted an “urgent need for national soul-searching.”
The attack had occurred following what he termed an “unrelenting wave of animosity against Jews” on the nation's roads, colleges, social media and within certain parts of news outlets, Sir Ephraim stated on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Highlighting the chant “globalise the intifada” – which many view as an incitement toward aggression aimed at Jewish people – he remarked the UK had witnessed “with devastating obviousness” on Thursday the implications of that phrase.
Coming back to what he described as broadcast on public grounds and in digital forums, he noted: “A great deal of this content is so hateful and also, when present the unfounded criticism of Israel that feeds directly into hostility toward Jews in the atmosphere across the nation which then encourages extremism. Our government should take note of this.”
Upon questioning regarding demonstrations staged by Palestinian support organizations urging a cessation to hostilities within Gaza and protests calling for the revocation of the ban on the banned group the activist network Palestine Action, he stated that “so much” of these actions were risky to many across the UK.
“From the 7th of October last year there have been numerous individuals who have wondered the reason such marches are permitted to occur on our streets.”
“It is impossible to disconnect the speech in public forums, the actions of participants in such manner and the results necessarily occur … These factors are directly linked and so we urge national authorities again to take control regarding these rallies since they prove hazardous.”
Spiritual guides also possess a specific role to fulfill, the senior rabbi remarked, noting: “We need to talk about controlling our speech, the views we voice, the way we communicate such opinions and also a religious leader should promote coexistence and calm across public spaces and in our homes.”
His remarks coincided with the head of Israel, President Herzog, commented that the recent day represented a “terrible day” for the Jewish community within the United Kingdom, the wider UK, and Jewish populations worldwide.
“This is a stark warning regarding what we have been warning on for quite some time, that this heatwave of anti-Jewish sentiment and hostility to Jews worldwide eventually reaches bloodshed,” he stated on a radio station.
Within the group demanding additional state measures regarding anti-Jewish hatred included former executive Danny Cohen, the former controller from BBC One, who stated on Times Radio there should be a “national inquiry regarding anti-Jewish sentiment launched without delay” because “a problem has gone badly wrong within the nation, and it needs immediate attention.”