The chief rabbi has expressed his concern for the Jewish community in the UK, saying that it is rare for a Jewish family in the country not to be affected by recent events in Israel. Sir Ephraim Mirvis said it was a “time of mourning, of deep grief, and of enormous worry” for the community. He also emphasised the importance of safety measures being put in place for Jewish people in the UK. His words followed Hamas’s rocket attacks on Israel, which have killed over 700 people in the country, and the subsequent declaration of war on the militant group by Israel.
As well as the significant numbers of deaths on both sides of the conflict, there have been concerns about a fresh wave of anti-Semitic incidents around the world. The Board of Deputies of British Jews warned of the possible increase in hate crime in the wake of the attacks, saying that “we are likely to see an increase in antisemitism here in the UK”. The organisation added that it was in contact with the government and would be working to ensure that the Jewish community receives police support.
Police patrols in London have been increased, and British Transport Police are investigating what they described as “Free Palestine” graffiti in the Golders Green area of the city. The force issued a statement saying that “preventing and tackling hate crime is a BTP priority – no one should be subjected to violence or harassment because of who they are”. There are also concerns about videos that have surfaced online allegedly showing celebrations of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Home Secretary Suella Braverman called for a zero-tolerance approach to this kind of activity, and urged the police to use the full force of the law where necessary.
Sir Ephraim described the situation as “a traumatic and horrific time” for the Jewish community, and said that people need to understand the scale of what is happening. He called the recent terrorist incidents “one of the most awful…ever since the conclusion of World War Two”. He added, “Antisemitism is a feature of life right around the globe”, and warned that all necessary steps must be taken to ensure the safety of Jewish people in the UK
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