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Residing in the West Bank settlement of Efrat, British-Israeli Rabbi Leo Dee issued an open letter to Andy Burnham on Wednesday. In it, he accused Burnham of targeting Jewish Israelis like himself for economic sanctions. The rabbi’s family, including his British-born wife Lucy and their daughters Maia and Rina, were tragically killed by Palestinians in 2023 while they were traveling through the Jordan Valley.
Rabbi Dee expressed his deep frustration over the UK government’s decision to penalize illegal Israeli settlements rather than sanction the Palestinian Authority, calling the move hypocritical. Speaking to the BBC, he criticized Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband by saying he was “living in a different universe.” The rabbi also highlighted that many Palestinians employed in these settlements would be most adversely affected by the sanctions. According to international law, Israeli settlements are considered illegal, and there has been an increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.
Diverging from Dee’s perspective is Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, who was present in the West Bank when the UK government made its announcement. Visiting the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, Rabbi Wittenberg met with the family of Awdeh Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist and English teacher who was killed by an Israeli settler last year. He told the BBC that his visits reflect the concern he and his community feel about the plight of Palestinians. He has personally witnessed intimidation and threats toward Palestinians in the West Bank, which he believes must be condemned. Rabbi Wittenberg condemned the actions as “terrible for Israel and for Israel’s future,” asserting they contradict Jewish teachings.
Supported by rabbis in the UK’s liberal and progressive Jewish communities, Rabbi Wittenberg believes it is possible to both support Israel and endorse the UK government’s measures aimed at protecting Israelis and Palestinians. Nonetheless, he expressed sadness over the current situation and concern that the sanctions might fuel antisemitism and further damage Israel’s reputation. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, representing the Orthodox community, called the sanctions a “truly dark day” and warned they would increase risks to British Jews. Recent violent incidents in areas such as Golders Green, including attacks on visibly Jewish individuals and assaults on Jewish medical charity resources, have heightened community fears. Some in this community, like Michael Cohen from a Jewish charity, criticized the timing of the sanctions as politically motivated and predicted their practical effect to be minimal. Meanwhile, local business owner Deborah Miller vowed to continue purchasing Israeli goods in defiance of the sanctions.
As the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, approaches, police have increased security in Jewish neighborhoods, aiming to protect communities that have experienced multiple attacks this year. Incidents of antisemitic hate crimes across the UK have risen by about 20% compared to the previous year. The Community Security Trust reported 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents in the first half of 2026. However, official surveys suggest that less than half of hate crime incidents in England and Wales are reported to the police, indicating that the true scale may be even larger
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