‘Emboldening antisemitism’ – UK chief rabbi slams sanctions

Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Britain’s policies toward Israel are fueling an increasingly hostile environment for Jews.

By World Israel News Staff

The chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis, condemned recently announced British sanctions on goods originating in Judea and Samaria in a strongly worded statement Wednesday, warning that the move could further endanger British Jews amid unprecedented levels of antisemitism since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion and massacres in southern Israel.

Mirvis was particularly critical of the language used by the British government in announcing the sanctions. The statement referred to alleged “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians by Jewish “terrorists” in Judea and Samaria and accused the Israeli government of committing “war crimes” during its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The announcement marked “truly a dark day for Britain’s Jews,” Mirvis warned.

The chief rabbi argued that the sanctions were part of a broader pattern of statements and policies from the British government that have been sharply critical of Israel. He warned that such rhetoric contributes to an increasingly hostile environment for Britain’s Jewish community.

He said that the move was largely symbolic and that political theater of “this kind feeds into an increasingly hostile discourse about Israel,” adding that “the cumulative effect of such punitive policies is to further embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews.”

Mirvis noted that the upcoming Rosh Hashana holiday, which begins on Friday, will be marked with trepidation by local Jews, who fear attacks on their synagogues and celebrations — like the Yom Kippur terror attack in Manchester last year, which saw two Jewish men killed.

“At a time when our community is more vulnerable than ever to the wave of extremism that has been building over recent years, these sanctions do nothing to advance the cause of peace. Nor do they make anyone safer,” Mirvis emphasized. “Quite the contrary.”