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PM Sunak visits Sukkah, performs Jewish holiday ritual

British PM hosted by UK Jewry org in traditional hut marking the Sukkot festival.

By World Israel News Staff

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited a Sukkah – an outdoor hut where observant Jews eat their meals during the ongoing Sukkot festival – and performed a traditional Jewish ritual on Tuesday.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, an umbrella organization that has been advocating for UK Jewry for centuries, built the Sukkah outside of the Conservative party conference, which is currently being held in Manchester.

“We were delighted to be visited at our #CPC2023 Sukkah this morning by Prime Minister @RishiSunak. Wishing you all a Chag Sameach!” wrote the Board of Deputies on X, the social networking platform formerly known as Twitter.

Sunak was photographed standing outside of the Sukkah and participating in the shaking of the lulav (date palm frond) and holding an etrog, as part of the customary holiday rituals.

In September, Sunak released a statement wishing UK Jews and Jews in the Diaspora a happy new year, ahead of the Rosh Hashana holiday.

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“British Jews play an integral part in the success of this nation, and I am delighted the vibrant and diverse Jewish faith continues to thrive across the country,” Sunak said.

The premier reiterated his opposition to the BDS movement and said that he would work to combat Jew hatred and anti-Israel bias in the country.

“I will always stand with you,” he added.

You can count on me to keep you safe, to champion the ban on boycotts, divestments and sanctions, and fight antisemitism in any form.”

In December 2022, Sunak referred to the Abraham Accords normalization agreements as “one of the greatest achievements in the history of diplomacy in the Middle East.”

He emphasized that the UK “will continue to do all it can to leverage our strong ties with other Gulf States to expand the number of signatories to the agreement and enhance the already blossoming opportunities opened up by these ground-breaking agreements.”