‘Deeply saddened’: UK Chief Rabbi pushes back against church’s stance

“I am deeply saddened to learn that the Methodist Church Conference has again voted in favor of BDS,” said Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis.

By JNS

Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom Ephraim Mirvis called on the Methodist community not to support boycotts aimed at Israel after it had demonstrated support for the BDS movement.

“I am deeply disappointed and saddened to learn that the Methodist Church Conference has again voted in favor of BDS, a move which further seriously erodes relations with the Jewish community in this country and abroad,” he posted earlier this month on social media.

“BDS does not in any way advance the cause of peace,” he said. “I call on the Methodist community to invest its efforts instead in constructive engagement with Israel and its society.”

In its 2022 conference booklet, the Methodist Church stated that “the conference therefore invites the Methodist people to support the above measures in relation to boycott, divestment and sanctions until such time as Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and complies with the precepts of international law.”