Board president says interfaith relations are ‘strained’ after October 7th

Board of Deputies president Marie van der Zyl has told a session at Limmud 2023 that previously close relations with some faith group representatives have become “strained” and “under challenge” as a result of responses to the 7 October Hamas terror attacks.

At a session titled ‘Israel Under Attack’, van der Zyl was joined on stage by Board chief executive Michael Wegier to outline how the communal organisation had responded to the massacre in southern Israel.

The Board president admitted that in the aftermath of the attacks “interfaith engagement, something I’ve always been very proud of” had now become “one of the harder, more challenging aspects”.

She said that unfortunately it “feels like we have taken a step back, but the relationships we have with the other communities in the UK are really important”.

Van der Zyl continued: “I think it’s something we have to keep working on to move forwards, particularly with the Muslim community. We have many shared values, many things in common.”

She said: “These close relationships have been strained and under challenge, but I am committed on my part to make sure we do everything we can to make sure we talk, and work together for the common good.

“But that is probably something that is going to take some time to work on… and is not something that will change immediately.”

There was praise for both the government and for Labour leader Keir Starmer for their response and offer of support to the community. Van der Zyl noted if both Sunak and Starmer had not actively responded so supportively “it would have been so much harder” for the community.

She also praised the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for his letter of support on October 9th, along with messages from other faith leaders, but Van der Zyl admitted it had subsequently been harder to agree with every message put out as the war against Hamas continued.

During the talk, Wegier outlined how the Board staff had worked around the clock since October 7th, meeting with the BBC, speaking with local councils, with the national media, and engaging with the Football Association over issues that arose over the past three months.

In response to a question from the audience on why the recent National March Against Antisemitism had been well supported by the community, but less so by those who were not Jewish, Van der Zyl said Lord Salisbury, committed Christian, “was going to organise a big march led by non-Jews.”

She said the CAA demo had been “fantastic” and added “there are a lot of non-Jews who have been supportive.”

Wegier noted that when he was in Brighton “a significant Iranian delegation” were “remarkable and unbelievable in how they spoke” in support of Israel and the community.