Chief Rabbi blasts Starmer over Palestine plan as progressive rabbis booed off stage
Sir Ephraim Mirvis warns recognition would “reward terror” while crowd jeers Reform leaders for backing Palestinian future right to statehood during Downing St hostage protest
The Chief Rabbi has accused the government of dealing a “blow to lives of each of our hostages” as he questioned how ministers would be able to “live with themselves” if the UK recognised Palestine while they remained in captivity.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis was among the speakers at a rally to call for the hostages outside Downing Street at the end of an hour-long march by 5,000 Jews and supporters from Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
The rally, led by Stop the Hate and supported by key organisations like the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council, was originally advertised under the banner ‘No recognition without the hostages’. This was later watered down to focus on a demand for the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza to be freed.
While the organisers claimed the demo brought the community together as one, the co-heads of progressive Judaism Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy were told to leave the stage by organisers after being drowned out by the minority of the crowd barely a minute into their speech.
The ‘boos’ and shouts of ‘get off’ grew louder after they spoke of the right of the Palestinians to a state, while stressing that the question was how this should come about.
Sir Ephraim earlier reflected on a conversation he’d had with a family member of hostages, who’d asked who would continue fighting for the hostages as their captivity went on. “I believe our answer has to be all of us,” he said. “We are the brothers and sisters of all the hostages. Nothing is going to stop us from doing all we can to secure their release.
“Hamas is the personification of evil. It is an evil that is inflicting purposefully maximum suffering on its own people, preventing people from having aid. But unlike Hamas, none of us wants to see the suffering of any single innocent person.”
Turning his ire to the government, characterising the recent announcement to recognise a Palestinian state if Israel didn’t move towards peace and even if hostages remain in Gaza as a change of policy. “After meeting with others and families of hostages they were declaring they would leave no stone unturned for every hostage. Now the government announcement has dealt a blow to the lives of every single one of our hostages. Emily Damari has said want the government is doing won’t contribute to a solution and is delivering a reward for terror.
“No wonder last week one of the senior Hamas officials said recognition would be one of the fruits of 7 October. If the terror organisation proscribed in the UK is congratulating our government something is wrong. To our government, we say, ‘How will you ever be able to live with the fact you’ve recognised a Palestinian state with Hamas in charge and while hostages are still in captivity?'”
Insisting it wasn’t too late for what he described as “responsible government”, the Chief Rabbi concluded: “The Labour Party both in opposition and how in government has had a mantra. They’re continuously said – don’t judge us by our words, judge us by deeds. To our government we say this is the time for responsible government.”
The demonstration attracted a large crowd despite it being in the middle of the school holidays and called with just five days notice following the release of shocking video by Hamas of two emaciated hostages still held in Gaza. Images of one of them, Evyatar David, alongside a picture of a Holocaust camp inmate were held aloft on banners.
An organiser from Stop the Hate kicked off the rally metres from the prime minister’s residence by talking about the government’s controversial plans – with the crowd greeting every mention with loud ‘boos’ and calls of ‘shame’. He said: “The hostages are not just Israel’s children. They are all of our children. Today the hostages have united our community
Today we are united in a single message: bring them home! Bring them home now.”
The event was also addressed by Adam Ma’anit, whose relative Tzaki Idan was murdered in captivity, said the world was forgetting about the hostages and pointed out that the shocking images of skeletal Israelis had not featured on a single national newspaper front page.
In one of the most moving moments of the afternoon, British-Israeli Ayelet Svatitzky – whose brothers Roi Popplewell and Nadav Popplewell were killed by Hamas and whose mother was kidnapped – said: “I buried by brother alongside Roi. That’s a sentence no one should have to say. My mother is doing about as well as anyone who has seen her sons killed and was herself kidnapped.”
While stressing she was not a military strategist or politician, she told the crowds: “As I said to the government to recognise the state without the return of all the hostages is a price to Hamas for the murder of my brothers.
“I cannot bring Roi or Nadav back to life but my promise to them is that I will not stop until every hostage is home. I ask you to do the same and to campaign for the British government to do more.”
Jewish Leadership Council CEO Claudia Mendoza described the threat to recognise Palestine at this point as “a U-turn” on Labour’s 2024 manifesto, while the Board of Deputies’ Michael Wegier said “unwittingly put government has emboldened Hamas” by incentivising Hamas not to reach a ceasefire. As well as the release of the hostages, he called for more aid to go into Gaza without Hamas getting hold of it and moves “towards a lasting peace”.
Also taking to the stage was international lawyer Natasha Hausdorff, Lord Stuart Polak and counter-terror expert Noor Dahri, who said: “Islam supports your existence in the Holy Land. Islam supports your fight against the devil.”
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
