Chief Rabbi condemns Trump’s Muslim ban as ‘totally unacceptable’

The Chief Rabbi has condemned Donald Trump’s clampdown on entry to America from seven Muslim countries as “totally unacceptable”.

Days after the new US President issued an order temporarily suspending entry from seven countries and indefinitely barring refugees from Syria, Ephraim Mirvis made his uncompromising views known to a packed Guildhall audience at the World Jewish Relief annual dinner.

To huge applause, he said: “There are so many millions of refugees are receiving no hope from countries closing their borders to them – and not much hope from the United States of America of all countries. President Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to discriminate based totally on religion or nationality.

“We as Jews, perhaps more than any others, know what’s it’s like to be the victims of discrimination.”

He added: “In the Jewish religion when it comes to acts of kindness and benevolence we recognise no borders. Wherever or she might be they are counted as what we call mishpacha – part of our global family.”

He said members of the global should be there to offer “hope” as Britain did for children fleeing occupied Europe on the Kindertransport. He also invoked the international campaign in support of refusniks.

Also addressed the event was Prince Charles. In what was interpreted by some as a thinly-veiled attack aimed at Trump, he said the lessons of the Second World War were in “increasing danger” of being forgotten.