Chief Rabbi ‘alarmed’ by claim 44 percent of Muslims embrace antisemitism

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has said levels of Muslim antisemitism in the UK are “alarming” in an online debate about Israel’s recent normalisation agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He was speaking as part of an event with UAE Minister for International Cooperation Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimy, former UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, and Britain’s former Middle East Minister Alistair Burt, who has now left Parliament.

Mirvis said the Abraham Accords, signed with Israel in September, were among the most momentous moments of his life, and reflected on how Jewish-Muslim relations on a personal level can be influenced by Israeli-Arab relations at a national level.

Citing studies work by the Community Security Trust, and the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, Mirvis said British Muslims were up to four times more likely to be antisemitic than non-Muslims.

Citing the Henry Jackson Society, he added that 44 percent of Muslims embrace antisemitic conspiracy theories. “This is an alarming rate, it’s nearly half of the Muslims in the UK,” he said.

“That underlines how crucially important engagement, dialogue and understanding is… There’s so much potential relating to Jewish-Muslim relations. I believe the Abraham Accords have unlocked certain doors for us.”