Chief Rabbi Mirvis and Keir Starmer hold ‘warm and constructive’ meeting
The meeting - in which the pair discussed issues including the Middle East, Jewish schools and the Holocaust Memorial - was the first in-person by the two leaders
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has confirmed he had a “warm and constructive discussion” with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, including on the need for cross-party support for a Holocaust Memorial, during the pair’s first in-person meeting.
The two leaders, who had previously spoken virtually due to Covid restrictions, were photographed together at Starmer’s office at Labour’s headquarters in central London on Tuesday.
Rabbi Mirvis later tweeted he “met Keir Starmer today for a warm and constructive discussion on Labour’s work to rid the party of antisemitism, the vital importance of Jewish faith schools, the Middle East and the significance of cross-party support for the
UK Holocaust Memorial.”
Starmer himself tweeted of the meeting with Rabbi Mirvis: “I’m heartened to receive his appreciation for the progress we’ve made in earning back the trust of Jewish communities.
“Our discussion was representative of our relationship – positive and forward looking.”
The Chief Rabbi met @Keir_Starmer today for a warm and constructive discussion on Labour's work to rid the party of antisemitism, the vital importance of Jewish faith schools, the Middle East and the significance of cross party support for the @UKHMF Holocaust Memorial. pic.twitter.com/glmA8y5Fe8
— Chief Rabbi Mirvis (@chiefrabbi) May 17, 2022
After he become leader in March 2020, Starmer spoke of his desire to repair the damage caused to the relationship between the Jewish religious leader and Labour as a result of Jeremy Corbyn’s failure on antisemitism.
The Chief Rabbi had issued an unprecedented warning ahead of the 2019 general election that Corbyn had allowed the “poison” of antisemitism to take root in Labour.
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