An open letter to the Chief Rabbi

To the The Honorable Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis 

Your Excellency, 

I write with deep concern regarding your recent public statements in which you conflate legitimate political criticism of Israeli military actions with antisemitism. Given your prominent position as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, a role that carries significant moral and communal authority, this conflation cannot be seen as accidental or naive.  Rather, it must be construed as a deliberate act that not only misrepresents the nature of antisemitism but also dangerously undermines meaningful debate about Israeli state conduct.  Such a stance risks silencing legitimate criticism, harming British Jewish communities, and aligning religious leadership with a political agenda that seeks to delegitimise voices opposing war crimes and human rights abuses. 

Firstly, I need to make clear that I do not condone or support calls for violence, although from your posts it seems you are quite comfortable with the behaviour of the IDF.  However, your public condemnation of Bob Vylan’s shout of “Death, Death to the ICF” as antisemitic exemplifies a deeply troubling and increasingly common pattern: conflating legitimate political criticism of the Israeli military with hatred of Jewish people. This conflation is not only factually erroneous but also politically and socially damaging, both to the cause of justice for Palestinians and to the very Jewish communities you purport to defend.  It is not only disingenuous but it is dangerous.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF), referred to in the chant as IDF, are the military arm of the Israeli state responsible for ongoing operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.  These operations have been rigorously condemned by numerous international bodies, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has launched an official investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity (UNHRC Report, 2022), (HRW, 2021), (ICC Investigation, 2023). 

In this context, Bob Vylan’s chant, while provocative and ill-advised, must be understood as a political protest against a military institution implicated in serious violations of international law, and not as a demonstration of hatred of Jews. 

Of course, antisemitism is a very real and serious problem that demands our unwavering attention and condemnation.  However, it is crucial to distinguish between genuine hatred directed at Jewish people for being Jewish and legitimate criticism of the policies and actions of the Israeli government and its military.  Conflating these two very different issues not only dilutes the fight against true antisemitism but also undermines the pursuit of justice and accountability.  By defining criticism of Israel as antisemitic fundamentally misconstrues the nature of antisemitism.  

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, supported by The Board of Deputies of British Jews, of which you are an affiliate, and adopted by many governments and organisations explicitly states that “criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic” (IHRA, 2016). By ignoring this guidance, Chief Rabbi, you undermine the precision necessary to combat genuine antisemitism and conflate two separate issues: opposition to state violence and hatred of Jewish people. This conflation does real damage to British Jewry and it has been going on too long now.  When Jonathan Arkush started this ball rolling in 2017, the BoD were warned that in their role as an advocacy organisation for Israel, they cannot be seen as a lobbyist for the policies of Likud.  When criticism of Israeli military conduct is automatically labelled antisemitic, it risks alienating younger Jews and progressive voices who demand ethical accountability from Israel.  It fuels a dangerous narrative equating Jewish identity with uncritical support for Israeli state policies, narrowing political space and leaving communities vulnerable to accusations of blind loyalty. This fractures communal solidarity and weakens the broader struggle against antisemitism. 

Furthermore, Chief Rabbi, your tone-deaf and openly partisan stance weakens your own authority as a religious and communal leader.  Effective leadership demands nuanced understanding and courage to distinguish between genuine antisemitism and valid political dissent.  By failing to make this distinction, you risk appearing less as a protector of Jewish interests and more as a partisan shield for a government facing serious legal and moral challenges.  This damages your credibility and alienates many British Jews seeking a more principled and independent voice. This approach also stifles democratic debate, enabling impunity for actors accused of grave human rights abuses.  It reinforces a climate where criticism of Israeli government policies is delegitimised while international legal processes seek accountability. 

Adding to these concerns is the troubling fact that both yourself and senior Israeli government ministers have publicly called for the resignation of the BBC’s Director-General.  While the Director General is accountable to the BBC Board and ultimately the public, such demands echoing a state currently under investigation for war crimes by the ICC raise profound questions. By aligning with a government facing international legal scrutiny, as Chief Rabbi you are crossing the line from independent communal leadership into becoming a proxy for a state seeking to silence critical voices.  This convergence of calls from religious and foreign political leaders undermines the editorial independence and impartiality of the BBC, one of the world’s most respected public broadcasters. For a national institution tasked with upholding democracy and free speech, this is a dangerous precedent: one that harms the broader principle of media independence and free speech.  

In summary, Chief Rabbi, equating Bob Vylan’s anti-military protest with antisemitism and calling for the BBC Director-General’s resignation alongside Israeli ministers is profoundly damaging. it: 

• Distorts antisemitism’s definition, weakening the fight against real anti-Jewish hatred.
• Silence necessary political criticism of a military force implicated in war crimes.
• Alienates progressive Jewish voices demanding accountability.
• Undermines your own authority and credibility as a leader.
• Threatens the independence and integrity of the BBC.
• Bolsters a foreign state’s attempts to suppress dissent and evade justice.

If you left your bubble once in a while you'd realise that on the whole, Britain doesn't hate Jews - mostly they are ambivalent to Judaism.  What they do have an issue with is the out of control pariah state that starves, kills, ethnically cleanses and steals land that you appear to slavishly support.

For the good of your congregation, democratic discourse, and human rights, it is essential that as a community leader, you clearly separate antisemitism from legitimate criticism of Israeli state actions and uphold media independence against inappropriate political interference. If, Chief Rabbi, you do not take immediate steps to clearly distinguish legitimate political criticism of Israeli state actions from antisemitism, you risk further damaging your own authority and the trust placed in you.  More importantly, you will be alligning yourself with complicity in enabling the suppression of free speech and accountability for a genocide. It is incumbent up you, given your prominent leadership role, to lead with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to truth.  Something, sadly, you do not appear to be doing.