UK’s chief rabbi: Our community is strong but attacks have to stop. #London #GoldersGreen #BBCNews
The UK's Chief Rabbi condemns a recent antisemitic attack in Golders Green, describing it as part of a sustained campaign to terrorize the Jewish community. He calls for the attacks to be stopped while affirming the Jewish community's resilience and strength in the face of ongoing threats.
Summary
In a brief statement to BBC News in Golders Green, London, the UK's Chief Rabbi responded to a recent antisemitic incident, expressing strong condemnation. He described the attack as 'absolutely appalling' and framed it as the latest in a series of escalating incidents that collectively amount to a sustained effort to intimidate and terrorize the Jewish community.
The Chief Rabbi noted that community members had already been living in a state of anxiety, with people openly questioning when and where the next attack would occur — a question that was tragically answered by the latest incident. Despite the climate of fear, he emphasized that the Jewish community remains strong, resilient, and is responding with fortitude. However, he made clear that resilience alone is not sufficient and issued a firm call for authorities and society at large to put an end to the ongoing attacks.
Key Insights
- The Chief Rabbi characterizes the attacks not as isolated incidents but as a 'sustained effort to terrorize the Jewish people,' implying an organized or systemic pattern of antisemitic violence.
- The Chief Rabbi notes that community members had been actively anticipating another attack, asking 'where is the next one going to be and when,' reflecting a widespread climate of fear within the Jewish community.
- The Chief Rabbi frames the latest attack as a confirmation of community fears, stating 'today we found out the answer,' suggesting the incident was seen as an inevitable escalation.
- The Chief Rabbi distinguishes between community strength and the need for external intervention, arguing that resilience and fortitude are not enough — the attacks themselves must be stopped by broader society or authorities.
- The Chief Rabbi describes the Jewish community as responding with 'fortitude,' presenting a narrative of strength rather than victimhood, while still demanding accountability and action.
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] It's absolutely appalling that yet another incident of this nature could happen. Further to a series of attacks, a sustained effort to terrorize the Jewish people, people have been asking, well, where is the next one going to be and when is it going to be? And today we found out the answer. We have to stop what is transpiring now. Our community is very strong. We're resilience. We're responding with fortitude. But these attacks have to be stopped.
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