Jewish organizations have come together to denounce the recent far-right riots fueled by anti-Muslim and anti-migrant sentiments that have erupted across several UK cities over the past few days.
Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies, condemned the “lawlessness and thuggery” that followed the recent stabbings in Southport. Misinformation spread on social media falsely identified the suspected attacker as a Muslim, leading to violent protests in Southport and other cities.
Rioters chanted Islamophobic slogans outside mosques and vandalized a hotel housing asylum-seekers.
The Board of Deputies, which recently launched the Optimistic Alliance—a new interfaith initiative to foster Jewish-Muslim relations—issued a statement asserting: “Attacks on Muslims, black people, members of other minorities, and our dedicated police officers are utterly unacceptable. We stand in solidarity with everyone affected.”
The statement continued, “As a society, we must rise above this. It’s time for a national dialogue on how we foster respect for our country and each other, confront extremism, and build cohesion.”
* The Jewish Chronicle contributed to this article.