The chief rabbi in the United Kingdom Sir Ephraim Mirvis has said his family members “spent 15 terrifying minutes” hiding under a doughnut stand during the Bondi Beach attack.
Chief rabbi Mirvis said his cousin and his cousin’s wife were forced to take cover when a gunmen opened fire in Sydney in a terror attack at a Jewish even that left 15 people dead on Sunday.
“People to their right and left were being shot dead,” he told BBC , blaming “toxic antisemitism” for the attack.
“[People were] targeted for the simple act of gathering together, visibly and peacefully, as Jews,” chief rabbi Mirvis said, who will be travelling to Sydney in support of the local Jewish community.
“Jews have lived with security concerns for as long as I can remember, but the fact that today every public Jewish gathering must be weighed for risk is a sign of something deeply wrong.”
Chief rabbi Mirvis’s comments come after Sir Keir Starmer called for a police crackdown on antisemitic chanting at demonstrations, saying the government would not tolerate hatred.
A spokesperson for the prime minister noted the importance of free speech, but said the police will use their powers “more robustly” to tackle antisemitism. Sir Keir had also spoken to chief rabbi Mirvis in a telephone call since the attack took place.
At least 15 people died from the Bondi Beach shooting, including a 10-year-old girl, two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor.
Chief rabbi Mirvis said allowing people to chant phrases such as “globalise the intifada” incited hatred and inspired people to “engage in hate action”.
“Why is it still allowed? What is the meaning of globalise the intifada? I’ll tell you the meaning … it’s what happened on Bondi Beach yesterday.”
“We have to be far stricter with regard to what people are allowed to say and to do in a way that incites the hatred, which produces the violence that we have witnessed.”
Accounts of what “globalise the intifada” means vary. Britannica states the phrase originated from the 1987-93 and 2000-05 Palestinian uprisings in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The slogan has since been adopted by protesters calling for pressure on Israel to allow self-determination for the Palestinian people. However, other people associate it with targeting Israeli Jewish civilians through violence, encouraging antisemitic terrorism.
Speaking also to the Press Association, chief rabbi Mirvis stopped short of challenging whether Sir Keir’s government was doing enough to challenge antisemitism.
“The UK government is doing a lot, we appreciate what the UK government is doing. We appreciate what the police forces in this country are doing to protect Jewish people physically,” he said.
Sir Keir Starmer: Resident doctors strikes ‘irresponsible’
Starmer calls for police crackdown on pro-Palestine marches
Starmer hits out at ‘completely unacceptable’ leaks against ministers - latest
UK chief rabbi warns hate speech can lead to hate action in wake of Bondi attack
Everything we know about Bondi Beach shooting suspects Naveed and Sajid Akram
Australia has a reputation for strict gun laws. How did Bondi Beach shooting happen?
