The Palestinian presidency welcomed the UK’s decision, saying it was “an important step towards confronting Israel’s colonial system and its violations against the Palestinian people”.
There has been mixed reaction within the UK Jewish community on the sanctions and possible implications for security.
The chief rabbi called the government’s announcement “little more than political flag bearing for mendacious anti-Israel rhetoric”.
Sir Ephraim said: “Gesture politics of this kind feeds into an increasingly hostile discourse about Israel, and the cumulative effect of such punitive policies is to further embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews.”
Asked about Mirvis’s comments, Miliband said: “I don’t agree with the chief rabbi, somebody… of whom I have great respect.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “anyone who holds British Jews – or indeed Jews around the world – responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, is engaging in antisemitism, pure and simple”.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) warned the government’s decision “risks becoming a de facto boycott of Israel” and accused Miliband of “yielding to pressure from the most extreme elements of British society”.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the decision to make the announcement before Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year festival which begins on Friday – brings “concerns for communal security at their highest levels… felt particularly acutely by British Jews”.
It added that the deteriorating relationship between the UK and Israel has the potential to “further inflame community tensions here too”, while also noting it had warned the Israeli government over the “intolerable settler violence” that harms Israel’s reputation.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced on Wednesday that extra resources would be allocated during the Jewish High Holy Days to provide “extra visibility and security” and “ensure everyone can celebrate this time safely”.
Ch Supt Dave Meeney said: “Our officers will continue working with Jewish communities as we head into this important period for their faith, which we understand is a time which may bring heightened concern for the community.”
As reaction to the sanctions continued on Wednesday, Na’amod – which describes itself as a movement of UK Jews seeking to end Israel’s occupation and to support the equality of Palestinians and Israelis – welcomed the decision, saying it had waited years for the British government to take action.
“There is no singular Jewish approach to Israel. We reject the contention that [Tuesday’s] UK government measures will contribute to antisemitism.”
The Movement for Progressive Judaism said “while the vulnerability of British Jews must not be ignored”, measures directed at Israeli settlements “are not the same as an attack on Jews”.
“We should take care not to collapse the distinction between them,” it said in a statement.
