Chief Rabbi’s ongoing refusal to recognise genocide
JVL Introduction
We must, once again, note that the Chief Rabbi seems unable to acknowledge the full humanity of Palestinians and refuses to accept that there is a genocide. Furthermore, as this article makes clear, he does nothing that will prevent a genocide even opposing the UK government’s teeny reduction in licences to export arms to Israel. The article is specifically a response to Rabbi Mirvis’ article Genocide is humanity’s gravest crime. It should not be used as a political insult, written for the Sunday Telegraph and reproduced on his official website.
Predictably Mirvis blames the antisemitic attacks in Manchester and Sydney on the language used in criticising Israel, including the term “genocide”. This article outlines the evidence for genocide, focusing mostly on the question of intent, which Mirvis says is absent as evidenced by the fact that there are still Palestinians alive in Gaza! Astonisingly he concludes: “The suffering of innocent people demands empathy, accountability and a genuine commitment to preventing future conflict. But to level the charge of genocide against Israel is to commit a moral inversion whose casualties include not only Israelis and Palestinians, but the very idea of human rights itself.” [my emph LL]
While Mirvis slsightly acknowledges the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza he does see the reasons – other than Hamas. Like far too many so called leaders, he wants to lead us down a blind alley, towards the far right, towards inevitable war, towards might is right and justice second (if not fifth) to what he sees as “our” own community’s “needs” as perceived by the most reactionary, narrow minded among us rather than those who have learned the correct, universalist lessons from the centuries of oppression of the Jewish people.
LL
This article was originally published by Watford Indie on Sun 11 Jan 2026. Read the original here.
The Moral Inversion of the Chief Rabbi
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thank you so much. I am preparing a letter to the Telegraph, which I have subscribed to purely in order to respond to this appalling immorality. This will be invaluable
And, of course, if the disproof of claims of genocide is that some potential victims still live, then the Holocaust was also “not genocide”.
CAN a Chief Rabbi be made to resign (or be dismissed) if he repeatedly falls below the moral standards his faith demands of him?
Every faith (in its 21st century version at least!) rests on intense respect for humanity and human life, honest dealing and faithful stewardship. Faith leaders have a special responsibility to demonstrate such virtues in their daily lives and in the conduct of their jobs. Judaic texts say a lot about one’s ethical obligations to others. To my mind, Chief Rabbi Mirvis often fails to meet these. Why is he still in post?
We’ve seen what happens in the Anglican church when its head hasn’t met the especially high standards expected of someone in that role. Justin Welby resigned. His successor was only approved in the role after being exonerated of a potential moral lapse.
These weird intellectual disputes as to whether or no Israel is committing a genocide are just another example of discussing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Murder is murder, however else you choose to define it.
Of course there was intent to eradicate Palestinians. Is Chief Rabbis Mirvis so blinkered, and having pride in the “outstanding” IDF that carried out the Genocide in the name of Israel and Jews everywhere? Without food in their bellies no mother would be able to breast feed their baby, and not letting Baby formula into Gaza ensured there would be no further Palestinians getting in Israels way of extending their illegal settlements. Bombing refugee camps that Israel knew were full of Palestinians also proved intent. Did they think people could duck out of the way? By withholding food they knew they were starving them out (more intent) and did they only kill hungry children as they sought food by accidentally shooting them in the head or, in some cases, in boys genitals?
So-called Chief Rabbi, Mirvis, is a spiritual leader for a small bunch of insular thinking Jewish establishmentarians and limited perception Zionists, who is nearly as cruel and hypocritical as the murderous Ayatollas of Iran.
he maybe the chief Rabbi but a lot of jews dont agree with him.
Is this the same Rabbi Mirvis who, a few years ago, was reported to have taken part in a far right march in Jerusalem, at which ‘kill the Arabs’ banners and slogans were displayed and chanted?
Yes, what more can I say?