Britain was once a world leader in antisemitism, but is now a “beacon of tolerance” where Jews should feel at home despite rising anti-Jewish sentiment, the former chief rabbi, Lord Sacks, has said. The Times revealed last week that thousands of British Jews have applied for passports abroad, partly to retain EU citizenship after Brexit, but also because of fears over a rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK. Lord Sacks said that Jews should still feel safe in Britain, as it is now one of the most tolerant countries in the world, but this was not always the case. Jewish people have been persecuted in and driven out of several countries, including Germany under the Nazis, and Spain and Portugal in the 1490s.

Source: The Times November 24, 2018 00:00 UTC