Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the British Commonwealth, said the Jewish community felt “dismay” over comments made by Prime Minister David Cameron in which he described Gaza as a “prison camp”, the Telegraph newspaper reported today.
During a drasha at St John’s Wood synagogue last Shabbos, Sacks urged Cameron to show more “balance” when discussing the Middle East.
The rabbi’s spokeswoman said, “In a wide ranging sermon, the Chief Rabbi made a passing reference to the dismay many in the Jewish community and far beyond feel about the prime minister’s comments on Gaza.
“The Chief Rabbi emphasized the importance that previous prime ministers have always placed on displaying balance, even when being forthright.”
During an official visit to Turkey in July, Cameron called on Israel to allow the free flow of humanitarian goods and people in and out of Gaza. He also called the storming of a Gaza-bound flotilla in late May “completely unacceptable.”
“The situation in Gaza has to change. Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions,” said the British PM. “Gaza cannot and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp.”
{Ynet/Telegraph/Matzav.com Israel}
