During the visit, the delegation had meetings with representatives of Jewish and Israeli communities in London and Brighton and joined discussions with Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, rabbis of various congregations, staff at JW3, Jewish Care, BNJC in Brighton and the Jewish Agency.
Delegate Yafit Haikin, said that she was "pained by the concerns of the Jewish community about rising antisemitism" but was impressed by the warm welcome and touched by the shared sense of destiny.
Alon Yaakov, from Ofakim, a community that lost dozens of its residents on October 7, spoke about the strong historical connection he felt during meetings with Jewish communities in England, emphasising that he sensed that "there was mutual sympathy and a collective urge to help and support one another".
Vadim Blumin, head of the Jewish Agency in the UK and Western Europe, said afterwards that the meeting had been “significant for both sides, raised big and significant questions and explored new opportunities and ideas for future collaborations”.
He added: “Along with the national disaster that befell Israel, there is tremendous importance to the shared fate and destiny between Israel and Jewish communities around the world.”
