When a chief rabbi spoke out on Israel

The last time an Anglo-Jewish leader spoke out against Israel in the press, a wave of criticism followed.

In an interview featured on the front page of the Evening Standard in May 1991, former Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits described the plight of Palestinian refugees as a "stain on humanity".

Yitzhak Shamir was Prime Minister of Israel at the time and the article was headlined: "Chief Rabbi Shames Israel".

Immediately following the comments, two fundraising events were cancelled, a trustee of the Jakobovits Foundation resigned in protest, and Lord Jakobovits postponed a visit to Israel after threats by the extremist Kach Party to mount public protests.

Spearhearing the criticism was Cyril Stein, vice-president of the Joint Israel Appeal (JIA), who wrote to the Chief Rabbi: "The foolishness of your latest outburst is beyond comprehension. Your statements have been seized upon by Israel's enemies…You have invariably found yourself in the company of Arabists and antisemites. Your ignorance of the facts… is a disgrace to your office."

Lionel Kopelowitz, president of the Board of Deputies, said the comments were unhelpful at a time when there was a need for "total solidarity" with Israel. He said: "On these matters the Chief Rabbi speaks for himself, not as a representative of Anglo-Jewry. But inevitably, the world will regard his statement as authoritative and representative."

Former Israeli Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren said Lord Jakobovits had "negated himself to serve as a rabbi, by choosing to side with the PLO".

Lord Jakobovits said after the interview that it was a "complete falsification" of his views and that he was "angry and scandalised" by the story. "When I give an interview, I rely on the integrity and honesty of the press," he said. "In this case there was neither."