Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has paid tribute to the Jewish community at a special event held by the Board of Deputies, where he was honoured for his support to the Jewish community.
At the evening, attended by guests from the Jewish community at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Sunak spoke about the Jewish community's contribution to Britain's “proud multi-faith, multi-ethnic democracy”.
In a heartfelt address, Sunak expressed solidarity, reflecting on the shared experiences of facing prejudice. “I am so proud and honoured to stand with you tonight. I do know something of what is means to be different from others and even to experience hatred directed towards you and your community because of who you are,” he said.
Drawing parallels between his background and that of the British Jewry, the MP for Richmond and Northallerton added: “I know something of what it is to be part of a community which is proud of its heritage but proud of its Britishness too. I know what it is like to be a part of community that integrates with others from all backgrounds in society and makes such an extraordinary contribution to our proud multi-faith, multi-ethnic democracy.”
He completed his address by praising the positive impact made by the Jewish community. “Thanks for all that you do for your communities and your society, but , above all, thank you for everything you do for our country.”
Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg thanked Rishi Sunak’s work to protect the Jewish community following the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the antisemitism in the UK which followed. “We could not have wished for a more steadfast ally. The warmth, the friendship, the holding of our community at a time when we were really anxious, and the friendship you showed to the State of Israel was deeply appreciated by the community. You bolstered the community’s security to a level that had never been seen previously”.
As a gesture of appreciation, Rosenberg presented the former Prime Minister with a chanukiah.
Zaki Cooper and Daniel Lightman KC also addressed the event. They spoke about the Cricket and the Jewish Community exhibition at Lord’s, in which they had chosen to pay tribute to the Jewish contribution to the sport.
