Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for mass aliyah has been rebutted by Jewish leaders in the UK.

Board of Deputies president Vivian Wineman said: "We are very happy when Jews from any country settle in Israel. But they should not go out of fear. The threat of terror is ever present and has increased but we live in a fundamentally benign society with a government committed to protecting us. To leave would simply be to capitulate to our enemies."

Simon Johnson, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: "I concur with the views of the Chief Rabbi of Denmark. People should move to Israel out of belief in Zionism or a love of the country, not because of terror. European leaders must do their utmost to protect their Jewish communities, but it must be reiterated that Great Britain remains a great country in which to live as a Jew."

President of the Union of Jewish Students Ella Rose said: "Calls encouraging Jews to flee to Israel are not helpful and it was felt by some students to be a distasteful comment."

Members of the community expressed mixed feelings about Mr Netanyahu's statement.

Levy Liebling, who lives in Manchester, but is originally from the USA, said: "For him to tell all Europeans that we should be fearful - all that does is give the other side more power."

Aviva Ellis, 30, from London, said: "I guess he's got a valid point to a degree, there are a lot of attacks going on in Europe. I wouldn't say here is as dangerous as France, but I can understand why he would say it. I think it makes a lot of sense."