Like many British nationals currently stranded in Israel, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has spent recent nights moving between his bed and the safe room, sheltering from repeated missile attacks launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Speaking via video link from the family home where he is staying in Herzylia, the Chief Rabbi said the first salvo from Iran arrived on Friday night when many were offline for Shabbat.
"It was exceptionally difficult because one doesn't have access to news – we didn't really know what had happened,” he said.
At 8.32pm on Saturday, observant Jews in Israel went online and saw the damage inflicted over the previous 25 hours.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis has visited Israel multiple times since October 7 and has spent time in shelters, but, he said, the ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran felt completely different.
“We have had quite a lot of experiences in shelters, but nothing quite like the present time in terms of the scale of it all, the damage, the direct threat to the lives of citizens at the amount of time spent in shelters, and it's not easy.”
He had been scheduled to deliver a keynote speech in Munich this week at the Conference of European Rabbis. Instead – his travel plans suspended with the closure of Israeli airspace – the Chief Rabbi’s calendar of events in Europe has been replaced with hurried Zoom arrangements from Israel.
Despite the circumstances, he say’s he’s not afraid: “I feel more safe in Israel than anywhere else in the world.”
And the experience has offered a deepened understanding of what it means to be an Israeli during wartime. “It’s not easy, one can empathise fully with Israelis for whom this is a way of life.”
“We are the targets, you and I, and the people around us, we are the targets,” he said.
“And what have we done wrong in order to be on the receiving end of this? It's the fact that we're Jews, and we happen to be in our homeland at this time. This is an evil attempt to wipe out innocent women, men and children.”
Describing his experience in the shelter, he said: “Different people have different reactions. There are families with different ages – everyone is going through it differently.
“Faith is an enormous blessing, especially faith in Israel, to which we have such a strong connection, and which is the home of Jewish religion historically and practically.
“And therefore, one has a natural connection to what is happening, and that belief is in the reason why we are here. Because it's not just a geopolitical reality of people being in a country of birth or a country for which they have nationality. This is the essence of who we are and what we are about, as a people.”
He suggested this is why everyone he – and I – have spoken to since the start of the strikes has supported Israel’s military objective of neutralising the Iranian nuclear threat. “Right across the board, from the far right to the far left, and everybody in between, they recognise the danger and how important it is to guarantee that Iran should not have nuclear warheads which will directly threaten the existence of the Jewish people in this country."
He was critical of attempts to draw moral equivalence between Israeli and Iranian actions.
“It is intolerable when people make a comparison between what Iran is doing and what Israel's doing because Israel is being exceptionally careful to choose military targets – the people who are responsible for planning our deaths – and various other legitimate targets.
“The difference between the two is so stark.”
The Chief Rabbi said it was important to recognise the wider context of the conflict, including the Iranian regime’s use of its proxies to target the Jewish State over the last 20 months.
“Israel has been at war with Iran since October 7 2023,” he said. “When an enemy such as Iran speaks about obliterating Israel… you have to take them seriously.”
When I asked him about the criticism from some quarters in the UK suggesting Israel is acting as the aggressor, the Chief Rabbi responded: “Perhaps not everybody appreciates the reality of the threat. I’m generously approaching their reaction to this. I have found that there are many people in the UK who do support Israel in this.”
Regardless of public opinion, he said, Israel had a responsibility to act.
“Israel is determined to ensure that given this opportunity, she does what is necessary and I'm with her all the way.
“At the end of the day, this is something Israel has to do. She has to do it for Israel's sake, for the sake of all Jews around the world, for the sake of our Western civilisation, whether the countries around the world appreciate that or not.
“If some people don't recognise it, that shouldn't stop Israel from doing what she must do, and it is terribly painful because we are a peace-loving people.
“We try to negotiate, we try to build bridges of understanding, of tolerance... and it's exceptionally sad when we have no alternative but to engage in such preemptive action.”
He reflected on the resilience of Israeli society, something he’s seen up close during these difficult days and nights.
“We have always prevailed. Israeli society is very, very strong. I'm privileged to see it and to feel it first-hand. I find that Israelis are an inspiration, for me and for everybody around the world. We will get through this and we will be stronger as a result.”
As we wrapped up, headlines suggested a fresh volley of missiles from Iran was headed towards the north. The attacks against Israel’s civilian population are relentless.
He said he will return to the UK when airspace reopens: “If the skies are cleared, that will be great news for Israel.”
Until then, he’s staying put like so many others, waiting, watching, and hoping.
