Board calls on world leaders to act over refugee crisis

“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)”

The Board of Deputies expresses its horror and pain at the death of Aylan Kurdi, the three year old Syrian Kurdish boy who drowned alongside his brother Galip and their mother, Rehan off the coast of Turkey. The family are from Kobani, which has been subjected to some of the fiercest fighting between ISIS and Kurdish groups. We hope that the shocking photo which has made its way around the world will spur world leaders into action.

Senior Vice President Richard Verber said: “As war rages with unthinkable barbarity in the Middle East, we must be diligent in avoiding using dehumanising language when discussing this issue, particularly given the history of Jews in the UK – most of whom are descended from refugees. We must act with compassion and care towards our fellow human beings.”