The Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford used a meeting with rabbis in east London as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.
In a joint statement with seven local Jewish leaders the Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani said she was “deeply troubled” by a rise in antisemitic incidents.
In April two Orthodox Jewish men were stabbed. Both men survived and the suspect, Essa Suleiman, is due to stand trial next year.
A number of arson and attempted arson attacks on Jewish property have also been reported this year, the most notable being the destruction of two Jewish ambulances in March.
It is believed that the increase in such anti-Jewish attacks is related to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East involving Israel, initially the campaign in Gaza and more recently the ongoing hostilities with Iran.
Francis-Dehqani, whose family fled Iran when she was 14, has described the war on Iran as “unjust and illegal”, however she has also made clear that the war is no excuse for attacks on regular Jews going about their business.
Her meeting with local rabbis was aimed at building relationships between the Christian and Jewish communities.
The joint statement said, “We are deeply troubled by the growing number of antisemitic incidents – including occasions where bystanders have not come to the aid of Jewish people under attack.
“We stand together in our shared commitment to raise awareness and tackle antisemitism in all its forms.”
The statement added that the basis for better Christian-Jewish relations stood on “our shared conviction that every person is made in the image of God and deserves dignity and respect”.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a Jewish organisation, said in its report for 2025 that there were 3,700 antisemitic incidents that year, the second highest it had ever recorded.
Antisemitic incidents effectively doubled after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, the CST said.
