Greater Manchester Jewish Council issue open letter to Andy Burnham after he calls for Israel-Gaza ceasefire

Leaders of the Jewish Representative Council in Greater Manchester and region have issued an open letter after the area's mayor, Andy Burnham, called for a ceasefire of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

A statement signed by the leaders of Greater Manchester's 10 local authorities, including the mayor and deputy mayor, Kate Green, was released on Friday, October 27. Collectively, they have joined the international calls for a ceasefire amid the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza.

The chair and chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council in Greater Manchester wrote an open letter in return, issued on Sunday, October 29. The authors said much of the mayor's statement 'resonated with the Jewish community', but shared that 'calling for a ceasefire shows a lack of understanding to the challenges currently being encountered by Israel'.

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The statement from Andy Burnham, Kate Green and the leaders of Greater Manchester's 10 boroughs said they are 'deeply concerned' about the situation in the Middle East - and the 'anguish being experienced' by people in the city region's Jewish and Muslim communities. It comes as a charity revealed the number of sickening anti-Semitic incidents reported in Greater Manchester since terror group Hamas first attacked Israel on October 7 has now sadly passed 100.

Interfaith leaders in Greater Manchester, meanwhile, have called for tolerance, respect and for people to keep talking to each other. Collectively, they have urged