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Britain's chief rabbi has declared that countless individuals within Jewish circles and outside it are asking why protests including those opposing the ban against Palestine Action are authorized to continue.

Chief Rabbi Sir Mirvis commented: “Certain ones contain overt anti-Jewish sentiment, explicit endorsement for Hamas. Not every participant, yet we see a great deal of these actions, which proves obviously risky to countless across the nation.”

Speaking before coming to Manchester on Friday to support those mourning the deaths of two men during a terror incident near a synagogue, he highlighted an immediate necessity for national soul-searching.”

The incident took place in the wake of what he described as an “unrelenting wave of hostility targeting Jewish people” on UK streets, universities, social media and in various segments of news outlets, the chief rabbi told a national radio broadcast.

Pointing out the chant “spread the intifada worldwide” – considered by many as an incitement for violent acts targeting Jewish individuals – he said the UK had seen “in tragic detail” this past Thursday what those words meant.

Returning to his characterization as broadcast in public spaces and in digital forums, he commented: “Much of this content is extremely hostile and additionally, when we see the unjustified demonisation toward Israel that contributes directly into anti-Jewish feelings across the climate of Britain which then encourages extremism. Our government needs to be mindful of this.”

In response to queries regarding demonstrations staged by pro-Palestinian groups calling for a cessation to hostilities in Gaza and rallies calling for the removal of restrictions on the prohibited organization Palestine Action, he responded that “a large part” of these actions were harmful to countless across the UK.

“Since the 7th of October last year we have seen countless citizens who have asked why these demonstrations are authorized to take place across our cities.”

“You cannot separate the rhetoric across the nation, the actions of participants like this and what ultimately follow … These factors are directly linked and so we appeal to leaders yet again to assert authority regarding these rallies as they are risky.”

Religious figures also hold a distinct responsibility to fulfill, Sir Ephraim Mirvis added, saying: “We must speak about controlling our words, the opinions we voice, the way we communicate such opinions and additionally a spiritual figure ought to foster coexistence and calm across public spaces and within households.”

His statements came as the head from Israel, Isaac Herzog, declared that the day represented a “horrific day” for Jews across the UK, the wider UK, and Jewish populations worldwide.

“It’s a stark warning of what we’ve been alerting for a long while, that this heatwave of anti-Jewish sentiment and anti-Jewish feelings worldwide ultimately results in bloodshed,” he told LBC radio.

Within the group calling for more official steps regarding anti-Jewish hatred was former executive Danny Cohen, the former controller of BBC 1, who commented to a radio program we need a “national inquiry on antisemitism established straightaway” because “a problem has gone seriously flawed in our society, and it requires immediate attention.”