Jewish university chaplain flees UK for Israel after 'hate campaign' and death threats
Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch and his wife Nava
JEWISH CHAPLAINCY
A Jewish university chaplain has fled the UK to Israel after being the subject of a “hate campaign” and receiving death threats.
Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch, who worked at Leeds University for three-years alongside his wife Nava, also condemned the Russell Group institution for allegedly not protecting him and his family.
The IDF reservist claims to have suffered a hate campaign after returning from Idrael following a three-month stint in the armed forces.
He was accused of “genocide” and received more than 300 threatening phone calls.
Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch and his wife NavaJEWISH CHAPLAINCYMailOnline revealed how a man screamed over the phone: “Tell that Jewish son of a b***h we are coming for him.
“We're coming to his house, we're going to kill him, and you as well, you f*****g racist bitch.”
Police advised the family of four to go into hiding.
The abuse was ramped up in February following a social media post by controversial Green Party councillor Mothin Ali.
Mothin Ali shouted 'Allahu Akbar' in celebration after being elected to Leeds city councilTwitterAli, 42, who yelled “Allahu Akbar” moments after being elected to Leeds City Council last month, called Rabbi Deutsch a “kind of animal”, a “creep” and a “low-life”.
He falsely accused him of deliberately trying to kill women and children.
Ali was a prominent YouTuber and TikTok influencer before being elected at a local level.
In a statement, the couple said: “The past few months since October last year have been exceptionally challenging at both a personal and communal level.
Students at an encampment on the grounds of the University of Leeds, protesting against the war in Gaza
PA
“There were many moments when we felt the university should have been much stronger in protecting our family, and the Jewish students, from those on campus who were attacking Israel and our right to be Jews.”
A Leeds University spokesman also said: “We totally condemn the antisemitic abuse directed towards the chaplain and his family – such attacks on any individual are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded reports of 4,103 anti-Jewish hate incidents in 2023, up from 1,662 in 2022.
The figure is almost double the previous record of 2,255 in 2021.