Speaking after the meeting, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said,
“This is another example of a real practical difficulty resulting from the Northern Ireland Protocol. The DUP will convey these difficulties to the Secretary of State, Brandon Lewis, and to Lord Frost.
“At the heart of all political agreements in Northern Ireland is the need to accommodate and protect all of our communities. We heard today that if this matter is not addressed it could threaten the very survival of the Belfast Jewish community, given that most of their Kosher meat comes from England. We are hearing that other faith communities are facing similar challenges to their supplies.
“This cannot be allowed to continue. We need to ensure our place within the UK single market first and foremost and we can then address arrangements for the trade of goods with the EU.”
William Humphrey MLA added,
“This was also an opportunity to update Sir Jeffrey on security needs of the Belfast Jewish community. There have been appalling incidents of graffiti, abuse and attacks on Jewish graves at the City Cemetery over the past year.
Civic society needs to show support for the Belfast Jewish community; there must be no place for anti-Semitism here. I look forward to accompanying Sir Jeffrey on a return visit to Belfast Synagogue on a future date.”