Zahavasdad, you are indeed so right, we are envious of your comfortable approach in the US to religious tolerance.
There were no anti-Jewish riots in the UK when our great previous Chief Rabbi Jackobovitz did not attend a royal wedding. There would be no anti-Jewish riots now, instead there is a mood in Europe and Britain in particular which is not comfortable or truly safe for us. Charles and Diana married in 1981, today in 2011 the mood in the UK is very different. I teach in a London university, sometimes the things I hear are truly shocking. Ordinary people just want to get on with their lives, but at times especially on subjects such as Israel or Jewish education and the opening of new schools public sentiment is far from friendly. Chief Rabbi Sacks unfailingly presents a positive image of Judaism to the public, broadcasting on the radio with gracious dignity. The debate of whether or not he should attend a royal wedding were obviously carefully considered by him, and he responded with all the wisdom of the Chief Rabbi’s office behind him in the affirmative, if you were in the same boat and chose not to go, fine. Since when do we agree on everything?