Brian May Angers The Jewish Community

Queen guitarist Brian May has been criticised by Jewish leaders after describing the cull of around 5,000 badgers in south west England as ‘genocide in the countryside’.

Mr May made the comments during a visit to Gloucestershire to show his opposition to the cull in the county and Somerset to protect cattle from bovine TB.

He likened the measure to genocide – a word usually used to describe the mass murder of people.

But he faced an immediate backlash after his comments were reported online, with local Jews describing his comparison as ‘dreadful’ and ‘inflammatory’.

Rabbi Anna Gerrard of the Gloucestershire Liberal Jewish Community said apart from being potentially offensive using the term was incorrect.

She said: ‘The use of the word ‘genocide’ in this context is simply wrong.

‘From an etymological point of view genocide means “killing of people”.

‘In particular I think high profile people need to be careful when they take a word like that out of context, especially when using it to emote others.

‘From a Jewish perspective obviously it makes people think of the Holocaust, in which not only were many people killed but they were dehumanised to make that killing seem acceptable.

‘It has the potential to cause offence but I think that most people would just see it as a ridiculous thing to say.’

Jenny Silverstone, chairwoman of the Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation, said that Mr May’s choice of words was ill-advised.

‘Brian May obviously feels very passionately about the badger cull and we must not fault that,’ she said.

‘But the Holocaust was a terrible thing. I can understand if some of our members are upset by his ill-advised use of the term genocide.

‘Let’s put it into perspective though. He misused a word – I’m sure he didn’t mean to say something atrocious.’

The badger cull is an attempt to tackle bovine tuberculosis, which is transmitted by badgers and has led to the death of more than 305,000 cattle in the UK over the past decade.

The past 15 years has seen a boom in the disease, which is transmitted by badgers urinating on grass which is then eaten by cows.

Farmers say a cull is the only way to protect their livestock, and the Government has approved a trial in west Somerset and west Gloucestershire that could see as many as 5,000 badgers killed.

The current scheme, which will last for six weeks, is due to be repeated every year for the next four years, and is predicted to cut bovine TB by some 16 per cent.

Two companies have been given the licence to carry out the culling. Defra and Natural England have kept their identities confidential, in case activists target them directly.

Animal rights groups, which have received support from Mr May and Dame Judi Dench, say the authorities should vaccinate badgers instead.