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Original poster

To be concerned about the rise of antisemitism in the UK?

285 replies

hibbledibble · 27/01/2022 16:17

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10447069/Terrifying-moment-Jewish-shop-owners-suffer-random-anti-Semitic-attack-London-street.html

Sorry that this is a daily mail article, but such events are common, but rarely reported on.

Antisemitism has increased at a worrying rate recently, and there seems to be little concern about this.

An example of antisemitism being tolerated, is that when footage of the above crime was posted to a local group on social media, some were saying that these men may have deserved the assault, and unpleasant comments made about Jews.

OP posts:
Croissantly · 27/01/2022 17:37

I'll be honest I know it's happening and on the rise but ignorant as to why. Not that there's any acceptable reason, but what! I'm going to look into it and better inform myself, but I agree it's sickening.

Twentypast · 27/01/2022 17:36

@EdithStourton

I'm not Jewish, but it was deeply unsettling to attend the bar mitzvah of a friend's son a few years ago and find that the synagogue had big burly security guards at the door. How is it so unremarked that this is necessary? Many people in that congregation came from families that fled anti-semitism in Arab countries, only to find it here. My friend's family came from a country that once had a thriving Jewish community. There are just a tiny handful left.

The whole Corbyn episode disgusted me. When the Labour candidate came knocking at the last election I quizzed him about this. He said he was getting many such questions.

When we got married the synagogue asked if we wanted to use their security or if we'd hire our own. I didn't think twice about this - I'm used to walking past security to get into the synagogue but my non Jewish friends were horrified it was even a conversation.
Unsuremover · 27/01/2022 17:35

Really interesting that when discussing this with my very lefty family there was a lot of minimising. I said that I will not let a man tell me what is and is not sexism so I will defer to Jewish people on antisemitism. That seemed to move the discussion along.

LethargicActress · 27/01/2022 17:35

[quote Sashimimimi]People, especially in the Labour part and on the “left”, are in denial that it’s on the rise.

The guardian chose to All Lives Matter the holocaust today 🙄

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/27/black-people-were-hitlers-victims-too-that-must-not-be-forgotten[/quote]
What’s wrong with this? Genuinely, I don’t know, so I’m asking and I apologise if that offends anyone. Why shouldn’t all the victims of the Holocaust be acknowledged on Holocaust Memorial Day? I’d have thought that was a good thing.

Onionpatch · 27/01/2022 17:35

Its frightening. I dont understand why its rising and i dont understand why its accepted.

emuloc · 27/01/2022 17:34

@Twentypast

I'm concerned. I'm Jewish and I've experienced antisemitic abuse. It's definitely getting worse It's the last acceptable form of racism.

Even things like the photo of Marcus Rushford proudly posing with his arm round Wiley last week. The same Wiley who has been banned from multiple social media sites for his antisemitic rants. If this had been someone who had been banned for any other form of racism or bigotry there would have been an outcry.

There was an outcry, that is why Wiley was banned. So not sure what your point is.
dorkfink · 27/01/2022 17:34

It doesn't make it right, that was my point. I think that's what other people think though.

No I wasn't saying you were excusing it I'm just confused that it's acceptable to think like that when racism towards others is not tolerated.

onlychildhamster · 27/01/2022 17:32

@EdithStourton if you were invited to my wedding at the synagogue, you would have been asked to bring your passport! my synagogue takes security very seriously! Part of my wedding budget consisted of paying for security guards. The security is quite expensive too though there are volunteers; when corbyn was running for PM, there were rumours that he may have cut back on the security budget which would have made synagogue a lot more cash strapped and unsafe. I support having security guards; there are lots of crazies out there!

I try to visit synagogues when I go on holiday, I have never done a walk in. In fact when I wanted to worship with a reform congregation in singapore, i had to send them scans of my passport prior to attending.

knitnerd90 · 27/01/2022 17:32

We're always worrying a bit too much, eh? Shame about those people who were taken hostage in Texas by a British man.

I do feel that it's not a left or right specific problem, though. As you get to the extremes at either end it all starts sounding remarkably the same.

Twentypast · 27/01/2022 17:31

There's only around 300k Jews in the UK. A tiny proportion of the population. I

met someone on a Job Centre course (after I was made redundant in 2008) who blamed his being out of work on Jews. When I questioned him, it turned out he'd never worked (through choice but now his benefits were being cut). I asked him how many Jews he'd met and he couldn't say he'd met any. But Jews run the country so it was definitely their fault.

LondonWolf · 27/01/2022 17:29

@EdithStourton

I'm also wondering who voting YABU.
Same. Disgusting and worrying in equal measures.
CaptainMarvelDanvers · 27/01/2022 17:29

@PonyPatter44

Its perfectly possible to be critical of some of the actions of the State of Israel, which is a legitimate sovereign state and isnt going anywhere, without descending into antisemitism. ALL racism and hate speech needs to be challenged robustly.

There is a candle in my window tonight.

But there are people who think Israel shouldn’t exist, and they don’t think that belief is anti-Semitic. They also don’t know the difference between Zionism and Ultra Zionism.

The reason I left the Labour Party (I was close to leaving because of their stance on women’s issues.) was I saw the video where Corbyn was using the word Zionist over and over again. Just replace the word with Jew.. And I do think Corbyn is educated enough to know the nuances of Zionism.

I’m not Jewish.

EdithStourton · 27/01/2022 17:29

*who is voting...

onlychildhamster · 27/01/2022 17:28

I do think there's a popular perception that Jews are all rich white people and so it doesn't really matter.

There are plenty of Mizrahi and Sephardi Jewish people in the UK. They originate from Iran and Iraq, also Egypt, Morocco, Algeria (of course this is often many many years ago) so by definition they are brown. the Jewish population is extremely multi-cultural and multi-racial; thats before you even talk about the converts!

EdithStourton · 27/01/2022 17:28

I'm also wondering who voting YABU.

Maireas · 27/01/2022 17:27

[quote Sashimimimi]People, especially in the Labour part and on the “left”, are in denial that it’s on the rise.

The guardian chose to All Lives Matter the holocaust today 🙄

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/27/black-people-were-hitlers-victims-too-that-must-not-be-forgotten[/quote]
Sadly predictable from the Guardian.
Disappointing, nonetheless.

Thoosa · 27/01/2022 17:27

Appalling and I agree it’s on the rise.

I do blame the recent Labour Party leadership for normalising it. Disgraceful.

Then they wonder why all their natural supply are being alienated.

myblackbirdsbeadyeye · 27/01/2022 17:27

Candle lit in my window this evening.

Disgusted with The Guardian.

EdithStourton · 27/01/2022 17:25

I'm not Jewish, but it was deeply unsettling to attend the bar mitzvah of a friend's son a few years ago and find that the synagogue had big burly security guards at the door. How is it so unremarked that this is necessary? Many people in that congregation came from families that fled anti-semitism in Arab countries, only to find it here. My friend's family came from a country that once had a thriving Jewish community. There are just a tiny handful left.

The whole Corbyn episode disgusted me. When the Labour candidate came knocking at the last election I quizzed him about this. He said he was getting many such questions.

knitnerd90 · 27/01/2022 17:24

@dorkfink

I do think there's a popular perception that Jews are all rich white people and so it doesn't really matter.

I still don't understand why this perception would make it ok though? Racism is (rightly) considered awful & people lose jobs & opportunities based on old tweets but apparently if the victim is Jewish it's not racist. I don't understand.

It doesn't make it right, that was my point. I think that's what other people think though. That it's not real discrimination. Plus "it's about Israel" and well it's not neo-Nazis.

People like to point fingers. It's always someone else's problem. Not theirs.

AffIt · 27/01/2022 17:24

[quote Sashimimimi]People, especially in the Labour part and on the “left”, are in denial that it’s on the rise.

The guardian chose to All Lives Matter the holocaust today 🙄

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/27/black-people-were-hitlers-victims-too-that-must-not-be-forgotten[/quote]
Holy shit. That is spectacularly tone-deaf.

LondonWolf · 27/01/2022 17:23

apparently if the victim is Jewish it's not racist. I don't understand.

Because they're "white"...

Maireas · 27/01/2022 17:22

@dorkfink

I do think there's a popular perception that Jews are all rich white people and so it doesn't really matter.

I still don't understand why this perception would make it ok though? Racism is (rightly) considered awful & people lose jobs & opportunities based on old tweets but apparently if the victim is Jewish it's not racist. I don't understand.

I think some people think it's "punching up" rather than "punching down" iyswim
PerkingFaintly · 27/01/2022 17:22

Yes, I've been worried about this for some time.

There are lots of different ways in which it's rising.

Frighteningly, some of it seems almost completely brainless and incidental – and not the less harmful for that. It seems to come as part of a package in some online communities which value being a "bad boy" and "breaching norms".

So for example, the men expelled from Warwick University in 2019 for rape "jokes" had also been posting antisemitic and racist content.

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/warwick-university-students-suspended-rape-jokes-racism-antisemitism-facebook-group-a8342721.html

They may well not have been coming from any idealogical standpoint initially, but have been attracted to groups where one sort of rule-breaking was happening (sexual), and then been introduced to other ways to play at "being naughty". I could be wrong, but I strongly get the impression that for some people, antisemitism is a meaningless, casual game.

It's absolutely terrifying.

dorkfink · 27/01/2022 17:20

I do think there's a popular perception that Jews are all rich white people and so it doesn't really matter.

I still don't understand why this perception would make it ok though? Racism is (rightly) considered awful & people lose jobs & opportunities based on old tweets but apparently if the victim is Jewish it's not racist. I don't understand.