Support and solidarity after antisemitic stabbings in North London

[xabimunich3]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I couldn't see one.
Two Jewish men have been stabbed in North London, one outside some shops and another outside a synagogue. According to Sky News the suspect has been tasered and arrested after trying to also attack police officers.
Once again, we have another attack on Jewish people trying to go about their lives. I'm not Jewish but send my support and solidarity to all Jewish people who must feel very scared and vulnerable at the moment. I've already donated to the Campaign Against Antisemitism but I'd love to hear any ideas about how to do more, I just feel so disgusted and outraged that this is happening.

Thank you @keeptalkinghappytalk for putting it so well, I agree with everything you said here. These are some actions the government could and should be taking, but aren't: it's cowardly and despicable.

Clearly there's a bias, and it isn't towards Jewish people

It's part of the tragedy of being human and is something that was well illustrated in the Greek tragedies such as Oedipus. We are responsible for everything we do even when we don't know that we are doing. It is us who are doing it so of course we are responsible - no one else did it. Yes there is in law a defence of insanity but that doesn't mean a person walks free, they would be held in a secure psychiatric unit. The reason they are not let out is that they are a danger to the public. Not everyone who is psychotic kills someone - why is that so you think if not to do with that particular person. Psychosis is not a thing outside of the person who experiences it. Responsibility isn't about what we intended to do or what we planned to do or what we were aware of doing it is what we actually do. That is the tragedy of life and facing up to that allows growth and development into maturity. Evading responsibility keeps us in an immature victim position.

It’s naive to think that the increasing anti-Semitic behaviour is specifically about Israel. This has been going on for 2000 years. Jews have always been targeted purely for being Jews. It has always been there, bubbling away, suppressed only by our laws and ‘British Values’. Why do you think my siblings and I had stones thrown at us in 1970s London? I’ll tell you: because we were wearing the uniform of our Jewish school.

Now that there is anger about what the government of another country thousands of miles away is doing, our own government’s apathetic lack of integrity towards its citizens is legitimising this behaviour once again.

Yes. British citizens should be able to celebrate their religion, culture and heritage in peace. I can just walk into my church, but our local Synagogue looks like a prison. It's alarming what's happened in the last few years, when the lid got lifted off antisemitism, and bigots got enabled.

Lord Wilson is good on this rn Times Radio

I still can’t believe I had to get Police Scotland involved with my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. Almost cried during the meeting.

My cousin had to hire armed security for her kids’ B’nei Mitzvah parties in the states. My brother teaches at a Jewish school and they have visible armed security as well as undercover ones - the teachers aren’t even allowed to know everyone who is on site as they’ve had so many threats. Against children. Boggles the mind.

@PurpleThistle7 that's shocking. I hope things can turn around now. ♥️

@PurpleThistle7I nearly cried listening to Lord Wilson, he spoke beautifully but as he said extra security and police presence is necessary but not sufficient.

He talked about going to a kosher restaurant and just seeing police.

I have nothing helpful to offer, but send love to the Jewish MNers and their wider community. 🕯️.

This mental health excuse that is used so very often now should not hinder him from being prosecuted and jailed.

It appears that the Iranian campaign behind the attacks on British Jews manages to find disaffected, 'mentally ill' people to carry out these malign and terrifying attacks on innocent Jewish people.

I have just read the full thread and as an elderly Jewish woman whose grandmother was killed in a concentration camp would like to thank @xabimunich3 for this thread and the many posters who are rightly appalled at what British Jews face in 21st century Britain. Your support is very much appreciated.
What is notable to me (who posts on the CITME board occasionally when I can bear to) is the complete lack of responses on this particular thread by non Jewish posters who comment frequently on CITME.
Anti semitism remains alive and well on Mumsnet, although one hopes it is the minority who continue with their irrational hatred behind 'Israel' 'Gaza' 'genocide' 'baby killers' 'Zios' etc.British Jews are not responsible for the Israeli Government's decisions or actions.
Having to live within a community where our synagogues, schools, community centres and places of business have to be guarded like prisons, is absolutely no way to expect Jews to live.
If non Jews wish to help us the best way is to teach your children that British Jews are not evil and their history is part of British history too.

I’m not Jewish and find that board too much. Ik I mentioned him below but Lord Wilson really expressed well how he was feeling. It’s not right that British Jews should just suffer the attacks plus a highly policed environment as if that’s ok, even though it is necessary.

As he says get to the cause not just treat the symptoms. I’m often struck by the eloquence and intelligence of people speaking as he did.

As an aside, the advice from my central HR team to my report of feeling harassed and unsafe on campus was that I should have a flexible working arrangement and work from
home more often. So the best advice these professionals can come up with is I should put my job at risk and just avoid being at work. Useless.

This WAS an anti semitic terror attack. It’s been confirmed as much. NO mental health condition justifies it. Personally I think it’s nonsense not to mention grossly insensitive of you to try and preach to people, especially when there are a lot of Jewish mumsnetters here. I, too, stand in solidarity with the Jewish community and am so sorry for what is going on in this country at the moment and around the world.

I'm Jewish and have to hide it. I can't wear my star of David. Shame.

Hear hear.

One of my frends is Jewish. I always send her a message when these things happen and she says I'm the only one who does. She hasn't worn her Star of David necklace since October 7. Remember- people were celebrating in the streets of London before Israel even retaliated - so 'but gaza' was only ever excuse for disgusting racists to come crawling out from under their rocks.

People saying 'Oh, MH issues- not anti semtisim' is gaslighting at best. It's racism. Its murderous inent towards innocent people. You see it everywhere on MN and MNHQ lets it stand.

I wear mine every day although I don't live in a predominantly Jewish community.

That's nice and you should be able to :)

I remember. Before Israel had even launched an attack, and when they had been subjected to the worst atrocity the nation has ever seen. When the elderly and babies were among taken hostage, and women subjected to sexual violence.
Cause for jubilation for some people. Peaceful marches? Not remotely peace oriented.

Yeah, how long do you think he'd last in Palestine? About 10 minutes and it would be ugly.

How do you know that you wouldn’t have behaved in the same way as this attacker if you thought (for example) that someone was the devil and it was your duty to save humanity from that person by killing them?

It is possible to recognise it as an horrific event and stand with the Jewish people but at the same time to have empathy for the mentally ill perpetrator.

No need for such foul and aggressive language. It’s you that is handwringing. I’ll leave you to it.