To be angry there is so little response to anti semitism and the rise of extremism in Europe?

[VampireSquid]

A quick look at news sites shows an Athens holocaust memorial has been defaced, eight French synagogues attacked, shops have been burnt in a section of Paris with a large Jewish community, cars have been attacked. In Netherlands, there was an ISIS March, including chants of death to the Jews. In Germany, someone has been allegedly arrested for incitement, for yelling 'Heil Hitler'. A Dutch Jew had his house firebombed. In January, people were giving the Nazi salute en masse. A Belgian shop banned Jews from entering. French Jews are fleeing while they feel they still can. A Hungarian ambassador has publicly says Jews enslave mankind, and called them servants of Satan. Berlin has people chanting 'Jews, Jews, cowardly pigs!' and people have been heard, at pro Palestine demonstrations, chanting 'Jews to the gas chambers'.

How are people ignoring this?

[usualnamechanger]

I have a friend who is a 'closet jewish person' and I used to think she/he was paranoid. I'm afraid he/she was right.

[edamsavestheday]

hmm. Not convinced by those dramatic claims at the start of the article on antisemitism in London. They are not referenced nor backed up in any way.

I've no doubt antisemitism does exist but that article is exaggerating and scaremongering, at least about London.

[Glasshammer]

the Israelis are creating hatred in a minority of westerners. It's not right but I'm not surprised its happening.

[VampireSquid]

In Malmo, a rabbi has been attacked when leaving the synagogue. Also in Sweden, a politician has quit after 'Jewish pigs' slur.

[VampireSquid]

A Spanish writer has called (yes, again) for the expulsion of the country’s tiny Jewish community.

Renowned Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo declares, “I’d like to shoot those bastard Zionists.: A German teen firebombs a synagogue. French anti-Israel protestors attack synagogues full of worshippers. An Irish Sinn Fein city councilman urges the shelling of Israel.


That comes straight from NY Daily News.

[VampireSquid]

According to the Scotsman-

Jewish religious leaders have been asked to keep vigilant after a rabbi in Frankfurt received a telephoned death threat from man claiming to be a Palestinian. A police spokesman said: “He threatened to kill 30 Jews if his family in Gaza was harmed.”

A Jewish couple – the man identified by his yarmulke cap – was chased down a road in Berlin recently by a mob demonstrating against Israel.

At weekend demonstrations in Essen and Hanover, bottles and stones were hurled at pro-?Israeli marchers, and police spoke of “elevated levels of hatred” towards Jews that had not been seen in years.

[AmIIndecisive]

Seen some awful pics on Facebook today showing some anti semetic signs in Rotterdam - it's absolutely disgraceful and there is NEVER an excuse.

[TheTravellingLemon]

Yes, I meant the bit about people not really knowing about Judaism, but having some vague association with maybe Fagin or black hats or something. There's a lot of ignorance about. Also, non Jews living in places like Leeds, London or Manchester are shocked when they realise there are so few of us in the UK. A very intelligent, worldly friend of mine guessed at around 2 million. I am not surprised that she got it s wildly wrong. She's lived and worked in London her whole life and so knows lots of Jews and imagined there was roughly the same density of population everywhere.

[Springheeled]

ami I think we can all agree on that one! Some passages are hair raising

[AmIIndecisive]

Lemon, most scholars would agree that Dickens portrayal of Fagin was anti semetic.

[TheTravellingLemon]

I think a lot of it is ignorance. You have no idea how many times in my life I've been told 'but your not like a real Jew are you?' Well, yes I am exactly like a real Jew! There really are lots of people who have never met a Jew and do have this weird stereotype idea that might look a bit like Fagin. Although that in itself is not antisemitism, the ignorance leads to people thinking that we are very different from them. Hence the shock in finding out I am a practising Jew.

[AmIIndecisive]

Travelling Lemon - that's just awful, every time I read any incidences like that I feel totally horrified that there are people in this country who could think like that, and if I see anything on Facebook resembling bigotry, I defriend and block.

[VampireSquid]

Imo, that isn't both ways, they're exactly the same. How can people be so horrible?

[Springheeled]

Ah well, that also works both ways lemon as there are unspeakable islamophobic comments on many sites and Facebook groups also- a friend, who is Jewish, has had some unpleasant comments also after she showed her support for Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Sadly there are extremists, loons and trolls the world over on all sides and social media is a platform.

[TheTravellingLemon]

Social media is a wonderful and terrible thing I think.

[Mintyy]

Oh I see. Well, the bigots always love an excuse to ratchet up the hate speech.

[TheTravellingLemon]

I'm not an idiot! most of the time

[TheTravellingLemon]

Not my friends obviously! I follow a number of news outlets and that type of thing. They pop up in the comments all the time. I make an effort to not read, but sometimes I can't help myself. It's not pleasant.

[Springheeled]

Agreed, you need to change friends sharpish lemon, after reporting the posts. Who'd want friends like that?!

[Mintyy]

On your timeline? Who on earth are you friends with? Surely those are both reportable posts!

[VampireSquid]

TheTravelling

[TheTravellingLemon]

You should see my Facebook timeline! 'Come back from heaven Hitler and finish the job' and 'kill the pig faced Jews' are just two examples from the past few days.

[VampireSquid]

'Parts of central London have been plugged with pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel rallies since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Most have been almost entirely peaceful, through a disturbing trend seems to be in place. At one mass rally, a vile placard declared “Hitler you were right!” At another, protesters confronted a Jewish woman and shouted “Burn in hell.”

Here - in London.

[Springheeled]

Thank you vampire

[VampireSquid]

*fhe holocaust CARD