Horrified by the spread of anti-Semitism in the UK

[Nancydrawn]

I read the article today by Richard Zimler, where he says that two different UK cultural organizations turned him down for a talk because he was Jewish.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/29/ive-never-met-antisemitism-in-britain-until-now

Not because he said anything controversial, not because his politics place him at an extreme, not because he's a public supporter of anything, but merely because he's Jewish. As his publicist said, "[he] told me that the final conversations he had with the two event co-ordinators convinced him that they weren’t antisemitic themselves but they feared a backlash – protests by their members and others – if they extended an invitation to a Jewish writer."

Again, this has nothing to do with Israel. There's no political cover here. It's just because he's Jewish, and it's straight up racism, and it's fucking horrific.

I don't really have an AIBU other than to say: what the fuck?

I agree with him, but there is a problem with that article in him talking about the BDS movement supposedly being at fault whilst not mentioning wht those 2 'cultural organisations' are (im sure I can guess). The problem is yet again religious conservatism, right wing ideas, the oldest purveyor of anti semitism.

I sympathise with him massively and I agree we should 'not get sidetracked with references to Israel', but he does exactly that there.

His books look really interesting.

I assume the reference to Israel were meant to signify that he didn't have a strong public position on the matter, so BDS wasn't targeting him on that front. Or, in other words, that merely being Jewish made one a legitimate target of those who protest Israel.

But he could have made the point more clearly. He sounds shocked. I find the whole thing enormously sad (and more).

I remember people on MN saying how much they enjoyed his books, which is what brought it to the front of my mind.

It is awful. Some people are such cowards, and it makes me angry.

I don’t like how he is extrapolating from these two (admittedly dreadful) incidents to draw very wide conclusions about the UK as a whole though.

It's the conflation I can't stand (can't stand the most, anyway).

Whats being unsaid is that so many problems stem from people equating Judiasm with Israel and vice versa. It seems people have forgotten(or just dont know) about the massive history, 1000s of year of judaism in the east and south euro countries. It makes me so angry that these communities were forcibly vanished. Another sad legacy of the holocaust is that Jews in europe are seen even more as outsiders because they are now so rare to see. It needs to be dealt with through education.

Then theres the rise of the far right, but I dont knowhow to deal with that.

Basically, i thought the answer was to encourage jewish communities back into Europe, but I cant blame them for staying in Israel right now.

What are his best books by the way? and any recomendations for otther jewish literature?

I'd start with The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon. Though if you want something more contemporary, Warsaw Anagrams is supposed to be very good; I haven't read it, as I tend to avoid books written in the shadow of the Holocaust.

For an American perspective, American Pastoral by Roth is amazing. For a kid's book, I always liked All of a Kind Family.

Honestly, I am surprised that he is surprised.
What I was surprised at was in a recent thread about general knowledge, was a few MNers saying they had heard the term, but had no idea what the Holocaust was. You can't begin to understand the current situation in Europe of you don't know what the Holocaust was.

Do people really not know what the Holocaust is? Education around it now is massive as in a few years there will be no survivors left to tell of their horrific experiences.

I'm with you in the "What the fuck?"

Merely because he's Jewish? That's horrifying.

@JustDanceAddict Yes or they were lying. As they were strangers on the internet I have no idea which.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the spread of anti-Semitism in the UK."
I have obviously heard of anti-Semitism within the Labour party. I have never heard in general conversation with anybody any comments about Jewish people.

I have been party to conversations about Muslims/Islamists and Jehovah's witnesses, also to abuse within the Catholic church but never had any conversations about Jewish people.

I just don't get it.

It is really worrying. Many are no longer hiding their anti-Semitism and the Labour party are allowing openly anti-Semetic members to be representatives.

Ironically Labour voters would probably think of themselves as not the least bit racists but are very happy to ignore the embedded anti-Semitism when they vote.

I blame social justice warriors who thought no platforming those who they disagreed with was a valid tactic.

Now people cant be arsed with the hassle

So much for free speech

@Idontwanttotalk I have heard people talk about global conspiracies with the Rothschilds being name checked. People rarely say things like - I hate jewish people, just as they rarely say I hate black people. But I still hear plenty of racism expressed by people who would say they are not racist.

I'm not sure what you mean by "the spread of anti-Semitism in the UK."
I have obviously heard of anti-Semitism within the Labour party. I have never heard in general conversation with anybody any comments about Jewish people.

Replace the word Jewish with black or Muslim or Hindu etc and tell me if your comments are still acceptable. Just because you have never heard it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

Yad Vashem have a great online course, it’s free, for anyone who wants to understand more about antisemitism: www.yadvashem.org/education/online-courses/antisemitism.html

Indeed, jennymanara. There's a whole world of nasty out there.

This conviction was just last December:

National Action: The new parents and the neo-Nazi terror threat
www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-45919730

It had all the characteristics of post-war neo-Nazism - hatred of non-white and Jewish people, a worldview entirely based on racism, veneration of white "Aryans", and lionisation of the Nazi era and its worst war criminals.
[...]
The pair believed young people across the UK would eagerly embrace the group's toxic blend of Hitler worship, Holocaust denial, and malicious conspiracy theories.

In reality, it would never exceed 100 members and those it did attract were a disparate set of fanatics united by various deviancies and irrational hatreds.

I think anti Zionism is being confused with anti semitism a lot. And as a person of Jewish heritage (my maternal grandfather so I am not Jewish myself just of Jewish heritage, just in case people were wondering) I don’t necessarily agree with the nation state of Israel. (Displaced people displacing other people, for their holy land doesn’t seem to fall in line with mine, my families or my friends interpretations of the Torah or Old Testament bible?) that’s not in my opinion anti Semitic. I think it’s right we question the displacement of people in the Middle East, and people everywhere for that matter. I wish more people had questioned the displacement of Jews and use of my great uncle and people like for nazi experiments and extermination for goodness sake.
I do however think if that chap was turned away for just being Jewish that’s bloody appalling but not something I am familiar with. But I am not Jewish, so maybe it is more hidden in true Jewish circles?!

@PerkingFaintly that’s awful. The far right and neo nazism is a real worry. I have a lot of Asian friends who have been impacted but not familiar with any of my Jewish peers- it’s disgusting. Any kind of discrimination needs fucking sortig

@isbrexitoveryet I think a lot of defence of anti semitism says it is being confused with anti zionism. I don't think that is true except in a few tiny cases. But the anti zionist movement does publicly embrace anti semitists. There have been some speakers on public platforms that should never have been allowed near the movement.

What is a cultural organisation? I’ve never met an openly Jewish person who has never experienced genuine anti-semitism to be honest. It’s always been there.