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

[hibbledibble]

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.

Yes & it's one thing I don't miss having left the UK (am Jewish) :( "But Israel" indeed. And they always find one or two Jews to agree with them unless they've gone completely Holocaust-denial-bonkers. So tired of all the times I was told antisemitism was all made up to undermine Corbyn...

I am not Jewish, but grew up in an area of Scotland that has always been home to a large Jewish population - I don't want to be that 'but some of my best friends are...' person, but elements of Jewish culture, such as lighting Shabbath candles in one of my 'auntie's' homes etc, have always been present in my life.

I'm also horsey, so have always had friends from and lots of interaction with the travelling community.

I'm sickened and sorry for people who have experienced discrimination of any kind - it is not acceptable.

I've had this discussion with many Jewish friends in particular, who often shrug their shoulders and say 'it's always been'.

Why, though? Why is is this kind of discrimination seen as acceptable?

I'll be honest, I have some problems with Zionism, but so do many of my Jewish friends, in the sense that 'it's not the concept, it's the execution'.

However, I do not for one moment believe that having a bit of an issue with a sociopolitical standpoint is any rationale or excuse for bigotry or racism.

Well this is what you get when you start pushing CRT and the idea that society is organised entirely by race and then push Jews firmly into the white/white adjacent category. Oh and when the only news anyone ever hears about them is the one sided reports on how Israel is behaving over Palestine.

YANB at all U.

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

I am Jewish and my SIL says that she feels that the rise in immigration to Israel is due to anti-semitism. Certainly i went to 2 flat viewings in my area and both were being sold by elderly ladies who have moved to Israel. 2 of my husband's sisters have also left. I know that French Jews definitely left because of antisemitism.

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.

Well it's up to us to report it, challenge it, make a stance. Particularly those of us who are non Jewish. I'm not black or gay, but would definitely do so over incidents of other forms of racism, and homophobia. Zero tolerance.
Same for antisemitism.

I don't think it's so simple as CRT really (but I am currently in the US and things are a bit different). I do think there's a popular perception that Jews are all rich white people and so it doesn't really matter.

I know that French Jews definitely left because of antisemitism

Yes that's definitely true

@RunningInTheWind

Stand by for the “I’m not anti Semitic- I just hate Israel” ad nauseum.

I’m Jewish too and agree, it’s the last form of acceptable racism. “Because Israel”.

Haha, it’s so see through too, though I think they have convinced themselves they’re not.

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.

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

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

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

Because they're "white"...

[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.

@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.

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.

Candle lit in my window this evening.

Disgusted with The Guardian.

[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.

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.

I'm also wondering who voting YABU.

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!

*who is voting...

@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

I'm also wondering who voting YABU.

Same. Disgusting and worrying in equal measures.