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.

@HighlandPony

It’s not really widespread across the uk. In my 35 years I’ve come across racism, sexism, xenophobia and by far the most common occurrence as in several times a day every day - sectarianism. Never come across antisemitism in my life.

The Jewish community isn’t evenly spread across the UK. It’s focused around several cities. So it’s quite possible, if you aren’t Jewish, and don’t know any open anti-semites not to have experienced it first hand. That isn’t proof that it isn’t common and growing, though.

Why would anyone feel antagonism towards someone with a Jewish faith?

It isn't anything to do with faith. It's our ethnicity. We Jews are an ethnoreligious group, which means we are an ethnic group with a shared religious heritage, but not all Jews are religious. You can be Jewish and be an atheist. The Nazis certainly didn't care if a Jew was religious or not.

Being an irreligious/secular Jew, doesn't stop a Jew being on the end of antisemitism.

@HighlandPony

It’s not really widespread across the uk. In my 35 years I’ve come across racism, sexism, xenophobia and by far the most common occurrence as in several times a day every day - sectarianism. Never come across antisemitism in my life.

Not widespread? Jewish people don't even make up a full 0.5% of the population in the UK, yet in the 12 months leading up to March 2021, 22% of recorded hate crimes were targeted at Jews. I wouldn't even want to guess how many additional incidents go unrecorded.

Just because you haven't come across it, doesn't mean it isn't out there.

@TheGratefulBread

Why would anyone feel antagonism towards someone with a Jewish faith?

It isn't anything to do with faith. It's our ethnicity. We Jews are an ethnoreligious group, which means we are an ethnic group with a shared religious heritage, but not all Jews are religious. You can be Jewish and be an atheist. The Nazis certainly didn't care if a Jew was religious or not.

Being an irreligious/secular Jew, doesn't stop a Jew being on the end of antisemitism.

Sadly not. Close friends of mine are extreme left-wing Jews who are quite active in pro-Palestinian circles. It hasn't stopped them from being on the receiving end of antisemitism.

It's such a fucking ignorant (and that's the best interpretation) post, but it's a good demonstration of the problem here....

It’s not really widespread across the uk. In my 35 years I’ve come across racism, sexism, xenophobia and by far the most common occurrence as in several times a day every day - sectarianism. Never come across antisemitism in my life.
If your name is based on location, it exists up here. Heard plenty of theusual disgusting tropes about money etc passed off as a "joke"

Apologies, my post was in relation to HighlandPony's post!

@inheritancetrack I am a convert and I refrain from discussing my conversion with people I don't know well or even people at work. I have my husband's surname which is a Jewish surname but also very English. I think that people who are atheists or suspicious of religion would say something mean, people who are anti-Semitic would feel threatened because the hatred of Jewish people is like a PP linked to their ethnicity so the fact that anyone with the will and commitment to convert (higher than in other religions because Judaism isn't a proselytizing religion) can technically become Jewish. Its just easier to not say anything and as I am not orthodox, i really don't look Jewish. Even my MIL who is orthodox (and a convert) doesn't really look Jewish (to me) despite covering her hair and wearing long skirts. As there are plenty of middle aged women out there who wear long flowy skirts.

One of my late elderly relatives survived a Nazi concentration camp. She wasn't Jewish though, but classed as an 'undesirable' due to her nationality and religion. She suffered so much pain and upheaval in her life, it's unbearable to think about it.

Anti-semitism is most definitely on the rise and it's terrifying. Abhorrent that it is happening.

my DH was once kicked out of a Green Party meeting for being Jewish. He is completely irreligious.

@onlychildhamster

my DH was once kicked out of a Green Party meeting for being Jewish. He is completely irreligious.

What the actual fuck. When was this? What reason was given?

Nope. Nor am I black or Asian or Eastern European etc I am Catholic though. I also live in a small semi rural community in Scotland where sectarianism is the common problem. My point is it’s not “uk” wide. How much antisemitism do you think you will find in, for example, strath? Thurso? Fochabers? Yell? Unst? Barra? Hopeman? Burghead? Very little. But you do find folk moaning about the cleaner speaking polish or catholics having their own school or using outdated and derogatory terminology for people of colour. Most people in my area couldn’t tell you what ‘Jewish’ is or means. They will declare a hatred for catholics or Protestants though.

‘ It’s not really widespread across the uk. In my 35 years I’ve come across racism, sexism, xenophobia and by far the most common occurrence as in several times a day every day - sectarianism. Never come across antisemitism in my life.’

Here - have an eye roll
🙄
You’re like white people who say they don’t think there’s racism in the U.K. or straight people who don’t see homophobia…

@MissVictoriaPlum It was many years ago when my DH was a teen. They were talking about Palestine; and people were saying Israel shouldn't exist. My DH and another israeli guy disagreed.my DH is quite a big critic of the Israeli government, but saying a whole country shouldn't exist is quite a different thing!

‘ my DH was once kicked out of a Green Party meeting for being Jewish. He is completely irreligious.’

Where? When? Who by? We do have hate crime legislation for this kind of thing.

@MissVictoriaPlum but basically it was a situation where all the Jewish people in the room had to leave... and there weren't many of them!

@onlychildhamster

my DH was once kicked out of a Green Party meeting for being Jewish. He is completely irreligious.

What happened?

I care. 💕

@DrSbaitso I explained above. My DH still votes Green though (when he can) as he identifies with other parts of their manifesto.His mother was a Green even in her youth (she comes from Europe) and her commitment to the Green party predates her conversion to Judaism so i guess its wired in my DH's DNA to support the Greens. But of course when you hear people saying blatantly anti-Semitic things, you have to stand up even if its your party!

We do know several Jewish Green members and I have met (and liked) Sian Berry. We campaigned with them during the EU referendum but mainly because our main contact with politics is a Jewish green party activist. As we live in a Jewish area, our local Green Party is not anti-Semitic.

Blessings from SE13. Stay safe everyone x

@onlychildhamster I am sorry that happened to him.

My grandma is in her nineties and one of the last living Jews in the UK who arrived by kinder-transport. Her dad was gassed at Auschwitz and countless other relatives killed by the nazis who she never saw again.
She lives in a warden assisted flat where most of the other occupants are also Jewish. They have full time round the clock security guards because there have been anti Semitic threats towards the block of flats. It's disgusting. I am raging for her and her neighbours. Everything they've had to go through just for being Jewish and in their late life they are still under threat for nothing.
Be assured that Anti Semitism is active and rising, for anyone doubting it because they haven't seen it in their town.

@HighlandPony

Nope. Nor am I black or Asian or Eastern European etc I am Catholic though. I also live in a small semi rural community in Scotland where sectarianism is the common problem. My point is it’s not “uk” wide. How much antisemitism do you think you will find in, for example, strath? Thurso? Fochabers? Yell? Unst? Barra? Hopeman? Burghead? Very little. But you do find folk moaning about the cleaner speaking polish or catholics having their own school or using outdated and derogatory terminology for people of colour. Most people in my area couldn’t tell you what ‘Jewish’ is or means. They will declare a hatred for catholics or Protestants though.

Most of your post is irrelevant. Just because you haven't experienced or witnessed it does not mean it isn't happening and isn't a problem.

Without wanting to be inflammatory, but your attitude/stance is part of the problem. I make no apology for this.

How much antisemitism do you think you will find in, for example, strath? Thurso? Fochabers? Yell? Unst? Barra? Hopeman? Burghead? Very little. But you do find folk moaning about the cleaner speaking polish or catholics having their own school or using outdated and derogatory terminology for people of colour. Most people in my area couldn’t tell you what ‘Jewish’ is or means
I think you're naive to think it's very little or not widespread. I can't speak of the other places butn thurso yes, it exists, just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's comments, "jokes", derogatory names.

@Isaw3ships

‘ It’s not really widespread across the uk. In my 35 years I’ve come across racism, sexism, xenophobia and by far the most common occurrence as in several times a day every day - sectarianism. Never come across antisemitism in my life.’

Here - have an eye roll
🙄
You’re like white people who say they don’t think there’s racism in the U.K. or straight people who don’t see homophobia…

Umm…. I specifically said I have heard racism, sexism, xenophobia. Ok ok so I forgot about the homophobia, genuine oversight. My bad. Hear that on a regular occurrence too. The sexism and homophobia tend to be casual as in put across in a way that is underhand but the sectarianism and racism and xenophobia there is no attempt to even hide the hatred and sentiment behind it. And sectarianism is by far the biggest issue up and down here. When you work in pubs and working mens clubs you hear things. Real things from real people. And as I said I’ve never come across antisemitism but I have the rest. As someone else said it’s probably down to population and demographics. It doesn’t make any of them right and it doesn’t make any of them better or worse than the other.

I was really surprised that Wikipedia told me there are only around 300,000 Jews in Britain. I would have thought there'd be loads more. Is Wikipedia wrong here? I know Britain expelled them in the 12th century (May have misremembered the date there) but in the intervening 900 years...?

Anyway, antisemitism is probably the racism I understand the least. I can see how people find it easy to make comments about people who look different (underlining here that I abhor that) but on the whole, Jewish people blend into the population at large. Though I did recently see a family with traditional dress and I only thought ooh wow how cool! (I didn't stare)

So if it's not a physically different issue... is it religious? I'm Christian and since Jesus was Jewish, surely Jews are well... the good guys for want of a better word! I'm not expressing myself very well but I just do not understand it.