David Badiel - Jews Don't Count. Shocked

[Everanewbie]

AIBU to be disappointed and upset at the blindspot for antisemitism that was highlighted in last night's excellent documentary? The Leigh Francis part was especially revealing to me. The (quite correct) groveling apologies for the Michael Jackson, Craig David and Mel B characters were a contrast to the defining silence on the David Badiel character.

What is more, the reaction from the left-wing commentators (Owen Jones, et al) on twitter seem to suggest that Badiel says other racism doesn't exist, which feels like a deliberate and willful misrepresentation.

He has, in print and interviews, but this was the first time he’s met Jason.

many people feel it’s too late, and motivated by self interest

like I say, even if that’s true it doesn’t make what he’s saying wrong, just that hypocrisy means he’s more easily dismissed.

Some might argue that Baddiel’s own career disproves his own theory - he’s a Jew who is still doing incredibly well despite blacking up and causing years of abuse and anguish towards a black man. He’s only bothered to apologise to his face 25 years later when he’s conveniently filming for a tv show.

Of course antisemitism exists and is a form of racism but Baddiel is making a mockery of the whole issue, and other discriminated groups should not be expected to blindly accept a book that states they are more privileged when it is so glaringly not the case.

To be fair to him, he has, and he apologised again during the documentary last night.

Yes he has, and there was a segment of the doc in which he's literally apologising again, in person, to one of the people he mocked, and has a conversation with them. I found it very moving and authentic and I thought he was really role modelling genuine understanding, learning and contrition.

Brilliant documentary, highly recommend it.

That’s interesting. I have always considered Jews pretty much a race (not exactly but quite close) but wondered whether that was an offensive thing.

So very interesting it’s preferred they are thought of us a race.

That’s how I understood it too. I’ve also heard him express exactly that on various podcasts.

See, I found it inauthentic and self promoting, but that just made me disappointed that it meant everything else he’d pointed out (that really made me think) would get displaced by this.

I volunteer to stand security at synagogues in my city, the low level and blatant antisemitism is horrific. I don’t think it will ever go away. Whenever the Country hits a rough time there are always conspiracy theories that it’s the fault of the Jews!

100% agree with this!

I hear you, @RambamThankyouMam . I am not Jewish. I do however visit a lot of archives in connection with my job and studies. The archive with the state of the art security system with CCTV hardwired to the police is the Jewish archives. So sad that anti-semitism is still a thing.

’other discriminated groups should not be expected to blindly accept a book that states they are more privileged’

Does he say that? Where? Can you find the quote?

I’m not sure you can say that
does the fact there are successful black people mean racism doesn’t exist? Of course not

Of course antisemitism exists and is a form of racism but Baddiel is making a mockery of the whole issue, and other discriminated groups should not be expected to blindly accept a book that states they are more privileged when it is so glaringly not the case

Agreed. Baddiel is a hypocrite of the first order.

This is the “punching up” that was discussed and possibly why the left has a problem with anti semitism. If you believe Jews are rich and in control they become fair game.

Hitler would never have asked any of my family members if they were practising or religious or not - so yes, Jews are a race and have been on the sharp end of racism for a long, long, long time (and I have, personally, myself also).

Incidentally, on the 'are Jews a race?' question, it may interest some of you to see the results of three different DNA testing kits I did a year or two back. I am entirely Jewish by descent, no non-Jews anywhere in my family tree to the best of my knowledge, and I look pretty stereotypically Jewish.

Hope the pics attach OK

So it was on Channel 4 ? That bastion of such classic anti-racism programmes as My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding . Yy that makes sense.
Perhaps they will commission a programme that investigates discrimination and racism against the GRT communities since travelling communities have the worst life outcomes in the UK; are discriminated against in the criminal justice system; the education system; in accessing health care and are amongst the highest rates of suicides. They are the only minority group that has to state their race on planning applications for culturally sensitive housing and the only group that LAs do not need to respect or grant planning permission for adequate accommodation levels.
But, then again, maybe Channel 4 will just commission another programme that invites everyone to mock travellers and deals in outmoded and dangerous stereotyping whilst using other programming to pretend they give a damn about racism.

Thanks both for proving his point.

Does that make what he says about anti semitism wring though?

He did not say Muslim women looked like postboxes. He said that the veil which covers all the face except for a small slit to peer out of made people look like a post box. He also defended the right of women , (and presumably men although that doesn’t seem to apply ) to wear such facial coverings, unlike those European countries where they are prohibited.

It is not the Western tradition to require women to be covered almost completely. That’s not Islamophobia, it is a fact, and a social norm. I believe that some Muslim men think that uncovered women are of loose virtue. That’s not liberalphobia, either ( though mistaken).

This is not true. Most of the antisemitism I have personally experienced has been from white British people.

I haven't read the book but I did watch most of the documentary last night and I think Baddiel was saying exactly the opposite of this.

Thank you (genuinely). You're right, I don't think it will ever go away. I married 'out' and part of the motivation for that was not wanting my children to experience what I, my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. all went through. My grandma used to get antisemitic abuse in the East End of London while her husband, my grandpa, was overseas for years as a British soldier in WW2.

I'm so sorry, I had no idea.

A tangent but the gypsy community is one that Baddiel has in a past interview joked about and used derogatory terms for.