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.

Absolutely. And security on Jewish schools, synagogues, nurseries etc all across the world. The racism no one is talking about

I think it's has been discussed absolutely loads in the last few years. That's not to say anyone should not discuss it further, as there will obviously be plenty who are unaware.

I wish I had watched the documentary; I definitely well. From what you say, op, I get it. I've been aware of antisemitism all my life to varying degrees and it irks me.

He has many time times

As with any other thread on here, Twitter, Reddit, etc., the thread itself will demonstrate just how much intense hatred, contempt and disgust there is for Jews among a significant number of people. There really are just a lot of people who really, really hate us.

I believe it has become much more open and accepted over the past ten years or so. I see and hear things that I don't believe would have been in any way considered acceptable when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s.

But I don't think the hatred went away, I think it was just silenced (a bit) and now it's coming roaring back with a vengeance. The past decade has been fucking awful.

But that’s not what he’s saying.

They know that. I wasted years of my life trying to argue with these people before realising it wasn't in good faith and it was never going to go anywhere. They just really, really despise Jews on a visceral level.

I don't feel that David baddiel is the right person to speak on this. There are many Jewish activists without their own documented history of racism.

There is massive, culturally mainstream anti-semitism in many middle-eastern countries, which translates into anti-semitism being much more prevalent in some middle-eastern communities in the UK. Anti-semitic ideas (eg Jews as insects etc) are seen as completely fine.

Honestly what about the Palestinians? What about Palestine? Why is that forgotten, and any criticism is Anti Semitic?

Watch the documentary. He talks about Palestine. And people who put Israel and Jewishness in the same box. You can be Jewish and not support Israel.

This is a discussion about antisemitism - hatred and violence towards Jewish people - in the UK.

It's not about Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Colombia, the Phillippines, the USA, France, Germany, Turkey, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Sudan, China, Indonesia...

Does that help?

I’m sure others will explain this better but it’s not right to conflate the actions of a state with people of a race (or religion)

do you hold Muslims all responsible for the actions of Saudi Arabia for example?

Well, let them make a documentary about it too then. He has a platform, why shouldn't he use it?

Baddiel’s argument is that antisemitism is called out less than all other forms of discrimination. This literally implies that all other discriminated groups are more privileged than Jews. If he’s not saying that (which he definitely is!), then his whole argument falls flat.

Disagreeing with his theory does not make someone an antisemite

I’ve seen anti semitic attitudes in many whites, blacks and Middle Eastern people. It’s easy to solely focus on the Middle Eastern folk but they weren’t the ones that instigated the holocaust or are modern day hitler sympathisers.

@Tulipomania
You can be Jewish and not support all of Israel's actions, totally agree with you there.

But you can't be non-Jewish and disagree with Israel's actions without opening yourself up to accusations of antisemitism. Which, perhaps, goes some way to explaining why there is less sympathy for accusations of anti semitism now than there used to be.

@Lilgamesh2 that's not my experience at all as a Jew. Lots of white British people are anti-semitic.

@readymade I’m a member of a pro-Palestine group. I still don’t deserve the racism I suffer simply because of my religion.

I live in a white middle class privilege bubble and the only argument I’ve had any success with is saying I won’t let a man tell me that something isn’t sexist, he cannot understand it on the same level, same goes, I’m not Jewish I cannot understand on the same level.

He played a character in blackface, which he has apologised for, as did David Walliams, Matt Lucas, all of Monty Python, and many others who haven't apologised.

Who would you have chosen to write the book and present the documentary, if you consider yourself the arbiter of Jews who are and are not allowed to speak about antisemitism? Who are the 'approved' Jewish activists in your view, and what expertise and experience do you have in this area?

I’m not sure it’s a privilege to be discriminated against but have that called out more.

I also think it was evidenced fairly well that this does happen. It’s disingenuous to say he was claiming other minorities had privilege

you can't be non-Jewish and disagree with Israel's actions without opening yourself up to accusations of antisemitism.

Well I take this position all the time and no-one has accused me of being anti-semitic.

I think you've fundamentally misunderstood his argument, presumably on purpose. Or perhaps you just haven't read it.

If you see ‘Jew’ and automatically think ‘Israel’ maybe you’re part of the problem. When someone says Muslim do you automatically think of Saudi Arabia?

He's David Baddiel.

I found the programme really interesting as it's true I had never really noticed antisemitism in the UK. And I am a minority (traveller) who 'passes' as standard white professional British so I have experienced some of what he was talking about when people find out my background and trying to mask it etc. But I found David Baddiel really unpleasant tbh and it doesn't surprise me to hear from a PP that he has put down the traveller community in the past.