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.

Once again, I was not speaking on behalf of Jews. I simply pointed out that there are Jews who are against the definition, based on my experience of having conversations with Jewish people who hold this opinion, and I didn’t get the impression it was a taboo viewpoint. Big difference.

@RedWingBoots and @BloodAndFire thank you.

Apparently we're not allowed to be that ignorant and we're making it up for some reason.

I mean I'm really that ignorant. I was shocked in Israel when I saw heavily guarded schools and hospitals but obviously once i thought about it it made sense.
I do feel sorry for Jewish people that they experience such antisemitism and have to worry about terrorism this much.
It must be awful.

I've learned a lot on this thread even if I've had a bashing.

@RosalindsAFuckingNightmare well
this confused me! Couldn’t remember voicing my opinions on this topic already. Great username!

Eh the IHRA definition of antisemitism literally includes criticism of Israel:

Anti semitism is:

"Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis"

That example isn't about Jews at all, Jews aren't mentioned in that example. Only Israel.

THIS. it is so rancidity offensive to act as if there is a hierarchy of racism and anti-semitism is at the bottom.

The fact that baddiel has done blackface and has a career and is able to make this show is evidence of the fact that this supposed hierarchy doesn't exist.

It is not the individual school. It is all Jewish schools across the country. We have our own organisation (the CST) that helps co-ordinate and advise on the security that is needed (and which also documents the various threats) and who liaise closely with the police.

At one point when my DCs primary school was new (it was a community school that started out as a nursery in the headmistresses front room and then moved into a synagogue) the school didn't have money to pay security guards -so they were reliant on parents doing security only - but there was a lot of concern both by the CST and the police that it was not safe enough even with the high fences with just parents doing security, so money had to be found for security guards. So it became parents and security guards (the idea being that parents, knowing the parent and student body) might be able to spot risks that the security guards won't not that we are expected to actually tackle anyone.

Hi @Whiskyvodka , unfortunately yes the threat level is genuinely that high. We didn't have security in high school when I was a child (attended orthodox jewish school) but that same school has had security guards for a long time now. Last year my kids also did a security drill (primary). The shuls (synagogues) always had people on the door on security rotations, even when I was little.

I don’t know how much this impacts the original post, but I’ve met David Baddiel, I went to the filming of university challenge does comic relief a few years ago. Apart from him being a typically arrogant minor celebrity, he made an awful joke about starving black African children. No axe to grind here, I have both Jewish and black ancestry.
I think he has a need to be a part of an oppressed group, born of rampant narcism. How dare anyone be more oppressed than him?

I watched this and as a non-jew I found it interesting, informative and shocking in equal measure.

I have a few Jewish friends and I worked for a Jewish family for a few years ( great employers, treated all the staff very well ) I have always liked and respected the Jewish people I have had dealings with and watching last night I was shocked at the anti semitism they have to endure!!

Thank you.
I’m sorry I didn’t know.
Its a terrible thing and hopefully one day your dc won’t have to worry about these things.

"How dare anyone be more oppressed than him?"

Is he suggesting that he is MORE oppressed or that antisemitism is often overlooked?

A black person saying offensive things about other black people is ignored.

Other black male "comedians" have made their careers by making offensive jokes about black women.

Anyone can feel free to dislike David Baddiel for past behaviour, that's fine.
But this does not and should not detract from the message delivered, which is 100% spot on.
If the message was delivered by another Jewish person, who had no history of questionable behaviour, it would be better received....??!!!...unless the receiver was anti-semitic of course...

THIS. it is so rancidity offensive to act as if there is a hierarchy of racism and anti-semitism is at the bottom.

Has he said this? He’s saying antisemitism is overlooked, ignored and minimised. Which isn’t offensive. Not advocating a hierarchy. Loads of posters have already pointed this out - why are people still saying this?

The fact that baddiel has done blackface and has a career and is able to make this show is evidence of the fact that this supposed hierarchy doesn't exist.

David Baddiel’s history, personal morals, what was / is tolerated wrt other prejudices says nothing about whether antisemitism is being minimised.

@Whiskyvodka I posted before I saw your last comment - this was not meant as a criticism of your comment, more to be informative - I'm sorry if it came across that way. I wouldn't expect anyone not in the general vicinity of the major Jewish communities to be aware of the security levels we have, nor to apologise for not knowing.
We've actually emigrated from the UK now.

I would probably put it slightly differently - but that is because as well as being ethnically Jewish (ie Jewish because my parents and grandparents and great grandparents) are/were Jewish, I am also religious, and move within the religious community.

I would probably say "Judaism is a non proselytising religion - ie it does not seek converts and tries to pursuade prospective converts that they are better off not converting, by making the process very, very, hard, but it does want them if they really, really want to convert and once they do.

In my community, I know or have known a number of converts - although we are still talking about maybe a dozen or two. Interestingly, the majority of the converts I know in the UK are BAME, not sure why that is.

I am Jewish, and look Jewish in some ways. No other identifying features in terms of dress etc.

One of my most shocking and disturbing anti-semitic incidents, was when a Muslim child of around 4 or 5 yrs old, ran in circles around me in the school playground at pick up, pointing at me and shouting:

"Look mummy, I've found a Jew, I've found a Jew..." over and over again.

Where was this young child getting their idea of what to look out for to spot Jews? And why?

I dread to think...

This is a huge part of the problem.

People have legitimate reason to discuss why they disagree with and condemn the actions of the Israeli government but any criticism of Israel or its government is called out as anti semitism when it simply isn’t.

It’s no wonder Jewish people are feeling like their genuine complaints of anti semitism aren’t taken seriously if they also believe that every criticism against Israel is anti semitic.

It is easily possible to be pro Palestine without hating all Jews.

No worries.
It’s been informative. And I do have sympathy with some of the more prickly pp’s.
If you are frequently subjected to any form of discrimination it must make you a little more sensitive to comments and written ones particularly can sometimes be interpreted differently to how they were intended.

"RambamThankyouMam · Today 12:48
Thanks for raising this.
I'm a Jew.
What really hits home for me is the fact that my daughter's Jewish school (in a northern English city) has police and security on the gates. No other minority group needs to be protected like this. I live with a sort of low-level fear that an anti-Semite might one day throw something over the fence into the playground, or try to enter with a weapon.
That's anti-Semitism. The fear."

That's horrible, I'm so sorry you are living with that fear. It's unacceptable in Britain in 2022.

I went to a Jewish school, I remember a time when a pigs head was thrown over the fence by a member of the public, absolutely disgusting anti- semitic behaviour.

I had absolutely no idea about any of that and I actually live very close to a large Jewish community in the northwest of England - a real eye opener. Thanks for sharing.