To think this attack on London Jewish schoolchildren should have been headline news

[ThisPerkySheep]

I have been waiting for this story to go mainstream, and I’m shocked that it hasn’t.

So far, it seems only the Daily Mail has reported on it - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14142235/amp/Jewish-children-terrified-thugs-London-bus-rocks-Israel.html.

When are we going to start taking the threats against Jews in the UK seriously and actually do something about it?

I agree that it's all awful - but it still seems a little inappropriate to raise the horrors in the Middle East in a thread about an attack on British Jewish schoolchildren, because these children have no responsibility or role to play in that. Events in the Middle East and this attack on Jewish children are entirely separate incidents and have nothing to do with each other. Why can't an attack on these children simply be discussed on its own terms, without bringing in other horrific circumstances which have no bearing on this subject at hand?

That's such a shame. Physical division like that is often the cause of problems in many societies.

Thank you.

Yes there are a variety of faiths in my child school and he really enjoys learning about all the different faiths and religions. They've learnt extensively about them throughout primary (CofE) and also in secondary until age 14. He's told me things I had no idea about and it's really enriching.

You know exact what you were saying when you said ‘Hmm I can think of examples where it would be if the demographics different.’

Honestly probably not unfortunately.

A mixture of reasons. Judaism isn't like Christianity in that there's quite a lot of learning if you're to be an active participant, not least learning to read Hebrew. You can do that at a Sunday school, like I did, or send your kids to a Jewish school and you might like your kids to have other Jewish learning too. It can help to support a stronger foundation of identity, as part of a very small minority, and that has worth as well.

Our kids went to a Jewish primary largely because it was a good school and nearby, which is also a common reason. We (and they in the end) specifically didn't want them to go to a Jewish secondary because we did want them to have a wider social experience. If there'd been no other good secondaries nearby though, we would have gone for gone of the Jewish ones I expect.

Thanks. I actually just found a thread from 2017 all about Jewish schools and it's been really interesting.
(sorry to derail the thread)

It seems that the local schools in the area where this incident took place have some work to do with connecting their pupils of different faiths. After all - we all work together later in life so it would be very good to understand each other's backgrounds better.

If the children on the bus were black and the thugs were chanting about their skin colour you would acknowledge this as a racist attack. If the children on the bus were gay and the thugs were chanting about this you would acknowledge this as a homophobic attack. Both of these would be worthy of noting, investigating, punishing and educating. To dismiss this as mere thuggery for thuggery's sake is denying that anti-Semitism is a problem.... Which is anti-Semitic.

It wouldn't have made it into the Daily Mail, for certain. DM loves to use Jewish suffering to grind its axes against, it doesn't give a toss for our welfare or about antisemitism unless it can use it to make a right wing talking point.

What does is have to do with what we're discussing? It's part and parcel of the same issue.

Jewish children who have absolutely nothing to do with the horrific events in Gaza and the actions of the Israeli government have been attacked.

Palestian children who have absolutely nothing to do with the horrific events of October 7th and the actions of Hamas have been killed.

I suspect the issue some on this thread have is that most of us (decent human beings anyway) refuse to draw a distinction between any of these innocent children. We do not see one set of children as more deserving of our sympathy than the other. We point out that there has been suffering on both sides which, for reasons I cannot comprehend, provokes rage and accusations of biogtry from some quarters.

In their minds, the death of thousands of children in Gaza is regretable but ultimately it's the fault of their parents for supporting terrorists (never mind the last elections were over 20 years ago and many of those parents who are in their 20s/30s today would not have eligible to vote).

It’s rare for Jewish people in the uk to carry out acts of violence, isn’t it?

LBFseBrom · Today 09:31

I'd read about it a couple of times and I don't read the Mail if I can help it.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/thugs-shouting-f-israel-attack-100900094.html

It's on GB News, Fox, Sky, Jewish Chronicle, Metro, Evening Standard, Hamhigh, Yahoo main page & Jewishpress.com, for anyone who won't give clicks to the Mail.

Yes I am beginning to see that it's much more of a daily commitment to living a certain way, rather than a religion you can pop in on for Sunday service and be done.
Very involved - it seems to leave little time for everything else if one was to do it all to the letter! But then I guess, all things become routine after a while so easier to keep to.

Absolutely Nothing

SOME though, just love to derail

I agree. For the first time I am considering it and no way would I EVER have considered it before now. We have always been part of the community like anyone, invited everyone to birthday parties even though some people would never come, been friendly with everyone. Always participate in the school activities, Christmas play, summer fair.

But since last year it's not the same, dealing with so much tragedy and on top of that, so much racism and pro-terrorism, it makes me feel physically sick and shaky sometimes when I go to the school and see it. Other places, it doesn't affect me as much, but this is the place our children are supposed to be safe and protected apart from the hate. One of the class parents has From the River to the Sea as their Whatsapp picture and it gives me a sick feeling whenever I see it.

I did report a child wearing a badge of a terror group that is banned in the Middle East, but there's only so much you can do. You feel completely alienated and intimidated.

For those that aren't aware, there has been a Jewish specific security force in place in the UK since 1994

www.thejc.com/news/uk/thirty-years-of-protecting-the-community-the-cst-marks-a-milestone-vk829a8y

Absolutely this.

It is grotesque, but acts of violence against all minorities usually are. There are attacks directed towards Muslim and Traveller/Gypsy children all the time (and I'm sure lots of others), and no one bats an eyelid, it's considered par for the course. Certainly not true that the Prime Minister talks about it, if that was the case that would be his only topic.

Such a shame you are feeling that way.

Is this in London or perhaps another big city?
I only ask because I can't imagine that kind of attitude prevailing in the coastal town I am in. We have a very diverse community due to a large refugee intake over 20 years but very little division.
Community leads have made a big effort to hold public events for all cultures such as cooking and tasting events, craft and music. It's been really good to share tastes and unique traditions.

I wonder if that could that work between schools in a city to eradicate this kind of hostility that seems to pervade when people grow up not understanding each other.

Yet these children are being teased and others are being slaughtered. Israel needs to seriously broker peace now.

///

So what? How does a bunch of animals attacking a school bus facilitate peace being brokered?

Or are you saying until it happens, it's fair game on Jewish kids?

The thing with racism towards Jewish people is it often comes from the left as well as the right....in a way that racism which affects other minorities doesn't. A lot of the anti racist protests which happened recently had lots of anti Zionist signs..

It's not a daily occurrence but unfortunately not very rare.

It absolutely should be headline news. There are so many ignorant people who blame innocent citizens of this country for something happening abroad.

I think that all the people who think that stones thrown at a school bus would normally make headline news are quite ignorant too though.