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?

…in reply to someone saying that it wouldn’t be reported for other religions either.

Did you read the article or are you accidentally minimising the criminality?

Then you're not very bright.

I just think communities are better placed to create a positive culture about religious differences in their locality.

The schools involved here could make a big difference to the attitudes of their own pupils.

It’s awful. These children have nothing to do with anything that is happening in Israel - they are British children - and anyway, they are children so not responsible for any actions of adults.

If you traumatise children like this they’re more likely to be radicalised when they’re adults too.

We need to promote an inclusive culture so that all British children grow up feeling they belong and are safe here - and will therefore feel a sense of attachment to their country as adults.

@Echobelly

Outside of London Jewish children are usually at regular schools including Church of England ones.

There are Muslim and Hindu state schools too but again not everywhere.

Personally id like to see all schools integrated as it is better to have a society that supports each other and doesn't see different religions as odd, being taught alongside each other is a good first step. Specialist religious education can take place outside of school hours eg as happens with madrassahs. I am aware of the historical context of the Church of England schools particularly in rural areas but it's not insurmountable

You think I'm not very bright to think that most crimes are not headline news in the UK?! Even stabbings of children are not always headline news nowadays unfortunately. You live a sheltered life if you don't know that..

You don't know what happens any more than anyone else does. However I do know that making excuses for attacks on Jewish children makes you either stupid, anti-semitic or, more likely, both.

Please don't start with 'this' racism is worse than 'that' racism b!&&!cks.

Where on earth did I say or suggest that?

My point was that a lot of the liberal left wing types who like to champion diversity often hold anti semetic views

Yes. The police said "'Stones were thrown at the bus before a group of other students got on and made antisemitic remarks towards those on board." A parent reported it.

I'm not minimising it. I absolutely agree that it's terrible and the perpetrators should be prosecuted. However giving even stabbings aren't always headline news it's hardly surprising this isn't either.

I haven't mind excuses for the attacks so don't lecture me on it. What do you mean I don't know what happens? I do know of stabbings that haven't been headline news.

So, not just stone throwing. Absolutely terrifying bigoted thuggery.

Yes but how actually is this relevant to the actual events in London?

Or are you telling me that hate attacks on British Jews including children will immediately cease if Israel surrender to Hamas?

And knife crime isn't?

So much whatabouttery on this thread

I am looking into a Jewish daycare for my new baby..

The daycare is on a site which includes a synagogue, rabbinic college, reform judaism hq plus the nursery. Coincidentally I visited the site 4 years ago as it also has a mikveh which I immersed in as part of my conversion requirements. There was a guard but I don't recall the level of security that it currently has..

Not only is there a guard at the gate, but you have to sign in on an iPad and a sticker with your photo is autogenerated. You have to wear the sticker and when you leave, the security guards makes sure that the sticker is disposed off. It is literally tighter than airport security.

Tbh this isn't new, my dh is from the same school those kids went to and he said kids from a nearby school used to throw pebbles at his window too. It is a very fraught difficult situation, my dh still has a lot of sympathy for the palestinian cause despite the way he was treated which is different from many of his peers who are ardent zionists. In a sense people like him are the loneliest.

Within living memory, literally millions of Jews were murdered on our doorstep. In this context I think it's appropriate to be especially jumpy about anti semitism, TBH.

I'm not Jewish but belong to another minority group. It goes without saying that racism is always wrong.

Regarding whether it should be headline news it is not "whatabouttery" to point out the worse crime is often not headline news either. By definition, not everything can headline.

Terrorising a bus load of children with your bigoted, politically motivated thuggery is a different crime to mindless stone throwing vandalism. Hth.

I compared it to knife crime not "mindless stone throwing vandalism". Hth.

I was replying to this minimising post of yours which said

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.

Not only is there a guard at the gate, but you have to sign in on an iPad and a sticker with your photo is autogenerated. You have to wear the sticker and when you leave, the security guards makes sure that the sticker is disposed off.

If you swop security guard for secretary, this is the same security in virtually every primary and secondary school in England.

You ain't getting through that inner door lock until you've gone through all the checks.

I visit a lot of schools.

That doesn't mean I think it was "mindless vandalism". I don't think it would usually make headline news whatever the reason.

Tbh I am liberal jewish and we don't have the same commitment to kashrut and shabbat but I will send my new baby to Jewish daycare, then Jewish primary and possibly Jewish secondary (though open to other options). There are now non orthodox Jewish options like akiva school, alma primary (cross communal), Jcoss (cross communal secondary school and Sunday Times school of the year). The main reason is because it is a good school and even my atheist dh (though he was raised orthodox jewish) thought that the jewish daycare was far superior to the private equity funded daycare we also visited. His theory is that early years education is underfunded so perhaps religious schools who have staff motivated by more idealistic purposes and see their role as shaping the destinies of the future young leaders of the faith may have more motivated and engaged staff

In addition I have noticed that only 1% of my local jewish school have children on free school meals, compared to 25% of English children. 37% of the children in my local jewish school also perform on a higher level in English and maths.

It's not that poverty isn't a problem in the Jewish community either but they probably are concentrated in the ultra orthodox schools. I have seen similar trends in some CofE schools where the percentage of children on free school meals is v low. Possibly like buying a house in a catchment area, the requirement to attend religious services every week (initiated by involved parents) is a socially selective filter.