cause he is Jewish

[Carycach4]

Apologies cant see a thread about this.
Staff at Bristol Brunel academy blocked a visit by Damien Egan, their local MP because he is Jewish. Clear case of antisemitism. AIBU to thinking that headteacher and those driving this decision should be sacked and reported to the Teacher Regulation Agency?
(Apologies thread title isnt correct, but i can't edit it)

So you're against the whole nation of Israel? I see.

Well why would a Jewish person have to be pro-dismantling the one Jewish state in the world which guarantees Jews safety when they are harmed in other countries? Israel was set up by WWII refugees who lost their homes after the Holocaust, and the Jews in the Middle East were also expelled there after its creation. And it has constantly been attacked by neighbouring governments with an explicit mandate to annihilate it.

Being Zionist is nothing to do with supporting the current government. I don't know anyone who does. But that is different to terrorist sympathy and supporting dismantlement of the state. And no one who is so horrified and appalled by Israel is ever moved to such action by any other nation or its citizens, regardless of what they do.

'I am critical of anyone who takes a pro Israel stance.' Really says it all. So you don't believe that Israel should exist then? I am pro Israel but that doesn't mean I agree with Netanyahu. I don't agree with Starmer either (for many other reasons) so does that make me anti British?

That’s not how things work though. He hasn’t been banned or cancelled. Anyone can hold any view they like, and any other person can make decisions based on that if they wish. You do not have to allow someone you disagree with into your organisation or place of business if you don’t want to. You can’t exclude someone on the basis of a protected characteristic, but that isn’t what is happening. It is entirely possible to disagree with a Jewish person and not be anti-Semitic.

But he was being allowed in to the school. It was pro Palestinian teachers who caused the issue because the MP, besides being Jewish, is also pro Israel.

Are you trying to conflate Israel and Israelis? You presumably understand these are not one and the same.

I am against the actions taken by the state of Israel, i.e. the actions of the county as determined by its government. I am in favour of sanctions on the state of Israel, and the prosecution of individuals who themselves commit war crimes. I am not opposed to the existence of Israel itself, but to the actions it has taken in the form of war crimes and genocide.

Criticism of the actions of a country are not condemnation of its citizens. If you criticise Russia for invading Ukraine are you calling Russians unacceptable? Clearly not.

Alright, I’ll play. If a black person wanted to visit the school, but had political opinions which would lead to a protest and put children at risk of harm, would it be racist to ask that person not to come?

He’s an elected Jewish MP, who couldn’t speak because it was not safe for him.

Had it been a none Jewish person with similar views do you honestly think the decision would be the same?

This is such an interesting point.

I didn't say Israel shouldn't exist. I support a two state solution.

Was he planning on communicating these political opinions to the children? He’s al elected representative. I think Corbyn is foul but I couldn’t care less if he visited a school in his capacity as an MP.

We have a democracy, people vote for all sorts, people voted for him, he’s committed no crime. I find the idea of cousin marriage revoting, should I be able to ban one of the Gaza MP’s from my local school because they expressed support for it? In a democracy I’m allowed to hold that view.

So what was he invited to talk about? Surely that's the main issue. Was it appropriate for the concerned public, ie. students.

Frankly, I wouldn't want my kids to be exposed to strong political views when at school, whatever that view is. If he was going to discuss what his role as an MP is, that's totally different. Banning him in this instance would indeed be racist.

No. Youre the one conflating Israel and Israelis. Youre the one who keeps going on about how you criticize those who are pro Israel.

You either mean to say you are anti - BN, or you are actually anti the whole nation of Israel. Which is it?

As he is a local MP I imagine he would be talking about local issues, surely.

He was invited to talk about his role as an MP. Important for kids to hear obviously.

Edited to add, visit has been rearranged, so hopefully this can go ahead at another point when the pro Pals take it somewhere more appropriate.

Isn’t he vice chairman of Labour Friends of Israel? He’s basically a supporter of a genoicdal regime, whose president is wanted by the ICC for war crimes.

What is the issue with this?

“Mr Egan was due to discuss democracy and the role of an MP, while helping to raise aspirations among students who may have an interest in pursuing similar career paths.”

From the Guardian

Well, unless he’s Jewish and has the temerity to hold a different view to some of the teachers. Then he’s not allowed to be seen or speak.

"Oh its because he's pro Israel, pro Israel, let's all threaten to wear keffiyeh's if someone's coming who's pro Israel"

"It's not antisemitism, its just that the Jews happen to occupy the only state on earth that cannot respond to islamic terrorism without rent-a-mobs in the west lining the streets chanting for its eradication"

Yes, “besides being Jewish”. His Jewishness has nothing to do with the issue. There is also no evidence that pro Palestine teachers at the school had anything to do with it.

According to the school, there was a planned protest that clashed with the end of the school day. They postponed the visit and are looking to reschedule. If you have any actual facts which dispute that statement, I’d be glad to see them.

Why was he invited to speak in the first place if they are antisemitic? What was he going to talk about? Was it to be about some general academic subject, or a political speech in support of Israel?

They obviously knew he was Jewish when he was invited, other events must have caused the cancellation. The fact it was likely to cause trouble in the school would be a good reason, would the school even be insured if they went ahead with it?

This is going to sound harsh, but I do not trust your post because you don't sound as though you know what you are talking about. You sound like someone who loves to create "anti-woke" drama, even at the cost of relaying fake news.

Antisemitism is one thing, anti-israeli government is quite another. If this man has been excluded because he is Jewish I will be protesting alongside you.

Do you honestly think an English policewoman who came to talk to the kids a week before would have been cancelled if she was found to have 'pro- Israel' views? Or would no one have even bothered checking?

Hear hear. I loathe the Netanyahu government for what they have done in Gaza but what I loathe more is Jews being required to be performatively anti Israel as the price of admission to the right thinking people’s club.

No other minority group is expected to express disapproval of it’s right to statehood.

Its antisemitism. Of course it is.

It’s below, his role as an MP