To be shocked that this is happening in the UK in 2026

[Terfymcnamechange]

https://x.com/jeanhatchet/status/2023017313327317331?s=46&t=N3lQrZ7NOBmzt0lfDUYXPA

Jean Hachet posted this today. Men going door to door in Sheffield looking for people who aren't boycotting Israel. The man grabbed one of the women by throat and headbutted her when challenged. Feels like something out of the 1930s

As far as I can tell, they note down addresses that are not supportive so they can stop bothering them on future canvasses.

If they did not do this, there would be complaints about harassment from multiple visits.

I imagine they don't note down in detail whether someone is Jewish, pro-Israel, or just not-interested in the issue/dislike discussing things on the doorstep. Therefore it is overstating things to describe this as a 'Jew hunt' or that they are compiling lists of Jews.

Now let's say they were to do the inverse -- only note down which addresses were supportive, and note down which street had been fully visited. Someone could then reverselookup which addresses were not noted down and assume these did not want to be contacted further. Would this be a problem? I assume not, but in practise it is no different to what they are currently doing.

Because I live in the UK. And I care more about other people living in the UK than I do around the rest of the world (apart from one other country where half my family are from. So I care about that country too). AndJewish people feel particularly vulnerable at the moment and that impacts everyone in our civilised society.

I also find it revealing how people fixate on one issue over others according to their own prejudice. Gaza over real genocides that are happening all over the world. Its obviously either anti semetism or a bandwagon. Sorry. Its the ongoing obsession of certain members of the left who see support of Hamas as acceptable as Hamas are against the West and everything it stands for (womens rights and tolerance for one). Hamas have corrupted the people of Gaza and, while it is terrible that they are so comprehensively losing a war they were insane enough to start, why should those people suck all the attention of the world when there are plenty more atrocities happening in many other less trendy places that also deserve your attention.

I'm not 'pretending compassion' for anyone. I'm following through to the logical conclusion of your arguments. People find free speech upsetting, we should stop it. Then you say no wait, it's only in certain cases around certain topics that it should be stopped.

I mean this is always the way isn't it, free speech, oh not that speech. These canvassers are doing nothing wrong. If we start restricting people, restricting their rights because of 'compassion' where does it end? Everybody is hurt by something. That's life.

There is no comparison between what is happening to British Jews, disgraceful as anti-semitism is, and what is happening to the people of Gaza. It's a false equivalence.

To the best of my knowledge, no credible organisation has suggested that British Jews are victims of genocide. However, at least 2 reputable international organisations have come to the view that what is happening in Gaza is genocide.

The two are not in any way comparable.

UN position on Gaza

Genocide scholars and Gaza

You brought up "immigrants" in general for some reason. I said I was talking about British Jews not immigrants. Jews have a very specific history and context which is relevant to doorstopping from the Pro Palestinians. Which is why they are so upset. The subject of this thread. You've just made up some different argument in your own head.

My point is that I care more about what is happening in the UK than I do about one of the myriad of conflicts throughout the world. Because I live in the UK.

If the anti colonialists have taught us anything its that we should stick to our own lane and our own country and pay attention to our own people rather than interfere in other countries. I dont have a savior complex and neither should you.

We've been through the issue of whether there is a "genocide" or not. That will take many years to be established by a court.

Would you feel similarly about members of the EDL (or previous incarnations such as the National Front or BNP) knocking on doors to 'just canvass opinions' about whether somebody born in England is English/the existential threat to the English Way of Life/a boycott of all Muslim owned businesses? Or back at the time of the Rwandan Massacre, if supporters of the Hutu people were knocking on doors to drum up support (or vice versa)?

Would it be dismissed as them just exercising their right to free speech if somebody were distressed by men coming to their door and being able to note that this house has somebody Muslim/African/Dual heritage children/Tutsi in it? Or would their fears of somebody who sees people of their origin as an Enemy knowing or being able to conclude they were in that group be respected, instead of laughed at?

Last time I looked, your average Jehovah's Witness or Mormon is vanishingly unlikely to put anybody's windows through if you open the door expecting an Amazon delivery and quickly retreat. They're not breaking women's spines with hammers, vandalising multi million pound defence technology or calling for the death of people who don't believe in their God, either - and neither are any groups that are in someway aligned with them, what with the Spanish Inquisition having been abolished in 1834 and Catholic Emancipation putting an end to the majority of restrictions (and burning of) people of the wrong faith around the same time.

But those other groups? I'm not so sure about them.

As I said earlier in the thread. You just have to chose between British Jews in the Uk and people from far away. Its called living in a civilised society. And chosing foreigners seems odd and would need some underlying prejudice I think.

You don't 'have' to choose anything. We're all free to form opinions and take stances on whatever issues we align with. Telling people they have to pick a certain side is the cause of most of the world's troubles. You can sympathize with either, both or neither.

I have a couple of close friends currently serving in the IDF, but otherwise I have no more connection to British Jews than I do to Palestinians.

My view of the world isn't so myopic as to group people into 'us' and 'foreigners', and I certainly don't decide which issues I feel most strongly about based on geography. It's not the world cup.

And why should Jews have to be "challenged" anyway?

I didn't say that Jews (or anyone for that matter) have to be challenged. Please don't put words in my mouth. I said that nobody, regardless of race, religion, sex or whatever else has the right to go through life unchallenged. No group or individual gets to have everything their own way.

Are the doorsteppers going around "challenging" people? Going to people's houses with their little notebooks and asking intrusive questions and making little notes. Which is threatening to certain sections of society.

They're not asking intrusive questions and making little notes though. If you're claiming that they are, show your evidence. Anybody who feels threatened by the prospect of saying 'No' and closing their front door to someone asking "Can I ask you how you feel about the situation in Gaza?" is free not to engage.

Also I think Muslims now effectively have the right to avoid being distressed by having a Koran burned in front of them (for example) so I think you need to think through your post

No, you just need to read it properly. You're wrong, for a start, but your example illustrates the point perfectly.

There's no blanket right or law in this country preventing someone from burning a Koran in front of a Muslim because it offends them. If I stood outside a mosque burning one while shouting anti-muslim slurs, that would likely constitute a religiously motivated public order offence, which is a crime. That doesn't mean a Muslim could walk into my garden and compel me to stop burning a pile of them because it's distressing him. That's not a crime, so while it might be incredibly upsetting, distressing and offensive to a Muslim, and Muslims in general, they don't get to impose their standards on me.

If these canvassers were throwing rocks through Jewish people's windows, daubing anti-Semitic graffiti on their walls etc, they'd be arrested. But as they've committed no crime, the fact that they're upsetting people is irrelevant (legally, not morally). It's quite simple.

Well you do have to chose. You either chose to go doorstopping and scare people. Or you don't. Because people have been scared.

I feel there is a direction of travel in the UK to stop one group being offended and you haven't been paying attention if you don't understand this. While theres no blasphemy law (yet. We know Labour want one), the law is twisted to ensure that the fear of violence from Muslims means that no one dares offend them. We are self-censoring. The guy who burned a Koran for example faced consequences. I suspect if a Bible was burned in the same way there would be no consequences. The teacher is Batley is still in hiding. Why?

I find your ability to empathise with people in foreign countries over and above your own fellow citizens (assuming you are British) interesting. The implication that nationhood and society doesnt mean much. Ironic as you are supporting a group of people that have been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Palestinian state for that particular group of people.

As far as I can tell, they note down addresses that are not supportive so they can stop bothering them on future canvasses.

Why would they keep “bothering” the ones who agree with them
though?
People either agree with them or they don’t. Why would they need to come back at all, to discuss what exactly?

Whilst it is legal to doorstep a stranger and ask for their opinion on something, it’s not very civilised, is it? Imagine how disruptive and alienating it would be if we all did that? Personally I’d like to see an end to all cold-calling whether it’s for signing me up to a charity, to sell me broadband or to ask my political views.

So I looked into this because I think it’s wrong and frightening. IANAL but…

My understanding is that unless you have a ‘No cold callers’ sign on display, campaigners can cold-call. And if you object they can record your address in order to ensure you are not cold-called again.
However they will need to process this data in accordance with UK GDPR. They must provide privacy information (in writing) explaining who they are, why they are taking your data (eg address) and what your rights are. You have the absolute right to object to them adding any other notes such as your name, opinions or religion. And they must provide you with their organisation’s name and the name and contact details of their Data Protection Officer.

If you have a sign stating no cold callers they should not knock on your door.

Let’s see if these antisemitic clowns understand data privacy laws.

<goes to order a no cold caller sign>

Well, it also helps determine who was not in at time of visit, versus who was present but was not interested.

In terms of people who were happy to support the campaign, it's pretty standard practise of any political campaign to keep lists of supporters for mailing lists etc (and this itself will be regulated)

I think that people should be able to act within the law whether I agree with them or not. These canvassers are acting within the law, the end really. I don't think we should pick and choose who is allowed drop leaflets depending on whether or not we agree with them. Who would the 'we' in this be anyway? Do people vote on whether people can canvas against apartheid or not? Or does the government get to pick what issues people can canvas on and what they can't because that sounds like dangerous territory.

I don't think people should be allowed to follow people down the street and shout abuse at that them because they disagree with their views. Make your own campaign, tell us why you don't think apartheid is a big deal, print your own pro apartheid leaflets if you want, I don't care but people shouldn't be followed and abused because you disagree with them.

Does that apply to something like the trans issue? So if you are gender critical would it be OK to go doorstopping and asking a young transwoman if you could discuss your gender critical views with them and that you were against people changing sex and the Tavistock and children having puberty blockers? Even if they were terrified? And you would note down their name and address if they didnt want to talk to you. No law against it.

No you probably (hopefully) wouldnt. Because it would upset or frighten them.

I think it would be fine for someone to canvas on this issue and to note down addresses which didn't want to be contacted further.

Obviously if they noted down that someone was in a protected category (whether gender identity, or ethnicity), it would be a massive data protection issue, and especially if that was used to prompt further harassment it would be a total breach and the police should be involved.

But there is no evidence at all beyond an incredibly bad-faith inference that anything like that has happened here.

What do British Jews have to do with the situation in Gaza?
The “Genocide scholars” you’ve quoted are not quite the authority some people seem to regard them as.
According to their own website, “IAGS members are academic scholars, human rights activists, students, museum and memorial professionals, policymakers, educators, anthropologists, independent scholars, sociologists, artists, political scientists, economists, historians, international law scholars, psychologists, and literature and film scholars.”
There don’t seem to be any strict academic or professional prerequisites to become a “genocide scholar”.

What about anti abortion? Do you think people should be allowed to go door to door to tell them they are committing murder if they abort a foetus. What about outside an abortion clinic? Quite a controversial topic in the US. You wouldnt know which list you would want to go on.

If people want to canvas on abortion door-to-door, that would also be fine (either side of the issue).

Again, they shouldn't be noting down the belief of the individuals at this address as this would be a GDPR issue by collection sensitive data on philosophical belief. If collected I would want the ICO to investigate.

However , they would be fine to note down that the address should not be contacted further (regardless of whether for political disagreement, lack of interest, or just grumpiness at being bothered at the doorstep -- should be a single tickbox 'no contact'), as seems to have happened in the case that prompted this thread.

As for whether it should be banned outside an abortion clinic -- that's rather a separate issue, and I appreciate views on both sides.

I think its fine to ask people if they are interested in talking about trans issues and noting down if they ask not to be bothered again. You obviously wouldn't be stating that you are against Tavistock and children having puberty blockers because the conversation ends if the person says 'no thanks'. That's how it works.

The problem is that with many of these issues the left wing mob have physically attacked people for not agreeing with them, tried to destroy businesses and tried to cancel people. Jewish people have a massive increase in attacks. So while in theory turning up at peoples homes and trying to engage them in political or controversial topics seems fine , in practice the knowledge that someone doesnt agree with the interrogator could be used against them. I think its a very valid fear and brought about because of the appalling behaviour of many people. Particularly on the hate marches.

Also countries that kept a list of people's religious beliefs before the war like Holland for example were much more organised and successful in carrying out the Holocaust due to knowing exactly where Jews lived. Id be very wary of being on any list for any reason. We all should. As we can't know how it will be used in future. I think doorstopping should be banned.

ICO guidance is useful here:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/direct-marketing-and-privacy-and-electronic-communications/direct-marketing-guidance/respect-peoples-preferences/

They actively recommend you SHOULD keep a suppression list if engaging in direct marketing (which is what doorstep campaigning basically is).

It also states you should keep the minimum information to maintain the suppression list (so no details of views expressed).

In this case, nothing of the kind has happened, and yet what appear to be legitimate political canvassers expressing legitimate views and behaving lawfully have been chased down the street, accused of inciting hate without evidence and shouted at (likely committing a public order offence in the process). This is not a reasonable way to behave.

It makes it very hard for outsiders like me to determine the actual scale of anti-semitism that exists, when perfectly normal behaviour is accused of being e.g. 'Jew hunting'.

Im afraid in this country at the moment we can't rely on honesty of the state or people or anything working as it should. Weve learned this in the last 18 months. We live in a country where you can be imprisoned for a tweet.

I think you're very wrong sadly. Given the huge increase in actual recorded attacks against Jews. Theres a clear and present danger to them.

But lets leave it there.