Scared to be Jewish

[WibbleWobbleFlop]

I am not pro-IDF or pro-Hamas, in fact I am very strongly against both. Netanyahu's government is an ultra-right wing aggressive shitshow and Hamas is an "elected" group of cowardly murdering terrorists. I am horrified for all Israeli and Palestinian civilians. I can't even begin to imagine how those poor innocent people of Gaza are carrying on, nor how the hostages and families are coping. I want nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace side by side in a democratic two-state solution.

I am a secular Jew. I live in the UK. I am supposedly safe, as are my children.

But I don't feel like we will be safe much longer. Hamas wants the annihilation of all Jews, not just the destruction of the state of Israel. It's not about freeing Palestine to them. It is about eliminated an entire ethnicity. My ethnicity.

When Jews were targeted in the Holocaust, it didn't matter if they were religious, Orthodox, or secular. It didn't matter if they were in Poland or Germany or Russia. Jewish blood meant "evil".

Jewish ancestry is traceable. If Hamas gains further popularity in the Middle East (incredibly likely, given their links to Iran and Qatar), there is a real danger for literally every Jew in the world. I am seeing more and more Europeans and Americans leaning so far to the Palestinian side that they want Israel to stop being an accepted state. This gives so much more power to Hamas because any aid sent to Palestine is being spent on weapons and rockets being used against the Jews.

I'm sure I will be told I am overreacting. But I am scared. And I think I have every right to be.

Sorry but you are about to get lots of posters telling you that your imagining things. That it is only about the Israeli government and Jews are making up everything they say they are seeing or feeling

Oh and you will get it carefully explained that Arabs have more rights to the land than Jews and no they don't have to share anything if they don't want too etc

Good luck

I hardly ever mention that I'm Jewish to people. I married a non Jew and have a 'normal' surname, and I'm not religious. And I hate that I feel that I have to do this! I'm proud of my heritage and this makes me feel sad and a little scared.

Personally I wouldn’t be wearing any obviously Jewish garments or artefacts for fear of isolated attacks or harassment at the moment. I don’t think you need to be concerned we are heading for a rounding up of Jews circa WW2 in the West.

@Purpleavocado I also married a non-Jew. My children are very young and as I am not religious in the slightest, they don't know that they have Jewish heritage. I haven't told anybody where I live (I'm nowhere near my family or where I grew up) that I am Jewish.

It's so sad not to be able to embrace our own culture out of fear.

For those who don't realise just how prevalent anti-Semitism is at the moment, my 12-year-old cousin's Bat Mitzvah had 4 armed security guards last week. And they turned out to be needed.

I'm so sorry. I have Jewish friends who now feel the same as you do and its awful that in this day and age people should feel afraid because of their ethnicity/race/culture. There is unfortunately a lot of thinly veiled antisemitism on the relevant threads on MN, and in wider attitudes about what's happening in Gaza. But there are many more people (I hope) who will stand with the Jewish community, recognising that this has nothing whatsoever to do with you or your family. That Jewish people in this country feel so afraid of reprisals is completely unacceptable. I'd like to see more media attention on this. And more overt support.

You are not overreacting, I see lot of antisemitism not just in Internet but in real life too. I feel very sorry you can't live your culture with freedom because of some ignorant and xenophobic people.

I am so very sorry.

Hello- my mother’s second husband was of Jewish ancestry, she took his surname.
I too am fearful for her. ❤️❤️❤️
I do not think you are exaggerating and while I do not think the Western democracy is oblivious but that they are so busy firefighting vote winning domestic issues so possibly they bury their heads about the divisive concerns facing the resident Jewish population.

Can I please ask how you had permission for the security guards to be armed if you live in the UK? I thought only police/ military could do this.Thanks

YANBU

I don't blame you for feeling frightened.

But if it's any comfort, the Nazi persecution was based on bunk racial "science" that didn't even respect conversion to Christianity when it came to rounding up Jews.

Islam may have some inherent issues, but racism isn't one of them. I don't think they'll go looking for the children of Jewish mothers and persecuting them for their "Jewish blood." You, individually, sound like you're not in danger.

But I agree that it's sad that you and other non-religious Jews feel like you have to keep it a secret.

@Waitymatey I live in the UK, but my family live in another Western country.

So are you saying that by not telling people you're Jewish and having a 'normal' name, you can easily blend in? I believe this is what some people say when they talk about this aspect of being Jewish.

That said, I'm sorry you have to do this as regardless of blending in, it still doesn't change how you feel and how difficult it all is.

It's horrendous that people living far away from anything happening in the ME would be targeted in any way. It's like an English person living in Spain and being targeted for something Boris did, it just make no sense (to me).

You sound like such a lovely person OP. I hope things are resolved and you can feel at peace again soon.

I'm so sorry you feel this way OP. But you need to know that very many people love and cherish our Jewish friends and neighbours and know that that our world would be much poorer without you. I'll always stand with Jewish people and so will all my friends and family.

I am also 'married out' and non religious but embrace my culture and heritage. So basically I take the bits I want and like. That doesn't make me less a Jew.
I am frightened and I live in a very non Jewish area in the uk.
I don't think people understand. I was brought up in the shadow of the Holocaust and am very pro Israel.
It seems churlish to complain of anti semitism in the Uk when all people in Israel and Gaza are suffering so badly.

@Waitymatey I’m not the OP but I would have thought unlikely to be private security, rather police - the U.K. has made provision for additional security guards at synagogues, as well as Jewish schools, because of a very steep rise in antisemitic incidents since October 7th. This has happened all over Europe.

Oh my goodness, where do you live that armed security is needed, I’m so sorry that’s awful.

Regarding blending in, I live in an area with a small Jewish population and most people wouldn't assume I'm Jewish. If I lived somewhere like London or Manchester where they know more Jewish people then they'd probably realise I'm Jewish.

If people wanted to stay in their homes, where they have been for generations, and if they wanted to resist being enthnic cleansed out of it and over to border, why would you find that somehow unreasonable? You expect the Palestinians to put up with it, when for example the English never would tolerate it.

Its awful you feel that way.
Thinking there will be a round up of jews AKA WW2 is maybe ott but fear will do that to you.

Its idiots thinking this way about innocent jewish people

Netanyahu is acting like a lunatic with no regard to war crimes and fearing no retribution/ critique from Biden or the EU. He is disgusting and I hope he is tried for crimes against humanity in due course.

People in the street can see whats being done in Gaza and to both sides and how wrong it is and feel helpless. No excuse at all for how you are feeling. Im sorry. The blame is on netanyahu and Hammas

@Sexnotgender sadly I think it could be many places. I married into Jewish family and now am much more aware of the horrendous anti-semitic attacks in Europe in recent years in places that I would have previously considered completely unthreatening places - the ones that spring to mind are the murder of the Holocaust survivor in Paris a few years ago and the shooting of primary school children in south of France - but obviously there’s a lot more if you Google. Yes isolated incidents and probably mentally ill perpetrators, but it’s very very frightening right now.

You are not overreacting - it must be absolutely terrifying and I am so sorry.

Interesting twist on my post and assumption about what I think

I said "Oh and you will get it carefully explained that Arabs have more rights to the land than Jews and no they don't have to share anything if they don't want too etc".
Which obviously means I am saying the people currently living their have equal rights to their houses and land.

Obviously I don't mean settlements in West bank. Frankly I have not met many Jews that think more settlements should be built. The west bank does contain thousands of Jews that have leaved their for generations but were ethnically cleansed by Jordan in 1948. They returned in the 60s to 70s to there homes. These Jews should be allowed to share the west bank with Arabd as they always did.

Let's try not to derail the op's thread