Terrible but not surprised - Jewish community under threat

[mids2019]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx0331xxd7xo

It appears Jews are not safe in the UK at all.

Can we seriously look at the impact of anti semitism now?

I think we all should be concerned about terrorism in the UK and it certainly looks like after a few 'good' years they may be at end catlalysed by events in the middle east. The police ask for everyone to remain vigilant.

So apparently it's all fine. If you're Jewish all you have to do is condemn Israel and you'll be safe. I don't know how the anti semites will able to differentiate between Jews who have and haven't condemned Israel. Does anyone have any good ideas as to how Jewish people could identify themselves whilst out in public.

Answers on a postcard please

Oh cool! So if I, as a Jew, publicly condemn the government of a country I have never been to and have no interaction with, I qualify as a Good Jew and I will be safe? Will I be rewarded with a nice big Gold Star that I can wear on my clothes?

Ha @Comedycook didn't see this before I posted. Too fucking right.

Great minds. We've solved anti semitism between us!

It would be great if one of the posters critical of Israel would explain to zzbutton how what they are saying is anti-semitic. Maybe they'd believe it then?

It is pretty fatuous, to say the least, to suggest that Jews would be safer if we condemned Israel more. The whole community could be out there condemning Israel and people like the guys arrested would still be at it.

It probably would make some protestors better inclined towards Jews, but it shouldn't have to. I'm against Israel's actions and have been on protests but I always make it very clear that this does not make me the 'right kind of Jew' and that's not why I'm doing it. I believe Israel should continue to exist because it does exist, whether people like that or not, and because 7 million Jews are now established there; which means I'd be written off my some protestors as an evil ethno-supremacist, colonialist Zionist. But you can't win 'em all.

Yes, absolutely.

The fact is, a large proportion of Jews in the UK and all over the world, do support what Netanyahu and the IDF are doing now. Another signficant proportion totally denounce this, both here, all over the world and in Israel. But because of the first group, they are all at risk in so many ways, which is so wrong.

SharonEllis · Today 17:03
The huge rise in antisemitism has undoubtedly gone alongside the jump in antiIsrael activity. I think it would be the world's weirdest coincidence if they were not related given the routine conflation of jews/zionists/Israelis.

Agreed, but unfortunately they are intrinsically linked.
If you ask a person their religion and they say Muslim, for the majority of people they won't associate them with a specific country, some may think of Mecca and fewer still may know where it is.
If a person said Christian, again most wouldn't think of a specific country, some might make the jump to Italy/Rome/Vatican city.
Sikhism, India
Buddhism, Nepal
Whereas Judaism/Jewish whoosh straight to Israel.
Do you think a bigot is really going to think about the nuances or are they just going to think in their terms of good guys v's bad guys?
It is shit and unfair, and Jewish people shouldn't have to apologise for the actions of the Israeli government but while the routine conflation of jews/zionists/Israelis exists assholes will continue to asshole until people are able to see the separation.

So all Jews should denounce Israel to placate the anti-semites? The Jews who don’t actively do so are fair game for being murdered or abused?

It’s totalitarian to suggest people should avoid persecution by demonstrating that their opinions are pure. It’s literally what happened in Stalinist Russia.

No we are not at risk because of that. We are at risk from anti semites. Do you think we have short memories? Israel didn't even exist during the holocaust, so what was the reason we were at risk then? We've been at risk throughout history. Stop telling us what we have to do to keep safe

Interestingly, a proportion of the non-Jewish British public also support Netanyahu. Are they also not allowed opinions?

I think you misunderstood what that poster was saying. They didn't say that the Jews who don't actively denounce Israel are fair game. They said all Jews are fair game because of the naughty Jews who refuse to actively denounce Israel. They're apparently the reason anti-semitism exists.

Again, just putting a call out there for any pro-Palestinians on here to explain to these other posters why expecting Jews to speak at all about Israel is anti-semitic. Any takers? It'd be genuinely appreciated as they're clearly not listening to Jews telling them they're being anti-Semitic.

On a thread about the Jewish community being actively under threat, nonetheless 🤦🏻‍♀️

The fact is, a large proportion of Jews in the UK and all over the world, do support what Netanyahu and the IDF are doing now. Another signficant proportion totally denounce this, both here, all over the world and in Israel. But because of the first group, they are all at risk in so many ways, which is so wrong.

And here's me thinking they're at risk because of antisemitic terrorists.

As far as victim blaming goes, this is a new low.

The key word on this thread is ANTISEMITISM and more to the point a planned murderous attack on a Jewish community.

I've seem some things on this board but honestly this thread is a whole new level.

We're back to that age-old dilemma of do we report because they're being anti-Semitic, or do we leave it and hope it can be a bit of a teachable moment?

It's awful.

I'm just back from an event for Israel Independence Day at synagogue, and I found myself feeling so fed up that it's necessary to have an armed police van outside while the kids were on the bouncy castle.

DH and I decided today that we're moving to Israel as soon as he's finished retraining.

I'd say a lot of my fellow British Jews don't like what Netanyahu is doing, and they don't like Netanyahu and their view could maybe summed up as 'Well, Netanyahu is awful and has to go, but what do you expect them to do after 7 October? Nothing?' which I also disagree with as I'm pretty sure there does exist a potential response on the scale between 'nothing' and what the IDF has been doing for the past 6 months. Very few British Jews are actively cheering on the slaughter of Palestinians, but many are desperately trying to convince themselves it's a necessary evil to protect the existence of Israel I think. But that may well just be my opinion.

Also, again, of course none of this justifies terrorist attacks on Jews or antisemitism.

@fungipie Surely they are at risk because those that want to harm them are brainless twats

I don't think victim blaming is fair

Of course they are.
Have a look at this poll.
British attitudes to the Israel-Gaza conflict: May 2024 update | YouGov

Echo belly*

How are the Jews supposed to defend themselves after terrorist attack 7th
And before that.

I think what Israel is doing is excessive, but Hamas won't stop until Israel is no more (by their own assertion). They haven't stopped even now when all those innocent people
Are dying. Even if you believe you are in the right and Israel are evil, would you not stop if so many of your civilians were dying?

I genuinely want to know, did Hamas have an alternative to the action they took on 7th? Some sort of political, diplomatic option?*

Don't worry... according to some posters on here all we have to do is condemn Israel and the threat will just disappear.... 🙄