Is the penny finally starting to drop about anti semitism and hate marches?

[mids2019]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/04/starmer-c al l-society-response-rising-antisemitism

I think we are now seeing the cumulative impact of the anti senitism that has built up over the last 3 years where there has been a permissive environment with politicians hesitant to intervene in events in the streets that have incubated anti Jew sentiment.

All political parties apart from the hate apologist Greens are now waking up to the fact we need better policing and perhaps legislation. I for one will acting a vote for a party that recognises hate marches for what they are and also willing to tackle the vile posts appearing on social media (and Labour have reacted too late too little). Enough is enough for a Jewish community that lives in perpetual fear.

I can see why what I've said here is unclear. I am accusing the media of deliberately stoking antisemitism, it is the press house the call is coming from, not Jewish people.

The media is not 'deliberately stoking anti semitism.' They are reporting anti semitic attacks as that is news. It is online that antisemitism is being stoked. Twitter/X is full of it.

WTF?

Very much looking forwards to the poster explaining this one without use of a trope...

OK I will try and summarise.

I think it is not antisemitic to criticise the actions of Israel in Gaza. It is not antisemitic to march in protest at our Government's acceptance of a genocide.

I absolutely believe antisemitism is on the rise.

The media narrative is disingenuous and antisemitic. Yes they are reporting on real antisemitism. They are also describing criticism of Gaza as antisemitism. They are not challenging other vile forms of racism (seriously a man who suggested melting nigerians down was elected as a councillor). They are being actively antisemitic to Zac Polanski. How else do you explain the caricatures of him with a hook nose which can be compared side by side with Nazi propaganda?

You believe that marches against a genocide are actually secret hate marches against Jewish people. I believe that accusations of antisemitism are being deliberately used to shut down a debate that is about international law and ethics not British Jews.

And I do, firmly, believe that conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism is stoking the rise of antisemitism, for the reasons I explained.

I am done with this conversation now. You don't get me and I won't get you to see my perspective.

Prejudice, hatred or discrimination against Jewish people because they are Jewish?

If not, what’s the definition I’ve missed?

I don’t think it will be easy to ban the marches without a person who has the backing of the whole labour movement and it needs to be done with the premise that we need to respect all faiths and build bridges. I don’t think Starmer is the man for a number of reasons, including what he said too late with regard to the war in Gaza.

Who would have the backing of the whole Labour movement though? I don't think such a person exists!

https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism

Try reading this.

Antisemitism manifests itself in such different ways to other forms of racism that some people can easily miss what's going on when people hold up banners saying 'Zionists control the media' or whatever.

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.

So what I said then? I’m not sure why you’re being deliberately difficult? Antisemitism is about hatred towards Jews - whichever words you want to use to define that.

My question remains unaffected by which definition you use. If Netanyahu uses the phrase “from the river to the sea” - is it antisemitic? Or is it only antisemitic when someone who isn’t Jewish uses it?

So we should be able to understand the pain of racism and suffering of minority religions in the UK, but not the suffering that has been clearly shown in Gaza? A bit disingenuous.

Tell me, is it the distance or the religion that is the differentiator?

Oh dear god.

If it’s a stupid question in your opinion, it should be really easy to answer shouldn’t it.

If you aren’t able to answer the question that’s fine, no need to try and act intellectually superior by trying to intimate I’m too stupid to hold a conversation with. I’m as entitled to have a view as you are.

I already answered it and I thought the answer was bloody obvious.

Netanyahu didn't use it to call for the eradication of Israel, he used it to call for the eradication of Palestine.

Pro Palestinians use it to call for the eradication of Israel (but pretend it doesn't really mean that).

Do you really not understand the difference? Or do you think Netanyahu was calling for the eradication of Israel? What exactly is it you are confused about?

Tell me.

What’s your view on the Rohingya and the Uyghurs? Are you as vocal and animated for them, or just the Gazans?

I hadn’t seen you’d answered it, or I wouldn’t have asked.

Of course I understand the difference.

My point is simply that this means the phrase itself is not inherently antisemitic in every context. Its meaning depends on the intent of the person using it.

Some people absolutely might use it in an antisemitic way. Others use it to mean equal rights, freedom or liberation for Palestinians across the whole territory. You may disagree with that interpretation, but it’s clearly not identical in intent to hatred of Jews simply because the phrase itself is the same.

That’s such a good point. I read and see very little about the marches on main stream media. I don’t know when they are happening.

It would be interesting to see what impact social media is having. If we are to tackle racism effectively - it will be important to understand the drivers, as banning marches in themselves may otherwise be ineffective.

What it means is its racist.

If Netanyahu says it to encourage the destruction of Palestinians or their homes its racist towards Palestinians.

If people on marches use it to call for the destruction of Israel its also racist.

Racism against Jewish people is also called antisemitism.

Edited to add- surely its obvious that calling for the erasure of a whole nation of people is racist?

Some people absolutely might use it in an antisemitic way. Others use it to mean equal rights, freedom or liberation for Palestinians across the whole territory

Then they really should stop using it because y'know, using Hamas slogans that are calling for the eradication of Israel might make people think that's what you actually mean.

Why would anyone want to use a terrorist slogan while pretending it is a call for peace? Don't you think that's weird? Like globalise the intifada. Oops we did it again and used a slogan which calls for the killing of Jews but really we mean it in a peaceful way.

People aren't buying it anymore.

Of course their suffering is terrible too! Is anyone trying to say it isn’t or that it doesn’t count?

I am also concerned about what is happening in Sudan, Ukraine, Iran and Lebanon.

Exactly. Just make up a new slogan thats unambiguous in calling for a Palestinian state or Palestinian rights. Without also being associated with calling for the erasure of the state of Israel.

The Hamas one is... tainted?

It doesn't seem much to ask for in return for not looking like a raging antisemite.

I am glad to hear that.

Curiously, I don’t see the same profile given to the other oppressed minorities.

Curiously I haven’t seen China being seen as close ally, more like a reluctant trading partner.

But we do sell a lot of arms to KSA, who are up their their nuts in Yemen, and yet the resultant humanitarian catastrophe gets almost no airtime on here despite being in the ME...