Boris Johnson's Daily Mail column and an offensive term about Keir Starmer

[LlynTegid]

Mr Johnson refers to him as Keir Schnorrer. The word schnorrer is a Yiddish word/insult for beggar or scrounger. Mrs Starmer is Jewish.

If any of you meet any Conservative candidates or there are any who do online questions, let them know about this slur and ask whether they think this man is fit to remain in the Conservative party.

I have complained to IPSO.

I'm sure he thinks he's wildly clever titillating the Mail readers with a dose of racism and references to sexual practises.

Add that to Truss's recent interview with Carl Benjamin and standards for ex PMs seem pretty threadbare.

They’re not particularly high for current ones if this week’s events are anything to go by.

Is there anything that Johnson can say or do thay you won't defend Clav?

Listen to the Jewish posters and think

@SuziQuinto "Listen to the Jewish posters.
It's bad"

I'm not Jewish-and I know it's bad.....

We all know it’s bad. It’s the height of disrespect to minimise it or attempt to brush it under the carpet.

I do too and I'm not Jewish either.
My point is that everyone needs to listen to their concerns and hear what they say. It impacts all of us.

I didn’t know the word at all but I do now, and that it’s offensive.
It being slightly obscure is what Boris is relying on- be highly offensive to a community in a high profile way of a newspaper column but use a word that others don’t know is anti-Semitic. I looked it up after reading this thread though I expect DM will defend as doesn’t flag in dictionary as offensive. The offensiveness is obvious from the context.

Well, at least it’s exposed the lie that it’s just Labour that has an anti-semitism problem. The reality is plain to see now.

It is hardly surprising when you look at his past comments about black people which were highly offensive. He has form for insulting muslims as well, all before he was PM. His character was on full display for all to see.

Yes and to be fair the Labour party has tried to tackle the antisemitism, and Momentum no longer wield power.

God he really is an abominable twat. Why are they paying him to write this crap? Why are people paying to read it. Racist bastard.

I didn't know the term that man used. My adult child explained it's meaning. It's d despicable. But on a par with his "water melon" smile and " letter box"comments. He never fails to be scum.

on a totally unrelated point to the overall story : I don't think Starmer is Jewish. I'm pretty sure he's an atheist (and I accept there are people who consider themselves to be cultural jews, but are also atheist) who believes that faith is important to those who have it. I think his in-laws are Jewish (so his wife is, by default) and that his children have been brought up with the knowledge of Judaism.

No, Starmer isn't Jewish, either culturally or religiously. However, his wife and children are so it's a way to abuse him.

I will let everyone know when I get a reply from IPSO.

Thanks, @LlynTegid

If it was Corbyn that said it then you wouldn't hear the end of it, the media will keep quiet as usual.

Anti-semitism is vile regardless of sides.

Johnson also wrote a book (non-fiction) with all kinds of anti-semitic tropes in it.

Exactly. It's a distraction to think it's just limited to a certain group.

I am not Jewish but its incredibly offensive.
Not surprising from Johnson and The Mail, bunch of disgusting racists

.

Just this week I received a letter from the Conservative Friends of Israel endorsing the Tory MP in my area. Wonder what they would think about this…

Ditto - the mans a clown!!

I'm not Jewish, I found the article highly offensive and I've also complained to IPSO. Johnson knew exactly what he was doing. The man is a disgrace.

Genuinely why is using a Yiddish expression anti Semitic ? People use Yiddish all the time Jewish or otherwise. If he said Keir had Chutzpah would anyone think the compliment inappropriate?

Well, firstly the meaning of the word itself is offensive. And then second, he's deliberately used a Yiddish word, knowing that Sir Keir Starmer's wife is Jewish. Why else would he choose that language?

Chutzpah is a generally positive word, so the comparison just doesn't work.

I think a more appropriate question is why a well-known racist columnist would use a pretty obscure Yiddish or Hebrew insult in a column. It's not a widely known and well-used term like chutzpah. Boris isn't Jewish himself. The readership of the paper isn't known for its insistence on Yiddish-word-of-the-day learning.

Why on earth would a dog-whistling racist use a word in that way? About a politician with a Jewish wife and children. If you hear hooves, think horses, not zebras. And in this case, thinking about zebras looks like minimisation and whataboutery. There's really only one plausible explanation with the facts we have. Racist being racist.