Sorry but the war in Gaza does not justify anti-semitic abuse or placards with swastikas on!

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I've just spoken to a friend who went on the march in London today and feel physically sick at what she told me about some of the anti-semitic comments and chants she heard. She also told me about people carrying home made placards with swastikas intertwined with a star of david. I know people feel very strongly but how is this level of racial hatred justified??

my sister got caught up in the march last weekened, she was shocked as everyone suddenly kneeled down to pray.

I think fatti is right, the media just lazily refer to Israelis as Jews - so idiots (who frankly are looking for any excuse) just use the situation as a reason to behave like the morons they are. But saying that, maybe the UK Jewish community need to be more responsive in condemning actions by Israel when bad as well as supporting when good (and for that matter the Muslim community should be a bit more vocal about the wrongs of Hamas).

As usual it is innocents that are getting caught in the middle.

No Winky not really. At least not in the sense that that was why they were being argued with.

Actually it was a politically tactical argument. They believed that by recognising that Hamas were at fault too was equating Hamas and the Israeli govt. My friends said 'not so'.

And I agree. You can disagree with both sides and support the people of both Israel and Palestine. They disagreed that Hamas should be mentioned at all, that instead the focus should be solely on the awfulness of Israel.

However, I was surprised at the being asked to stand aside stuff - I have not come across that at a left demo before...

"They disagreed that Hamas should be mentioned at all, that instead the focus should be solely on the awfulness of Israel."

How very easy and simplistic.

From what I read and the pictures I saw in the London ES, the peace rally organised by the London Jewish community showed banners saying 'Peace for Gaza and Israel' and 'Two State Solution Now'

Were there any 'peace' type banners at the march you went to, Slur?

Good on your friends for staying put.

Sorry. Were there any peace banners at the march your friends went to, Slur. Not you.

this makes me feel sick. i hate what israel is doing to gaza, but i hate even more what Hamas is doing to Gaza... I have stopped talking to my palestinian friends because i am so uncomfortable with the antisemitic undertones, and with the refusal to denounce Hamas

Goingunderground so what ? (about the praying?) what is your point??

I can understand feelings of hatred towards Israel at the moment. It's destructive but understadable given thier current actions.

There will unfortuntaly be ignorant poeple who confuse jew with Israeli sadly. It should not be tolerated and swatstikas never displayed.

But I am more concerned at present with the massacre of hunderds of women and children than with extra security in a London synagogue I'm afraid.

Yes it's a probalem, but forgive me if it's not the most pressing issue on my mind this week.

I think there is alot of arab hatred around actaully. many who she them all as dangerous extremists who don't have normal human emotions (such as goingunderground perhaps?) and whose deaths are not that concerning.

After all 100 arab deaths for every Israeli death desn't seem to be concerning some too much.

Is there a word for arab hatred? I think we need one.

Ignorant people may confuse Jews with Israel but I'm surprised that Hamas can't make the distinction.

And many many many others. Many others.

Nantucket, you may not be concerned but I would like to stop any further violence in its tracks. On all sides.

You?

Yes me too.

I would deplore and conemn any attacks on any Israeli or Jew.

But as at this very moment hundreds of Palestinain women children are actually being killed that is my predominant concern.

TBH other concerns such as potential threats to a London synagogue,whilst worrying, just pales in comparison, and actauly seems rather self indulgent.

Nantucket. Perhaps you might be able to explain? Why have Hamas, who are at war with Israel, called this week for the murder of Jews worldwide?

I can understand them calling for the murder of Israelis but why Jews?

IIRC there are Jews who have lived in Ethiopia for thousands of years. Why would they be a target for Hamas?

Yes Winky. I agree. As do my friends.

A flawed argument.

"TBH other concerns such as potential threats to a London synagogue,whilst worrying, just pales in comparison, and actauly seems rather self indulgent."

So, to take precautions against death threats is self indulgent? Wonder what you'd do if somebody swore to kill your children?

After all, nobody is making comparisons with the deaths of children in Palestine here.

Because they are a hatred driven extremist fundementalist organisation. Why do you need me to explain?

It's abhorrent.

But at present Jews are not experiencing mass killings and a massacre.

People in Gaza are.

I'm not saying it's not a problem. It is. and Israels actions are so self defeating as they will just fuel further hatred, and give justifcation (in thier eyes) to those extremists in the middle east.

As I said, I can understand hatred of Israel, and it will get muddled with hatred of Jews. Totally wrongly but it will.

But most poeple will not hate Israel beacuse they are Jewish, but may end up hating Jews because they hate Israel.

Israel needs to give the world less reasons to hate it, and in the past two weeks it has given us many.

Blimey! "Self indulgent?"

If I were, say.. a Jewish Bradford shopkeeper who had been made a target by a Hamas leader for a war I had played no part in, I wouldn't think it was 'self indulgent' to be frightened of possible attacks by extremists.

If I were a Jewish Bradford shopkeeper I may be frightened but hardly on the same scale as a family in Rafah toady.

Yes it's a probelm, as I said, but in the light of the things that have happened to the poele in Gaza this week not even entering the same scale.

and to be more concerned about this than the poel being killed and starved seems, yes, self indulgent.

Ffs, I am so tired of the accusation that if you don't agree with Jewish people being threatened with murder etc., you are ipso facto 'unconcerned' about the suffering of those in Gaza. It's possible to be horrified by both.

"....home made placards with swastikas intertwined with a star of david"

Actually, Nantucket, how dare you say concerns about anti semitism are indulgent when this goes on?

This is a thread about the U.K. marches not about the violence in Gaza.

Not self indulent to be worried.

Not self indulgent to take precautions.

Self indulgent for this to be a greater concern in any ones mind over the people in Gaza.

Been to the demo today- and all was quite civilised.

I didn;t hear any of those chants or signs that have been mentioned.

I am very certain they didn't represent the feelings of the majority of the participants.

In my opinion disgraceful!

And that both-sides-of-the-mouth argument 'Well, yes, it's wrong to blame all Jews for Israel, but they just have to suck it up as long as Israel do things like this...' is as wrongheaded as the argument that says 'Well, yes, it's wrong to blame all muslims for the extremists, but they just have to suck it up...'

Wonder when people will march against suicide bombers in Israel?

The UK marches were about the violence in Gaza.

A swatika with the star of david is toatlly abhorrent and should never be tolerated, people should be arrested.

But some poeple seem more concerned about this than actual people being killed.

I am concerned about both, but this week substantailly more concerned about those actaully being massacrde.