Spectator - The Torment of British Jews. This article almost brought me to tears.

[stelladelmare8]

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-torment-of-british-jews/ Apologies for the pay wall, but if you did want to read it you can get a free trial.

This article broke my heart. Sharing in the hopes of raising some awareness around what British Jews are facing right now in our own country.

How can you complain about Muslims being held to account for the actions of foreign governments just after saying it's fine to do the same with Jewish people?

I didn't post about it to complain about it, I was merely responding to a pp who said no other group other than Jews is questioned/held accountable for the actions of others. And it's certainly not just Muslims either, many groups face consequences for the actions of an individual within their group. I didn't say it was fine to do it? I said it could be more understandable as Zionism is a tenet of faith. That does not in any way mean that holding Jewish people accountable for what Israel is doing is in any way acceptable.

Just because most Jewish people think Israel has a right to exist doesn't mean you get to demand random Jewish people give you their opinion on a foregin government that has nothing to do with them.

Also, "most BJs"?

I didn't say anyone should? Sorry I wrote British Jews twice in one sentence and just abbreviated it the third time. I thought most people would get it.

Because I don't see our governments refusing to condemn or supporting the perpetrator, like they do with Israel.

Also our government letting British citizens serve in the IDF. IDF are killing innocent Palestinians at the moment. This is why we protest. Not because we "hate jews" for goodness sakes.

Innocent civilians on any side being killed is always awful.

But I could sit here and list numerous wars in various parts of the world where innocent civilians are being killed but tens of thousands of people are not protesting endlessly in London.

You said you think it's fine to ask "BJ"s what they think about the actions of a foreign government just because they're Jewish. It's not.

And maybe choose your acronyms more carefully next time. Although actually I suspect you already did.

AFAIR I said I don't think it's antisemitic to ask Jews outside of Israel what they think. Not as in approaching randomers in the street, but if I knew any I might ask their opinion. Not to hold them accountable, but just their perspective. The same way I asked a British Afghan I met recently about the whole Taliban situation.
I don't know what the problem is with the abbreviation, but sorry if it's an issue. It's something I'm used to doing to avoid repetition.

There's a big difference between "What do you think about...?" and "Why aren't you stopping Israel from...?"

Nothing wrong with the first. But whatever answer we give is rarely good enough for the interrogator.

Why does someone owe you their opinion on the actions of a foreign government that has nothing to do with them just because they're Jewish?

Did you read the article?
The protests started before Israel had even retaliated.
Think about that. Think about what Hamas did, and how these people in Britain chose to respond following the bloodiest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Firstly, where did I say anyone owes me anything? Secondly, of course it's very likely that a Jewish person might have an opinion on how the government of the only Jewish state in the world acts!

I totally agree. I don't think anyone said otherwise.

British and Jewish here. Albeit raised in a non Zionist family.
I understand the protests. There’s not any other conflicts I can think of in which tens of thousands of civilians are being killed, conditions are so inhumane and the Government can’t bring itself to call for a ceasefire and support the government committing these offences.
Any antisemitism is disgusting and the protests may have started before the retaliation but they didn’t have the support of the broader public at that point.

Honestly some of these comments are just proving the point of the article.
Now I feel even more depressed.

@stelladelmare8 really good and thought provoking article. Thank you for posting.

Are you surprised on here? I see loads of barely disguised antisemitism and apologist behaviour.

I have to sincerely apologise. I used an abbreviation for British Jews and it has come to my knowledge that this particular abbrev has connotations of a sexual nature (I've obviously led a very sheltered life 😲) I'm HORRIFIED that posters thought I was using this in that way. I had already asked MN to delete it anyway as several posters commented on it, but only found out why it was offensive after. There was me thinking it was something to do with Boris Johnston 😳

Our government isn’t supporting that and paying towards it though so it’s completely different.

Why does people's views on Israel justify anti semitism in the UK?
And there are comments here implying that.

I agree totally.
Anti-semitism is increasing in the UK and many people think it is justified because of Israel.

My God, I do. I hear these views expressed quite openly by lifelong supporters of Palestine.

One elderly white gentlemen absolutely roared at me that ' The Israelies have absolutely NOTHING to complain about, about what happened to them on October the 7th' . Another, again a white left wing man, supporter of Palestine, is basically an atrocity denier, believing its all been made up by the BBC, that people may have been killed but no rape or brutality took place, and that I only care because I think I have to because of the Holocaust. Another white left wing woman, another atrocity denier, who does air quotes every time she says ' the Jews.'

These are people who consider themselves good, compassionate people, openly expressing these views in casual social situations.

Its absolutely shocking the open levels of dehumanisation of Jewish people. Absolutely shocking. I now understand how things like the Holocaust do happen and its through the views expressed by these 'good, caring' people who cannot in anyway see their own racism.

People’s views against Israel don’t justify antisemitism, but the problem is that any criticism of Israel is taken as antisemitism even when it isn’t.

People protesting and waving Palestinian flags is not antisemitic, yet anyone that has marched in favour of Palestine has been called antisemitic and the marches calling for peace have been called hate marches.

We have completely lost sight of what antisemitism is and is not.