The 'new' anti-Semitism

In a lecture for Sky Arts broadcast last month, the Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks spoke of the new anti-Semitism that is resurgent in these isles and across Western Europe. Inevitably, the stuation in Gaza has led to incidents of anti-Semitism in Britain, and there will certainly be still more. Meanwhile, as Richard Owen reports from Rome, the 'Gaza is a concentration camp' remark by a senior cardinal has caused a massive diplomatic row which is threatening the Pope's visit to Israel. But another high-level Catholic delegation later this month is still going ahead.

The Community Security Trust, which advises Jewish leaders who have stepped up security at all synagogues, schools and other Jewish buildings, has compiled a dossier of attacks prompted by what is happening in the Middle East.

They include:

An attept to burn down a synagogue in Brondesbury, north-west London, the night before last. After failing to smash a window the arsonists tried to set the front door alight with petrol.

a gang of 15-20  'Middle Eastern' and 'Asian' youths shouting 'Free Palestine' while walking aggressively in the heart of Golders Green and attempting to enter some kosher restaurants.

Asian males driving on New Year's Day in a car in Golders Green shouting: 'Death to the Jews', 'Jews should be killed' and worse.

'Jihad 4 Israel' and 'Kill Jews' graffiti a bus stop in another north London Jewish neighbourhood and similar sentiments on a north London synagogue and also widespread in at least three other well-known Jewish areas in London, plus Manchester.

There has been anti-Semitic and hate male to activists, synagogues and their members and even 'Jews are scum bags' graffiti at Jewish-used golf course.

A skull and crossbones flag was placed on a public Menorah in central Manchester and more graffiti at a synagogue in Liverpool

'It's a shame hitler lost the war before killing all of you...' is an edited version of an email to a university Jewish society, and 'u r dead' an edited version of the text sent to the head of one communal organisation. There were also been shouts of 'Heil Hitler' at the Islam4UK demonstration at the US Embassy in London on 2 January along with mass chanting of anti-Semitic slogans.

I've removed the 'f' words and deleted the most offensive examples.

Mark Gardner, of the trust, told me: 'People have referred to a new anti-Semitism in recent years. I think that is slightly misleading although I know what it is meant to infer.' The trust has hundreds of anti-Semitic incidents reported to it each year. The majority of attacks are by non-Muslims. Mr Gardner said: 'When we see graffiti calling for Jihad in Jewish neighbourhoods it seems obvious that Muslims are the perpetrators. But year on year, anti-Semitism remains a problem for all of society.'

He continued: 'Obviously, there were people who hoped or expected anti-Semitism would fade out after the Holocaust. We can see that is not the case. What is happening to the Jewish community in Britain is very similar to what is being faced by Jewish communities throughout Western Europe. Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe are now facing again nationalist inspired anti-Semitism and some remains of Christian anti-Semitism as well.'

What is happening now is nothing new, he said, especially the anti-Zionism. It is just repackaged prejudices of old, and little different to what appeared in the Protocols forgery. 'New generations are falling prey to it just as old ones did. It still presses the same psychological buttons.'

He does not regard the situation as hopeless.

'There is no doubt that if a peaceful solution could be found to the Middle East, that would probably be the single most helpful thing that could occur.'

To balance this post, I will also put the other side, as represented by George Galloway MP at Saturday's rally: 'In April and May of 1943, the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto were surrounded by barbed wire fences, by the occupiers of Poland, and they faced a choice, in the words of the song of the partisans: 'They could die on their knees or they could live forever'. And they chose to rise up against their occupier, to use their bodies as weapons, to dig tunnels, to fight, not to die in ones and twos of hunger and typhus, but to die as free men and women. Today, the Palestinian people in Gaza are the new Warsaw Ghetto, and those who are murdering them are the equivalent of those who murdered the Jews in Warsaw in 1943.'

Watch if for yourself.

Comments

[J Pearce]

Mike,

Your arguments just go in circles. To be honest, I can see the logic in the argument about Israel being "a mistake".

But thats all in the past. The current scenario is about "how do we deal with whats happening now?".

Repeating the mantra "Israel should never have existed in the first place" gets us nowhere. Its a waste of time. Israel exists and lets face facts, its not going anywhere!

So I just don't understand what you think is gained by constantly returning to a scenario that is essentially irrelevant?

[Merseymike]

The Jews had no 'rights' to it, ever, and the establishment of Israel in 1948 was a mistake. Misplaced guilt. Nazi Germany and only Nazi Germany was responsible for the holocaust, and the postwar German government should have been responsible for reparations should that have been seen as necessary - not the fulfilment of a racist, religionist dogma called 'Zionism'

Its continued existence threatens world peace and that is reason enough for it not to remain there.

[J Pearce]

"Current crimes have erased any ancient rights that the Jews might possibly have had to this area."

This is an interesting (cough) premise. How far do we extend this principle?

What about Germany? The Israeli's are fumbling amatuers compared to the Nazi war machine. Catherine, are you going to demand that modern Germans cease and desist from the landmass now recognised as Germany, because of the crimes of their grandparents?

Or the USA? Should native American Indians be restored as rightful rulers of vast swathes of North America, because of the crimes of white American settlers?

Exactly how far back should we go with this?

What a stupid, stupid argument.

However, you have revealed that you at least consider that the Jewish peoples have some historical claims to the area currently known as Israel. I have yet to see any sensible argument from you as to why they should not remain settled there.

[Geoffrey Smith]

"Peace will not be obtained until Islam reforms itself and removes from its stated aims the genocide of Jews."
- David Cohen, 11 JAN 2009, 17:23

That will involve the expurgation of the Koran, Mr Cohen. Are you a betting man? I will offer you odds of 100-1 against that ever happening. Agreed?

[David Cohen]

The present borders, Merseymike, are the direct result of wars launched against Israel by its arab neighbours (subscribers to the "religion of peace") since 1948.

Offers of peace have been made by Israel and rejected by Arafat and Hamas.

Peace will not be obtained until islam reforms itself and removes from its stated aims the genocide of Jews.

[Merseymike]

The violence will stop David Cohen, once Israel removes itself to the borders that it was given in 1948. All settlements must be removed. Even Hamas have reluctantly said they could negotiate on that basis, but I think if Israel had not been so expansionist, and helped top promote Hamas in the first place, they would not be in power in any case.

R Wilder: the problem with the argument you use is that in the way you put it - there is one common feature - and one could be forgiven for thinking that you are suggesting that Jewish people cannot live alongside others....clearly that isn't the case. However, the creation of a Jewish state in the midst of hostile surrounding states was always going to be trouble, particularly as others were expected to move on in the process.

I shall never accept the Zionist myth so any argument which justifies Israel on those grounds is a non-starter. the only question I am concerned with is : does Israel's presence threaten world peace. Israel has no 'right to exist' any more than any other country.

[Kate]

"How fascinating Kate. I mean your potted, cherry picking view of history."

Are you REALLY as vacuous as you insist on presenting Catherine? As has been said before, but more courteously, you're out of your depth here. Intelligent discourse is not possible with one so limited in comprehension.

[Catherine]

How fascinating Kate. I mean your potted, cherry picking view of history.
Armed with that information I'm sure we are now all rooting for the Israelis to kill and shell more Gazan citizens, especially the women and children and Red Cross ambulances and homes and hospitals and....but I don't want to bore you.

For a modern army supposedly so efficient, they seem to make a lot of "mistakes", don't you think?

Current crimes have erased any ancient rights that the Jews might possibly have had to this area.

[Kate]

Abdul Mujeeb: "God curse the distructors.....how u feel, when some one forcibly invades and captures some part of ur home...??

An interesting 'analysis', considering the British have been 'forced' (over the past 30 years) to give up 'some part of' their 'home'; to accept colonies of Pakestini, Bangladeshi, Somali Muslims who have silently taken over large areas of a sovereign state.

Areas of England in particular, transformed into Asian subcontinent look-alikes; areas in which indigenous, or contentedly integrated immigrants, are not welcome. Areas in which Muslims claim
squatting 'rights' which exclude all others.

We have on these boards claims that "Britain is 'my country' and 'I have the right to invite as many Muslims as possible to settle here'.

We have the evidence that when Arab Muslims are ceded territories they enact laws which discriminate against all who are not Muslim. That such territories are unashamedly 'Judenfrei'.

It DOES seem that, in Muslim consciousness, there is always one law prioritising Muslims and another discriminating against Jews, infidels et al. It does appear that Muslim territory in the ME, Asia et al is inviolate whilst Muslims claim the right to settle and 'transform' other indigenous societies anywhere in the world, at will!.

There is, of course, NO thousand year history of Muslim settlements in the UK and Europe; no historical precedent for the present situation. Can Abdul Mujeeb therefore explain WHY Muslims in Britain are constantly in our faces claiming the right to impose Muslim religious tenets on the majority population, claiming rights of ownership to the UK whilst disallowing Jews (indigenous to the ME) the right to a mere 6% of the old 'Palaestina'?

Compare: Jews were driven from the Kingdom of Israel into exile by the Romans 2000 years ago. The Romans changed the name of the area to 'Palaestina. BUT Jews maintained a presence.

The word "Falastin" that Arabs today use for "Palestine" is not an Arabic name. It is the Arab pronunciation of the Roman 'Palaestina'.

Prior to the second Jewish revolt in 135AD, the Romans had renamed the Kingdom of Israel
'Provincia Judaea'. After the revolt, Emperor Hadrian decided to wipe out the Jewish connection and changed it again to "Provincia Palaestina".

At the end of the 4th century the Romans, during a general imperial reorganization changed the name again into three provinces of the Roman Empire - Provinces Palaestina First, Second and Third.

Between the Romans and the Ottomans, the area was invaded by the Persians, Babylonians, Mongols and Christian Crusaders.

The Ottoman Turks (non-Arabs) ruled there for 400 years (1517-1917). Under Ottoman rule, the Palestine region was attached administratively to Damascus and ruled from Istanbul.

The British on acquiring the territory used the term "Palestinian" to refer to all persons legally residing in or born in the boundaries of the British Mandate without regard to their ethnicity, religion, or place of origin.

The British Palestine Royal Commission reported in 1937 that

"it is time, surely, that Palestinian 'citizenship' . . . should be recognized as what it is, as NOTHING but a legal formula devoid of moral meaning."
(Palestine Royal Commission report, Command Paper #5479, 1937, p. 120, para 14).

The above statement is a recognition of the historical 'mix' - Arabs, Jews, Arab Christians, Eastern Orthodox and others.

It is an historical fact that since the first invasion of the Kingdom of Israel, the area was never allowed to be a national entity but ALWAYS a province of the invading culture. No distinctive 'Palestinian' culture was established. There were separate Arab, Jewish and Christian cultures and separate religious observance.

The concept of a 'Palestinian nation' composed of Muslim Arabs is NEW, emerging in 1967. It takes no cognisance of the other ethnic groups with thousands of years of residency in the area.

"Yes, the existence of a separate Palestinian identity serves only tactical purposes.
The founding of a Palestinian state is a new tool in the continuing battle against Israel"
-- Zuheir Muhsin, Military Department head of the PLO and member of its Executive Council, in the Dutch daily Trouw, March 1977.

Of course, history is a BORE for those who prefer mindless, emoting. Of course that is all 'then' and the 'now' shows pictures of Arab Muslim suffering.

The same people weeping for the Muslims of Gaza are those who advocate an 'efficient' solution to the Problem of the Jews. I keep banging on because I believe history offers a moral and logical perspective.

Palestine, is nothing more or less than a modern political propaganda term with massive anti-Israel implications and anti-historical inferences. It demands we suspend disbelief and all intellectual faculties.

[r wilder]

Its fascinating to read the different sides of the equation. Andrew Holden is right. Ideally all religions live together and practice freely. And the Jews, gotta love their tenacity, have tried this model all over the world. Before modern day Israel, they tried it everywhere with chilling effect. To name but a few: 13th century England - murdered and expelled; 15th century Spain - murdered and expelled; 19th century Russia - persecuted and the last big inter faith experiment 20th century Germany - wiped out. Religious assimilation been a massive failure for Jewish people (in Europe) and now, in Arab Countries and Ethiopia, almost impossible since 1948. So finally Jewish people, weary of 2000 years of persecution and death, said 'Enough is Enough. We need our own country, just one. We need to go back to the country of our ancestors'. Let me add, in addition to the above, all reasonable, fair minded people, recognise that the Palestinians require their own country - side by side their neighbour Israel. In peace. In prosperity and with firm secure borders. Until this is agreed by all, don't expect an end to war in this region.

[J Pearce]

Tony B,

I am sorry you feel that way, but lets be honest, your original comment was hardly an impartial assessment.

For the record, I think certain Israeli commanders should now be tried for war crimes, if the allegation about bombing a house full of civilians - who were advised to move there by the Israeli's for their own safety - are proved to be true.

If it was indeed deliberate, its an inexcusable act of barbarism as much as any Islamist suicide bombing.

[Lawrence Carter]

This article belongs in the Daily Mail or the Evening Standard.

[Steve]

David Ben-Gurion is on record as saying:

“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti - Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault ? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?”

“We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation, and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.”

And you still try to defend Israel. You still try to equate hatred of the Zionist philosophy that they are somehow more special than everyone else and entitled to land because of "God" with anti-Semitism.

It is a weak argument, and we know why you make it. Because you have no editorial integrity, and are told what to write.

Shame on you.

[Steve]

"So the protesters have no right to claim their "brothers" are suffering a holocaust, and to use such language is, i think, highly offensive towards the Jewish race."

Is it highly offensive to the Armenians too, after they were subjected to a genocide perpetrated by the Turks and their Azkhenazi friends?

Or does it only apply to God's special people?

[Steve]

Anti-Zionism is not Anti-Semitism.

Palestinians are Semites also, so supporting their rights over the foreign occupiers (the Jews from Europe and North Africa that colonised Palestine to create Israel) is not Anti-Semitic.

Please develop some understanding of the language, before attempting a career in journalism.

[Tony B]

JPearce - many thanks, I haven't been sneered at since 1975 and had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

[andrew holden]

"so friends, what u r saying,....
kill all Palesines and gather all zionist craps under the banner of THE GREAT NATION OF ISRAEL....
huh.....???"

Actually what I'm saying is that sectarianism will get only deliver increasing violence and more bloodshed.

The region needs a one-state solution which accepts Jew, Christian and Muslim as equal participants in a plural state. This will necessitate the repudiation of narrow form of nationalism as eschewed by both Hamas and Zionism and the flowering of the shared Biblical tradition of tolerance, acceptance and mutual hospitality. Now that's not asking too much - is it?

The presently touted two-state solution is not viable in the long-term but may be a necessary stepping stone where people of different traditions learn to live side by side again and learn to trust each other.

Pipe dream maybe - but anything less is a denial of our shared humanity and leads to facism.

[David Cohen]

Mersymike

Your comment about Germany suggests that you have a schoolboy notion of modern history.

Most of those "oppressed" by Germany were already dead by 1945, with the approval and cooperation of the nazis' islamic allies.

The creation of a recognised state of Israel was an international response both to that overwhelming tragedy and to the recognition that antisemitism was not just a German but an international phenomenon.

Unfortunately antisemitism has not gone away but is being fomented by islamists the world over. Copies of the fictitious "Protocols" which once circulated nazi Germany are now openly on sale in islamic bookshops. The genocidal texts contained in islamic writings not only feature in the Hamas constitution but are being preached in extremist mosques and madrassas throughout the world.

Any state threatened by its neighbours and their wealthy backers, not only with war but with genocide, is entirely justified in defending itself robustly.

The violence could stop - could have stopped at any time in recent years - if the militants in Gaza would stop targeting Israeli civilians with rockets and suicide bombs, and talk constructively about a peaceful solution. This they have consistently refused to do and even now they are firing rockets at civilians, with no pretence at a military objective. They believe they are fulfilling a holy commandment by killing Jews.

[Exodus]

The creation of Israel was a terrible mistake on the part of the Britsh Empire, in its final days. Now that Israel does exist, and nothing is going to change that, then the question is, what of the millions of Palestinians who have been robbed and diposessed? Is there a promised land for them, or is that the preserve of God's chosen race? The two state, and one state solutions are going no where, thanks to Israeli efforts to change the human geography of the territory with hundreds of "settlements", so maybe the only solution really is to find somewhere else on the surface of this planet for a Palestinian state (in exile). As if . . .

[Abdul Mujeeb]

so friends, what u r saying,....
kill all Palesines and gather all zionist craps under the banner of THE GREAT NATION OF ISRAEL....
huh.....???
God curse the distructors..
those who rolls tanks on innocents of palestine..
how u feel, when some one forcibly invades and captures some part of ur home...??
dont u feel same happened with Palestines...!!

[Dr. Irene Lancaster]

Israel is not a racist state and correct behaviour to minority groups is enshrined in its constitution.

In addition, many top places in ministries, academia and medicine are held by Muslims, Christians and Druze - and this is so taken for granted that not much is made of it.

In answer to those who ask why Israel is hated, maybe they should read Richard Owen's report in this paper that Jewish shops in Italy are now being targetted by boycotts.

Strains of old-fashioned European anti-semitism or what?

[Merseymike]

If the Jews wanted that sort of space, then it should have been donated by their oppressors - Germany. Not some spurious historical religionist claim to land which requires turfing out those already there.

Zionism just isn't defensible in any way. never has been, never will be.

[David]

Basutoland (name change), Bavaria (always part of Germany), Biafra (never existed as a country, just part of Nigeria), Ceylon (name change, now Sri Lanka), Dahomey (never a separate nation), Kurdistan ( never a separate nation) amd Czechoslovakia (divided back into two by popular - democatic - mandate), so Catherine, your point is what?

[Catherine]

Have you seen that the Israelis have now slaughtered 765 civilians in Gaza?

The hideous might of Israel is being used to attack a country with no army, navy or airforce.
Now after the Israelis shelled upon a UN ambulance during the short ceasefire, two drivers were killed and as a result the UN has declared that it is untenable to continue to aid the Gazan population.
I recall that Israel also fired upon the UN during the Lebanon war, and it appears to be an Israeli policy designed to prevent a UN presence in the area of attack and thus blanket out any bad publicity caused by its terrorist tactics.

Tell me again, who are the terrorists?

[Catherine]

Mr. Pearce a lot of what you say is correct and I admire your sound reasoning.
But what infuriates me and millions of others, is the hanging on to land that was conquered in war, and east Jerusalem where the Arab population is being harrassed and otherwise pressured until they cede that area to Jews. That is unethical and smacks of that overused term which I cannot find a better way of expressing -- ethnic cleansing.
The West Bank? So does Israel consider it as part of Israel or is their policy of enclosing, dissecting and controlling the local population to the point of desperation, just a sneaky way of creeping expansion?
And Gaza, where Israel has never ceased to seal and control the borders and coastline, and impose their will by witholding Gaza tax revenue.

My tongue in cheek defence of the elimination of Israel certainly brought the woodworms out and I am the first to state that the US would be the first and last to defend Israel, for many reasons, some of which are:
1 The US regards Israel as "an unsinkable aircraft carrier" where it, and its surrogates the Israelis, can exert and impose their hegemony in this strategically important part of the world.
2 The US administration, House, Senate and important political agencies in control of the US's military might, are quite literally "in the pocket of the Jewish lobby".
3 Said Jewish lobby really does exist and is all powerfull, and uses all means including those verging on the illegal and unethical to control the US political scene.
4 Furthermore the Jewish lobby was instrumental in the US's attack on Iraq and is now actively egging on the US to attack Iran. That is in no way a defence of Mr. Ahmadinejad who is little worse than Ariel Sharon and David Ben-Gurion in my eyes.

There are other reasons but these are enough to get some people worked up.
And to finish, I certainly believe that Israel should retreat to its 1947 borders.

[J Pearce]

I find myself in the remarkably rare position of agreeing entirely with David Cohen.

Catherine, the Jews can stake a historical claim to the lands currently recognised as Israel. Native American Indans have done much the same in the USA and been awarded reservations to live on. The model for Israel is established.

Your list of disestablished states omits to mention the fact that these states were dissolved through essentially political means (or just redrawing maps) with the acquiesence of most of the populations affected. Israel will not accept this process. Therefore, you will have to destroy the Jews to remove Israel from the map. Is that what you are really advocating?

Has it occurred to you that the Jews have been historically persecuted for thousands of years and hounded across the globe - therefore they have been made a convenient scapegoat whenever a society wishes to find one? Its not as if the Jews have ever been a tyrannical world power (as Britain was and as the US seems intent on being), exploiting various countries for their own gain - they have just holed up in whatever ghetto they can find and tried to keep their noses down and out of trouble.

The Jews have been eternal victims - but now they have a place to call home, they are clearly prepared to defend it at any cost. They are, essentially, paranoid - and who can blame them? I agree that they have created a lot of their own problems (land grabs etc, which I agree should be reversed), but you cannot escape the fact that they live under constant threat of invasion and bombardment. The only reason that things aren't any worse in the region, is because the neighbouring Arab states haven't got a fecking clue how to run a military operation against them.

Beliving that removing Israel will immediately usher in a era of peace and harmony in the ME, is just dumb thinking. It will just revert to Muslim vs Muslim infighting again for a start...

[Catherine]

"However we have taken the analysis further and questioned "why on earth is the USA so hated and are being constantly attacked or criticised by Arab, Moslem, Christian and Aetheist?"
The only answer would seem to be their behavior.
This state agressively takes advantage on any and all ocasions to expand its borders and to subjugate its ill treated neighbours."
David Cohen

Yes! You are so right David.
Just think about Mexico, Vietnam, Cuba, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan...and thanks to Jewish lobbying in the US, the next country to receive "US culture" at the end of a gun barrel, will probably be Iran.

[Catherine]

"However we have taken the analysis further and questioned "why on earth is the USA so hated and are being constantly attacked or criticised by Arab, Moslem, Christian and Aetheist?"
The only answer would seem to be their behavior.
This state agressively takes advantage on any and all ocasions to expand its borders and to subjugate its ill treated neighbours."
David Cohen

Yes! You are so right David.
Just think about Mexico, Vietnam, Cuba, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan...and thanks to Jewish lobbying in the US, the next country to receive "US culture" at the end of a gun barrel, will probably be Iran.

[Kate]

"Perhaps the ONLY answer is for Israelis to remember that they are under the spotlight and all their current massacres will inevitably be remembered when some lout sees a Jew walking down the street with a skull cap on."

That would be the 'lout' with the rucksack heading off to blow-up fellow citizens then Catherine? Or the skin-head 'lout', egged on by nice mummies - 'caring' people like you?

General comment: can anybody REALLY be taking this woman seriously?

The dichotomy between 'protests' of racism whilst gleefully issuing threats to law-abiding diaspora Jews clearly escapes her tiny mind.

[David Cohen]

Catherine

The shallowness of your analysis can be exposed by simply substituting "the USA" for "Israel" in your statement, thus:

However we have taken the analysis further and questioned "why on earth is the USA so hated and are being constantly attacked or criticised by Arab, Moslem, Christian and Aetheist?"
The only answer would seem to be their behavior.
This state agressively takes advantage on any and all ocasions to expand its borders and to subjugate its ill treated neighbours.

Jews have been living in Israel for some 3,200 years. Most of those there now were born there. Despite repeated attempts at genocide over the centuries by islamic conquerors there have been Jews in Israel far longer than islam has existed.

History does change and it is you who need to get over it. There is a modern State of Israel occupying a portion of the lands anciently owned by Israel. The only way of changing this is by force, and in expressing your desire to remove it you identify yourself with the aims of Hamas and islamism.

In effect you are advocating genocide.

[Catherine]

J.Pearce, those of us who see reason in the dismantling of Jewish Israel accept your points a,b and c.
However we have taken the analysis further and questioned "why on earth are the Israelis so hated and are being constantly attacked or criticised by Arab, Moslem, Christian and Aetheist?"
The only answer would seem to be their behavior.
This state agressively takes advantage on any and all ocasions to expand its borders and to subjugate its ill treated neighbours.
There is no reason to believe that "Israel is here to stay, so live with it". The whirls and surges of history have shown many times that a mistake can and will be corrected and many ill conceived ideas and countries have gone the way of the dodo.
To mention just a few, countries such as:
Basutoland, Bavaria, Biafra, Ceylon, Dahomey, Kurdistan amd Czechoslovakia no longer exist and it seems reasonable to add Israel to this list of obsolete states.

[J Pearce]

I note that those contributors keen to label Israel a racist state, keen to promote the idea that Israel should be "disasembled" and keen to highlight the suffering of "innocent Palestinians"...none of these people have managed to counter-argue other facts raised on this thread, these being:

A) Hamas and all other Arab nations are dedicated to the eradication of Israel, by use of force if required (i.e. genocide),
B) Hamas has repeatedly launched rocket attacks on Iraeli civilians, leading to Israeli casualties over a long period of time,
c) Hamas hides its military capability deliberately within civilian districts.

Israel is certainly guilty of many crimes. However, to wilfully ignore all the available evidence which implicates Muslims - especially Hamas - in equally appalling crimes - well, you have to be a bit thick, really, don't you?

[Geoffrey Smith]

There's probably no God, so stop worrying and enjoy life all you people in Gaza.

[Ruth]

Perhaps if the author had really wanted to balance this article (non-ironically, of course), she woud have mentioned the attacks on muslims and sikhs after 9/11 and 7/7.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-investigate-backlash-attacks-498128.html
I too am at a loss - to understand why a religious correspondent is so selective in her portrayal of the overall picture.

[robroy]

"While there are clear examples of anti-Semitism, Israel often cries 'anti-Semitism!' to avoid any criticism of its outrageous flaunting of international law."

Right. And when the Nazis were shooting V2 rockets at London, the Brits shouldn't have defended themselves. That apparently violated "international law!"

[Catherine]

It's unfortunate that some people confuse Jews and Israelis, but the difference is subtle.
Israel, being a racist state, virtually all power is held by Jews.
But that doesn't mean that British Jews are Israelis and thus guilty by religion.
Another blurring of the line, and a very important one, is the fact that nearly all Jews vigourously support Israel, both its good deeds and its evil deeds.
Such subtleties are lost on your run of the mill street lout however.
Perhaps the ONLY answer is for Israelis to remember that they are under the spotlight and all their current massacres will inevitably be remembered when some lout sees a Jew walking down the street with a skull cap on.

It is exactly the same prejudice in America where I have often heard Arabs and Moslems referred to as "ragheads" and public insults made in their hearing, and your good old apple-pie-eating Joe Smith keeps quiet.
Strange that AIPAC and their ilk don't even mention it though.

[Andrew, Venezuela]

As invariably happens when armed conflicts break out anywhere, the first victims always include innocent people and the truth. The present Middle East affair is no different in that respect, since both "parties" are quite obviously endeavouring to manipulate the data for their own propaganda purposes. I abhor the wanton killing of civilians under this type of circumstance, whosoever may be responsible for such acts, and I can't accept unreservedly the claims of either side in the conflict. I would, however, be interested to hear opinions as to why certain of the more militant islamic jihadists should have acquired such an unsavoury reputation for the wanton killing of innocent men, women and children (e.g. suicide bombers etc.) - including many of their own faith -to supposedly advance some extremist form of islamic doctrine. Who do they think they are going to convince with such obnoxious behaviour ?. Peaceful protest is part and parcel of any democratic society, but acts of physical violence must always be capped if they should occur. I do hope those involved in this quarrel will see their way to exercising some common sense and sorting out their differences in a non-bellicose way. Enough is enough, and that goes for all involved.

[Mordechai]

People are often playing with words when they claim anti-Zionism isn't antisemitism. Anti-Zionism still seems to involve demonising Jewish Israelis, boycotting Jewish Israelis and Jewish Zionists, using Holocaust terminology and then complaining about Jews who speak about the Holocaust, etc. - in order to escape this you either keep quiet, or you toe the JFJ4P/NK line of Jewish Israel-hatred.

On religious matters I wonder how British churches will respond.

[David Cohen]

S Afseemn describes Israel as a "racist state", something which is manifestly not so when one examines the genuine pluralism which exists there.

By contrast, the Hamas Covenant states:

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory)

And the motivation for this?

Article 7

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:

"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews.

This goes further than racism or even anti-semitism: it is a declaration of genocidal intent.

This intent is not confined to Gaza, however: it is the stated purpose of islamists throughout the world.

For those who wish to understand the impossibility of any compromise on the part of islamists with the reality which is the state of Israel, or with the existence of Jews anywhere in the world, the full text of the Hamas Covenant can be seen at:

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp

[S Afseemn]

If the CST believes that criticism of Israel's brutality, or chants for a free Palestine are anti Semitic acts, then no Ruth, they are in no position to judge. And you as a journalist should not accept their judgment either. Attacking a racist state like Israel is not anti Semitic. Attacking Judaism is. I thought journalists are supposed to question their sources, and not just hide behind: they have their own reasons and we have to trust their judgement. How can I trust the judgement of a group whose ultimate goal is the spread of disinformation to give cover to genocide?

[Fred Weiss]

If you will kindly allow me a second comment Ms. Gledhill, I would like to briefly respond to the comment of "Merseymike" on 7 Jan 2009 14:10:27.

He said, "You can't create a state in the middle of unsympathetic nations and expect the people already living there to clear off. Which is essentially what Zionism led to."

Zionism did no such thing. In fact 1,000's of Arabs (who were not there previously) flooded into Palestine to take advantage of the prosperity which the Jews had created. Furthermore, the Arabs who fled upon the establishment of the State of Israel did so of their own accord in anticipation of the massed onslaught by Arab armies with the intent of destroying the new state. Over a million Arabs now still live peacefully in Israel. The reverse can hardly be said of any Arab country where not only Jews but peoples of any faith other than Islam are generally unwelcome.

[J Pearce]

"So, 600 Palestinian dead, including over 200 children, for 9 Israeli deaths, one from friendly fire?

Something doesn't add up. Hamas must be lousy shots or something."

Its called asymmetric warfare. Hamas has to hide its limited arsenal within the confines of civilian districts (Israel has air and army bases - you will note Hamas rocketry rarely targets Israeli military capability).

If Israel is to denude Hamas of its weaponry, it is forced to attack civilian areas. Otherwise, how can it disarm Hamas?

So the equation is quite simple - Hamas deliberately puts civilians in the line of fire. Therefore, the resulting casualties are disproportionate.

Not that difficult to understand, is it?

[Tony B]

So, 600 Palestinian dead, including over 200 children, for 9 Israeli deaths, one from friendly fire?

Something doesn't add up. Hamas must be lousy shots or something.

[Merseymike]

But it appears that any criticism of Israel is regarded as anti-semitism by some.

I simply don't accept the Zionist argument and think that Israel's creation was on balance, damaging to world peace and a failed experiment. You can't create a state in the middle of unsympathetic nations and expect the people already living there to clear off. Which is essentially what Zionism led to.

[J Pearce]

I would like to remind everyone here that George Galloway is the man who acted the part of a cat for Rula Lenska on Celebrity Big Brother.

'Nuff said.

[mike swift]

i agree and the media doesnot help the bbc is so biased ive started to watch and listen to aljezera they are impartial i wouldlove the bbc to get the iranian and sryian ambasador on tv and ask them this question 'why do you give weapons and monay and training to terrorist groups'

[S Afseen]

I am amazed how you consider chants for a free Palestine to be anti semetic. The apologists for Israel use any means to justify genocide. Any critisim of state terrorism becomes anti semetic. Welcome to the new world order!
Palestinians are humans too. Oh I am sorry, you probably think that that is anti semetic too!

(rg writes: I was here reporting data collected by the CST, who have their own reasons for considering the incidents described as anti-Semitic. For security and other reasons all the details have not been put on this blog. I think they are in a position to judge, don't you?)

[Bob Crane]

No big surprise. The UK has always had latent anti semitism. Add the Pakistanis and other assorted Islamic jerks and you have a volatile Jewish hating mob. The Netherlands Denmark and the Czech Republic won't tolerate these thugs. Many in the UK , France , Italy and Spain seem to revel in their hatred of Jews. I am glad I live in the USA where the Muslim population has to watch their step since 9/11

[albert pike]

Haha, Galloway was right!!

[adamsmith1922]

I just cannot accept Galloway's contention that Gaza equates to the Warsaw Ghetto and by implication Israel to the Nazis.

Hamas the Gaza government is committed to eliminating the State of Israel and by implication all the Jews there. Hamas with their provocation, terrorist acts are the Nazis equivalent. The quiescent civilian population which elected Hamas are morally comparable to those Germans who voted for Hitler. Hamas aims are in it's charter, so there is no excuse for Gaza civilians to say we did not know. Thus the civilian population is complicit with the stated aims of hamas to eliminate Israel. So why should they be surprised by Israel's response.

Given Israel's location surrounded by enemies, it seems to me that Israel is the ghetto and Iran and it's Hizbolleh and Hamas lickspittles the Nazis

[Peter Jackson]

As a brief history lesson; the Cable St march by Mosley was resoundly rejected by the then 'working class' in that his views where overwhelmingly trounced by very indignant dockers!

[Peter Jackson]

If this man in any way acts as a parliamentary representitive it says little for MP's and even less for the people who put him there! His comments might be viewed by many as harmless but in no way mitigates there offensiveness.

[Tony]

"...anti-Zionism. It is just repackaged prejudices of old..."

there is a big difference between antizionism and antisemitism. for a start not all jews are zionists and not all zionists are jews. to claim someone elses land because your ancestors once lived there is merely unreasonable. to claim it because god gave it to you is insane.

[robroy]

And now reports of Hamas stealing food meant for refugees and selling it back to them, using children as shields, shooting mortar fire from schools, intentionally trying to increase civilian casualties. Ah yes, let's blame all this on the Israelis.

http://tinyurl.com/7x3x5y

[Thomas Goodey]

"a gang of 15-20 'Middle Eastern' and 'Asian' youths shouting 'Free Palestine' while walking aggressively in the heart of Golders Green..." It's called a demonstration, Ruth. One of those things people are free to do. Walking aggressively? like, a march? Don't you like their ethnicity in that neighborhood? Not allowed somehow?

[Jan F]

Please remember the comments that these horrible people use.. Galloway is a 'useful idiot'. He is a distraction. The barbarians are not just knocking at our Gates of Rome.. We have welcomed them in whilst they spout their hateful bile. We need to sort out the people we have in charge. This Marxist Government and the Common Purpose parallel Government are deliberately destroying our Britain. You the politically correct media are part of the problem. My mebership application for the right wing 'pariah' party is in the post. They (whose name is banned by the NUJ) are the only Party that has the political will and honesty to sieze our land back from the invaders.

[Weitchpec]

Europeans engaging in anti-Semitic violence? What a shocker!

[Reg Smith]

Mr Galloway would be more persuasive if (a) Hamas abandoned its mission of destroying Israel, (b) stopped launching missles at Israel, and (c) didn't locate its facilities in places most densely packed with civilians.

But, of course, that doesn't matter to Mr. Galloway, because (a) he'd like to see Israel destroyed, (b) launching missles at civilian Jews is simply self-defense, and (c) every Gazan must contribute to the victories of Hamas whether they want to or not.

[Akash P]

I think this sort of behaviour is disgusting and has no place in modern society. I also think Galloway's statements are puerile at best, mostly just offensive. On the other hand, I also take issue with the descriptor "Asian" - I am an Indian, Hindu by birth, therefore "Asian". I have close Jewish friends, and a lot of sympathy for them, even if I think military action is wrong. My point is that you would not say "Europeans killed Jews in WW2" would you? Why are we hiding behind euphemisms? Unless I'm wrong and hordes of Chinese and Japanese have suddenly turned anti-semitic in London...

[Bro Ronald]

Nothing New here. Hating the jews is as old as the Bible.

All this is leading up to the final world war involving many nations surronding Israel from all sides at Megiddo Valley "The battle of Armegeddon". This will usher in The Second coming of Jesus...and Final peace on Earth.

Take note How the media plays up the death of children..and civilians. Hamas started this current episode of violence toward Israel. And like the cowards they are they hide among the general population where the bombings and missle strike etc. Thus always showing the Jews as murderers etc.

[Geoffrey Smith]

Let's not forget that Galloway is the moron who went to Bagdad to kiss Saddam Hussain's ass. I don't recall seeing him at a demonstration, pre-2003, demanding a stop to the killing in Iraq.
Someone once told me that Galloway is a Catholic, but seeing him on the same Marxist platform as Livingstone soon dispels that rumour.

[Perpetua of Carthage]

Thought experiment:

1) Imagine that Hamas threw all its weapons in the sea and promised not to fight Israel. What do you think Israel would do?

2) Imagine that Israel threw all its weapons in the sea and promised not to fight Hamas. What do you think Hamas would do?

Hint -- here is the link to the Hamas charter. Hamas does not accept the legitimacy of Israel and the goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel and establish an Islamic state on all the land of Israel.

Now, is the analogy mapping the Israelis to the Nazis and the Palestinians to the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto useful?

Obviously not because if the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto threw all their weapons into the Sea, the Nazis would still want to kill all the Jews.

And if the Nazis threw all their weapons in to the sea, the Jews would not try to kill the Nazis.

Viewed in this way, reversing the analogy actually makes some sense:
Like the Nazis committed to annihilating the Jews, Hamas is committed to annihilating Israel.
Like the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto seeking only to survive, Israel only wishes to stop the attacks on itself.

[Matt Manchester]

I think people forget too easily the consequences of anti semitism. Hate is very powerful and there is far too much hate on all sides.

If Jews are ever to be free of anti semitic attacks then leaders in the Jewish community like Jonathan need to spend more time engaging with ordinary British people to get the message across that Jews are no different and that being a Jew does not mean you are an Israeli and condone that governments actions.

[Stephen Smith]

Surely the overwhelming source for anti-Semitic behaviour over the last fifty years has been the acts of state of Israel. Israel uses the anti-Semitic behaviour for propaganda purposes to paint itself as the victim when it is acting as the perpetrator.

[Steven Carr]

Can the police not arrest some of these anti-Semites?

It is getting as bad as Islamophobia!

[Merseymike]

I think these things are mere trifles compared to the carnage that the Israelis are carrying out in Palestine

When those above start condemning those activities, they will deserve sympathy. Violence is never acceptable, but I didn't notice any remarks about the far worse discrimination that Muslims face in the UK and Europe.

George Galloway is absolutely right. I have decided that in all conscience I cannot take part in the Holocaust Remembrance Activities given the current behaviour of the Israeli state, supported by those who we are supposed to be remembering.

[Paul Stead]

at times like this, it makes me wonder whether people like George Galloway actual know what the holocaust was.
6 million Jews died, and, i think i am correct in saying this, the population of Gaza is 1.5 million. Israel is not intent on wiping out Gaza, just Hamas.
So the protesters have no right to claim their "brothers" are suffering a holocaust, and to use such language is, i think, highly offensive towards the Jewish race.

http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2606
this article further highlights the sheer racism of those who are protesting for "peace"

[Rob]

While there are clear examples of anti-Semitism, Israel often cries "anti-Semitism!" to avoid any criticism of its outrageous flaunting of international law.

The fact is that the majority of people in the UK are not anti-Semitic - but we are very fed up of Israel's inability to co-exist peacefully with its neighbours. Admittedly not just Israel's fault, but we all have to put up with the consequences. This leads some of us to even sometimes hope that both sides will wipe each other out and make the world a better place. And that's not a bigoted view - I hate stupid people with equanimity, whether they are Jewish, Islamic or Christian.

[Jack Nicholson]

Glibly blaming the protocols for a rising wave of anti-semitism is not only specious it is disingenuous. I'm not an anti-semite - I have no issues with 95% of jews. but the 5% of jews taht plainly seek to follow destructive and inhumane political and military objectives. Yes - this is Anti-Zionism - and I'm not ashamed to be anti-zionist if Zionism means the death of innocent children and the suffering of well over 2 million fellow human beings. Those taht control the flow of information would like nothing more to label me and others like myself as nazi anti-semites - thus reducing and even ignoring the message presented - which is this, stop killing, stop persecuting and have 1 standard for all people regardless of religion or ethnic origin. And to ignore the fact that the World Financial Crisis was brought on by people like Bernanke, Greenspan et al and then to learn that the, and I borrow a jewish word here, scheister of all scheisters bernie madoff is a jew and no wonder people see that there is indeed a Jewish money Elite who are rippingthe rest of us off. When will Israel abide by a UN resolution? When will Israel sign to a nuclear non-proliferation treaty? When will Israel behave like a world citizen and not a spolit brat?

(rg comments: No-one is 'blaming' the Protocols and I am at a loss to understand how you think they could be. A comparison was being drawn, that is all.)

[Fred Weiss]

Quoting George Galloway isn't a "balance" to this post. It is merely more of the same. The "Palestinians" and their Arab supporters have had the clear intention of annihilating Israel since its inception - and in fact prior to that were allied with the Nazis and cheered on the Holocaust. If the Palestinians are in a ghetto it is of their own choosing and in order to promote a victimhood which they use as a weapon to garner unjustified world sympathy. Nothing has ever stopped them from embracing the principles of free societies and thereby achieving the prosperity which would have resulted - just as it did for Israel.

(rg comments: one of the problems with an online forum such as this is that irony doesn't always come across effectively.....)

[Dr. Irene Lancaster]

My grandmother died in the Warsaw Ghetto and her Israeli great granddaughter helped the Palestinians with their new infrastructure when Israel evacuated Gaza. That infrastructure has now been destroyed by Hamas, which has been attacking innocent people in southern Israel for years.

The Jews of Warsaw caused no threat to Poland. On the contrary, they had contributed to the wellbeing and culture of that country.

Can we really say that about Hamas?

Incidentally, I have an appointment at the King David School in Manchester tomorrow morning, if I can get there through the snow. However, according to p. 3 of today's Times, security at the school is such that only certain people will be allowed in.

That is life for the Jewish communities of the United Kingdom at present, whilst their counterparts in Israel have been suffering death and destruction from their Islamist enemies since the creation of the State and earlier.

Is this really similar to the behaviour of the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto? I think not.