Sunday, April 6, 2008
The British ambassador to Israel, Tom Phillips, was prompted to write to the Jerusalem Post following an article asserting that the "UK has become European center of anti-Semitism.": British Jews are free from fear. He stated in part:
...The UK deeply values its strong and vibrant Jewish community. Indeed, I find it impossible to imagine a Britain without its Jewish community. For over 350 years now, the world of arts, science, literature, trade etc have all benefited from the invaluable contribution of Britain's Jewish community.
As part of my preparations to come out to Israel as ambassador in the summer of 2006, I spent as much time as I could meeting members of that community. This was at the time that my country was celebrating the 350th anniversary of the re-establishment of the UK's Jewish community. If this community is relatively small in terms of numbers, it is strikingly impressive in terms of quality...
This prompted a letter from at least one British Jew who obviously feels the ambassador's view is far too rosy. I reprint it here with permission:
With great respect Tom Phillips is not in any position to disagree with Prof Robert S Wistrich's assertions about anti-Semitism in the UK, how can he, he is not a Jew so he has not experienced it first hand, I am and I have.
What can he know about walking to Shul in the respectable leafy London suburb where I live and receive abuse from passing cars or have your grandchild's school bus attacked by brick throwing yobs because it has Jewish children on board attending those same Jewish schools that need security, reinforced windows and guards at the gate. What can he know of the fear and intimidation that goes on in our Universities to Jewish students like my Granddaughter? Is that because there is no anti-Semitism no synagogues vandalised, cemeteries desecrated (Plashett Cemetery in East London just this week) Jews physically and verbally attacked?
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said "I commit that never again will the Jewish community have to fight anti-Semitism alone, the Jewish community do not cause anti-Semitism and it must not fall on them to have to defeat it." Why then do we need the Community Security Trust funded by the Jewish community who work with the police in order to protect our Synagogues, schools, functions, social gatherings and individuals, does he think that this is necessary because we are safe and free from fear in the UK?
Carol Gould writes: It is interesting that I, an American, feel anti-Semitism keenly here these days after thirty-two years in the UK. My non-Jewish British friends and media colleagues of many years' standing routinely berate me lately about 'genocide' and 'apartheid' in Palestine, hence my circle of friends has narrowed down to about five people. My Canadian friend Milli upped sticks and has left London after 42 years
because of the anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism! My South African friend Issy is leaving after 45 years and making aliyah because of the anti-Semitism here. I would like to leave but cannot sell my flat after a year on the market. I might even consider being repossessed and go back to the USA penniless but not berated by anyone for being an American or a Jew.
Michael Gove writes, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, said: vIf we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli." That summer the streets of London were filled with our fellow citizens chanting: "We are all Hezbollah now."
Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi says suicide bombing which targeted Israelis was justified: "I consider this type of martyrdom operation as an evidence of God's justice. Allah Almighty is just; through His infinite wisdom He has given the weak a weapon that the strong do not have, and that is their ability to turn their bodies into bombs as Palestinians do." The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, invited the Sheikh to City Hall in 2004 as an "honoured guest".
Mr Phillips says that "my government has a zero-tolerance approach to anti-Semitism" however "my Government" has denied Israelis visitors' visas, threatened them with arrest upon entry and worse. Among them Major General Almog who faced arrest and Moshe Feiglin, head of the Jewish Leadership faction within the Likud party who had no intentions of visiting the UK had not even applied for a visa but received a letter from Ms Smith of "my Government" banning his presence. Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi however has been granted visas on many occasions although he praised terrorist attacks against Israelis and Americans, called for the destruction of Israel, and said that homosexuals should "be put to death".
Yours etc., Janet Clifford
I think that makes the point. As to what's the source of this problem...I think demographics and cowardly politicians, a disgraceful media establishment, and a leftism that has failed must each take a share of the blame.
I think there must be a sense of disbelief - shock and numbness even - that this could be happening AGAIN.
Remember how secure and safe were the Jews of Germany?
In the UK we have a pathetically weak Jewish leadership who have no foresight, have their heads buried in the sand like ostriches, and freeze out anyone who disagrees with their politically correct viewpoints.
The only organisations who get funding and support, are those approved by the inept Israeli government, but they won't speak too loudly about antisemitism, in case it offends British sensibilities - even though Britain has a long history of antisemitism.
It's on the street, in the media, the antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda is endless and we can do nothing about it as individuals.
The major organisations will not support us, and when you get the Jewish leadership going out in their cars and not walking around the place, wearing a kippa or any other sign that they might be noticeably Jewish - how on earth can they gauge antisemitism?
There was one time I was on a TV show, and the other guest said before we were on camera, that I should "go home to Zion"... even though my family have been here for more than three generations! Not ONE organisation was interested when I told them about it.
Boycotted UK Academic blog records life in academia under the threat and intimidation of boycotting Brittania. Shame on any democratic, modern Western society that allows its citizens to feel subversive and persecuted in the halls of scholarships and disinterested enquiry.
http://boycotted-uk-academic.blogspot.com/
Nanette, that is terrible - especially the irony of a fellow TV guest telling you to "go home to Zion" - when at the same time, Israel is routinely demonized in the Britist press and on the BBC.
I read Harry's all the time, their reports of various British antisemites - some of whom ARE Jewish, are just appalling to me.
The Guardian is just about impossible for me to read. One article was so full of lies and distortions that I wrote to the author and he responded with some diatribe about Sabra & Shatilla (not an Israeli deed in the first place!)
Good heavens. We really can't win can we?
Do you think David Irving sued too soon?
From this attitude I'd think that if he'd waited he would have been the toast of the progressive literati, been given the freedom of the city by the mayor (not the old fashioned key-to-the-city, but the right to drive without paying the city use fee), and enter the courtroom on the arm of his barrister, recommended by an honourable Member of Parliament (Deborah Lipstadt naively thinks the lawyer who argued her case in London and the one who wrote the afterword for her book are her friends, when in reality their consciences are in their clients' pockets, to paraphrase the line in "Richard III").
I fail to see the relevance of Joseph Major's comment to the topic discussed. But since he saw fit to cast aspersions upon Deborah Lipstadt's solicitor as being indifferent to her moral case, some reality check is in order.
Anthony Julius is one British Jew who is not afraid to speak up, even when his messages are not too popular. As when he wrote an excellent book about TS Eliot's antisemitism, which nobody wants to hear about.
Or when he exposed The Mearsheimer&Walt doctrine for what it was, with his usual elegant understatement.
http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=1403
Or when he analyses antisemitism in Britain, as in here:
http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=1379
http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/article.php?id=802
Or when he writes about anti Zionism, here:
http://www.z-word.com/z-word-essays/jewish-anti-zionism-unravelled%253A-questioning-antisemitism-%2528part-2%2529.html