Anti-Semitism in Britain: prejudice becoming normalised

[Thomas Jefferson]

Disgraceful. Britain should be ashamed of itself for allowing this to happen.

 

The Telegraph [link]:

 

On Saturday, a branch of Sainsbury’s removed all kosher food from its shelves over fears that anti-Israel protesters picketing outside would attack the shop. Compared with the impact of the 7/7 murders, Sainsbury’s behaviour was certainly banal. But it was more than that, because in its way it was both giving in to, and colluding with, a form of terrorism.

In response to those protesters outside Sainsbury’s Holborn branch calling for a boycott of its Israeli goods, the manager ordered his staff to clear the shop of all its kosher goods. Clearly the manager is not the brightest spark in the firmament, since kosher produce – which is the only food observant Jews are allowed to eat – is not the same as Israeli produce – which is simply food produced in Israel. The kosher produce in the shop was apparently made in the UK and Poland, and had never been near Israel.

It’s easy to imagine what went through the manager’s mind: “Israelis, Jews – heh, they’re all the same. Let’s just get rid of this stuff pronto and keep the protesters happy.” According to the witness whose Facebook posting of the empty shelves revealed the story, a staff member then defended the move, saying: “We support Free Gaza.”

I can think of no other description for Sainsbury’s behaviour than that it is a “hate crime”. How else should one describe the targeting of Jews – by removing kosher food from a shop – simply because of the actions of a foreign government with which they have no connection other than religion, and with which they may or may not agree?

Worse, the idea that the best way to deal with a mob of angry anti-Israel protesters is to give them even more than what they want, by removing all Jewish produce in the hope that they will then go away, is not merely spineless. It is, in its broadest terms, exactly the response that terrorists seek. Some hapless Sainsbury’s spokesperson issued a statement saying that the company was “an absolutely non-political organisation”, and went on: “It was an isolated decision made in a very challenging situation.”

 

A pattern is emerging in which a form of anti-Semitism is becoming normalised – as if it were now acceptable to speak or even act against Jews as Jews, under the cover of acting against Israel.

Two week ago, the Tricycle Theatre in north London decided that it would not be able to host the UK Jewish Film Festival, which had graced its screens for the past eight years. Not an Israeli festival, mind – a Jewish festival. The reason? The festival has received a £1,400 donation from the Israeli government. The Tricycle has happily shown films from Russia, China and other nations with deplorable human rights records and made no demands over the funding of the films. But unless the British Jews who put on the film festival were prepared to divorce themselves from Israel, they would no longer be welcome, they were told. At the weekend the Tricycle caved in and reversed its stance, although the film festival will not return there until next year at the earliest.

I doubt that the management of the theatre is anti-Semitic in the sense of believing Hitler was right. But their actions – singling out Israel, alone of all the nations on the planet, for opprobrium and boycott – were clearly anti-Semitic.

 

Over the course of July, the Community Security Trust, which monitors anti-Semitism in cooperation with the police, recorded over 240 incidents – and they have been on a similar scale in August. The situation in Britain is not comparable to that in France, where there have been anti-Semitic mobs torching synagogues, but for many British Jews something poisonous has now entered the ether and anti-Semitism, the oldest hatred, is being normalised.

Last week my own newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle, conducted a straw poll of 150 Jews stopped randomly in the street. The results were not scientific. But fully 63 per cent said they and their friends had, over the past month, discussed whether Jews have a future in Britain.

That’s not, of course, the same as saying they would leave. But in 2014, how shaming that even one Jew feels that the discussion needs to be had.

 

The Spectator [link]:

 

There is a whiff of Weimar in the air in Britain. Barely a week now passes without some further denigration caused by anti-Semitic, sorry, pro-Palestine demonstrators targeting businesses run by Jews/stores selling products produced by the Jewish state. You know, like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Starbucks and so on. Most of this fairly random targeting of whatever business sounds a bit Jewish goes unnoticed.

 

Of course this wouldn’t happen to any other foodstuff. If, say, some BNP types decided to go into a supermarket and smash up the Halal food section because it was made by or for Muslims then airwaves would be full of people objecting, Jews most prominent among them. But it looks like the UK Jewish leadership is starting to go quiet. One week it’s a theatre refusing to host a Jewish film festival. The next it’s a supermarket refusing to stock Jewish food. No wonder a majority of British Jews polled for this week’s Jewish Chronicle said they could not see any Jewish future in Britain.

 

Also, a very good comment from Sarah_13 in The Spectator's comments section:

 

The point you make about "being overtaken by the zeal of her own mob" is the salient point. We will all be "jews" when the hysteria reaches its zenith and who'll be the voice of reason then.

 

Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) was a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. Sarah_13's comment reminded me of his famous quote:

 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

[Boris Johnson]

Good job we live on the isle of Man then; It wont happen here. The locals are known for their open mindedness and welcoming nature to new residents of all races, religions and nationalities.........................

[woolley]

"prejudice becoming normalised"

It is normal. It is unreconstructed human behaviour. We shouldn't be surprised when tribes flock together and attack the others. You can't put Jews and Muslims, or Sunni and Shi'ite for that matter, together and expect no issues. This applies whether they are in Leytonstone or The Levant.

[Thomas Jefferson]

Good job we live on the isle of Man then; It wont effect us here. The locals are known for their open mindedness and welcoming nature to new residents of all races, religions and nationalities.........................

 

Why do you think it won't affect us here? I would definitely agree that the locals -- the real Manx people -- are known for being open minded and welcoming, but the Isle of Man hardly has any "locals" anymore. Whatever happens in the UK will spread to here if only because the people from the UK coming here will bring it here with them.

[Thomas Jefferson]

"prejudice becoming normalised"

It is normal. It is unreconstructed human behaviour. We shouldn't be surprised when tribes flock together and attack the others. You can't put Jews and Muslims, or Sunni and Shi'ite for that matter, together and expect no issues. This applies whether they are in Leytonstone or The Levant.

 

They once said the same thing about Catholics and Protestants. I have faith in humanity's ability to evolve.

[woolley]

 

"prejudice becoming normalised"

It is normal. It is unreconstructed human behaviour. We shouldn't be surprised when tribes flock together and attack the others. You can't put Jews and Muslims, or Sunni and Shi'ite for that matter, together and expect no issues. This applies whether they are in Leytonstone or The Levant.

 

They once said the same thing about Catholics and Protestants. I have faith in humanity's ability to evolve.

I have greater faith in its tendency to kill each other. Whilst hoping for the best it is wise to have an eye to the worst, and plan for it. We seem to have forgotten that.

[Donald Trumps]

We Manx take people much as we find them (and that's where we tend to leave them), but to suggest that we're particularly open-minded or especially welcoming would be to exaggerate a little I feel

[Thomas Jefferson]

We Manx take people much as we find them (and that's where we tend to leave them), but to suggest that we're particularly open-minded or especially welcoming would be to exaggerate a little I feel

 

I don't think it's an exaggeration at all. I've lived in the UK and got to know a great many people of different cultures and ethnicities and I firmly believe Manx people -- real Manx people -- are among the most welcoming and inclusive people out there. Too bad there are hardly any of us left now.

[mojomonkey]

The World is the same all over, there are good and bad, nasty and nice people everywhere. Strikes me as odd for any to claim any form of superiority in openness and inclusivity.

 

As for the thread topic, I'm sure if you search the internet for long enough you'll be able to find examples of anything. I did have an interesting discussion with a friend of mine (an American Jewish lesbian married to an atheist German, I hope that's diverse enough!) about all the current Jewish related World events. She was of the opinion (as am I) that it is the extremists on all sides that are the problem.

[Thomas Jefferson]

I have greater faith in its tendency to kill each other. Whilst hoping for the best it is wise to have an eye to the worst, and plan for it. We seem to have forgotten that.

 

I agree. Britain has spent centuries developing a society of secularism, liberalism, rationalism and toleration. Did the politicians who opened the doors to unbridled mass immigration not consider that there would be problems in transplanting people to its shores from countries which had no such development, many of them bringing values which go against our own values like secularism and individual liberty?

 

This quote from Ayn Rand nicely sums up the difference between classical liberal western and certain other value systems like Islam or even the left-wing Marxism:

 

Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.

 

What happens when the two are arbitrarily merged? I think the assumption has been that they would adapt to civilisation, yet examples such as in the OP show that it's not happening.

[Thomas Jefferson]

The World is the same all over, there are good and bad, nasty and nice people everywhere. Strikes me as odd for any to claim any form of superiority in openness and inclusivity.

 

As for the thread topic, I'm sure if you search the internet for long enough you'll be able to find examples of anything. I did have an interesting discussion with a friend of mine (an American Jewish lesbian married to an atheist German, I hope that's diverse enough!) about all the current Jewish related World events. She was of the opinion (as am I) that it is the extremists on all sides that are the problem.

 

Mojo, did you read the articles in the OP? The issue is not the extremists but the moderates who cater to them. Also, "extremists" are usually a minority in any group, but in Islam they are a majority.

 

P.S. I never claimed Manx people are "superior" in being open and inclusive. I said they are among the most open minded and inclusive.

[Mr. Sausages]

Thomas Jefferson, on 20 Aug 2014 - 17:32, said: ...I firmly believe Manx people -- real Manx people -- are among the most welcoming and inclusive people out there. Too bad there are hardly any of us left now.

 

Your constant distinction ("real Manx") isn't exactly welcoming and inclusive. Welcoming and inclusive people don't give a shit where other peoples families originate from.

[Thomas Jefferson]

Your constant distinction ("real Manx") isn't exactly welcoming and inclusive. Welcoming and inclusive people don't give a shit where other peoples families originate from.

 

Since when did saying 2+2 = 5 become the test of being welcoming and inclusive? A person is either Manx or they are not; when I say someone is not really Manx, I'm just saying they're not Manx, I'm not saying anything bad about them. You are misinterpreting and misrepresenting me. I don't have to lie and say you're Manx in order to be inclusive and welcoming to you.

[GD4ELI]

This is not Antisemitism, it's anti-Israel and I for one support a boycott of Israeli goods.

[Mr. Sausages]

What's the difference between Manx and real Manx, TJ?