The jihad against Britain's Jews

stanley Jerusalem

Fat Lady:

Yitgadal v'yitkadash Shmei Rabbah!

"Britain is not finished till the Fat Lady says Kaddish"
- Melanie Phillips' answer to a question after a talk in the Hebrew University, Jerusalem Jan 2007.

Winston Smith

If the mob in Birmingham had chanted "Death to all Muslims" or "Death to all n*ggers" then the left wing and civil rights groups would have been up in arms, demanding resignations from the school and compensation payouts to the victims. Ironically however it is the left wing who are leading this campaign of hate against Britain's Jews in their never ending quest for the destruction of the UK's British Culture and Western society overall. This is the stark reality of it all. Not only is it open hunting season for Jews but they have now joined the other target of the White working classes and more notably the male.

I find this absolutely despicable. The persecution of Britain's jews and Europe's is something that the British government should have made public that any defamation on Jewish people because of the Palestine situation will be met with severe reprimand. However has it come? Where is the government supposed to be protecting its inhabitants, whom, have integrated very well into our society and cause us no problems? After all how many Jewish people want to strap bombs to themselves or wage a Jewish War on the West?

This whole debacle sickens me. They should be expelling these children from schools and putting them in "borstals" where they can understand just what bullying is all about.

Trumpeldor

Melanie,

I do feel that Western Europe is doomed for Jews.
I foresee,within 10 years,the takeover of whole countries such as France,Belgium,Holland,UK,maybe even Germany by a coalition of far left parties and jihadists.
Future of jewry will be either in Israel if we militarily engage Iran sooner or later or/and in some countries such as USA ,Canada (except Quebec) or Australia
Definitely,the geographic balance of jewry will be altered in the forthcoming future.

William Vincent

Imagine if these incidents had been committed against Muslims -the outcry from all sides would be deafening. Because Jewish people have been the victims, the attacks go unreported and unopposed.

I'm not Jewish (as Churchill put it "I do not have that hounour") but I do find the identification of all Jews with the deeds of Israel as hateful aned unjustified as would be the identication of all Muslims with the Twin Towers, Madrid, Bali, London, Darfur and so on.

The left hates "the Jews" (read Nick Cohen's "What's Left" for a brilliant discussion of this), and the left, from its fortresses in academia, the police "service", the BBC and the public sector, sets the agenda.

What is to be done? Well, how about prosecuting known offenders / aggressors (like the Asian yobbette in Birmingham) under our many "hate crime" laws? I have no doubt that our glorious Police and magnificent judicial service are fully up to the task. Er, errr...

Dixon

This is where its at Melanie, not half a world away in the mid-east, but here on our doorsteps. Thankyou for this alarming post.

Nehama

It's simple Mel, they hate us. They always have and they always will. Anti-Zionism/anti-Israelism is just a convient cover for good-old Jew-hatred. And the anti-Zionist/anti-Israelists know it too, but they won't admit it until socially acceptable again, just like it was in the good-old-days before Hitler went and embarrassed them by killing gays, Slavs, and Gypsies etc. too. The more socially acceptable, fashionable even, it becomes to "blame the Jews" the more the haters will come out of the woodwork. It's self-perpetuating. Unfortunately to convergence of Obama and the recession will only make the social acceptance of anti-Semitism quicker. (And before the Obamaites pounce on me, it's not because of anything specific Obama will do or say, rather the mere fact that he is perceived as soft on Islamism means the anti-Israelist Jew-haters feel they can act with impunity because they've got a friend in high-places.)

US.Conscientious.Objector

From The Australian:

A PALESTINIAN lawyer investigating allegations that Israeli soldiers shot dead two civilians says he has many witnesses and is preparing a case.

Three witnesses have told The Weekend Australian that Israeli soldiers shot two civilians who had their hands in the air on January 4, the second day of the ground offensive in Gaza.

Two of the witnesses were on a trailer pulled by a tractor and the third was sitting on one of the wheel coverings.

They said that about 4pm they were taking to hospital two injured people and a dead baby who not long before had been caught in a fire in an Israeli rocket attack in the northern Gaza village of Beit Lahiya.

The three witnesses said soldiers who had taken over a house along their route had shouted for them to stop.

They said they stopped and that as two of the men got off the tractor with their hands in the air, they were shot in the chest from soldiers on a nearby balcony.

Two of the witnesses said they themselves were then shot in the arm when they refused requests by the soldiers. Nabeela Abu Halima said she was shot when she refused to leave the scene, adding she wanted to help the injured. Omar Abu Halima said he was shot when he refused to strip naked.

Ms Halima said Israeli soldiers violated her home, stole her savings of about 30,000 Israeli shekels, drew graffiti on the walls and defecated in her pots and pans.

Wow. Who's waging Jihad on whom?

Jenny

I went on to the Daily Mail's Debate page (to see if there was anything new by Ms Phillips) and they always do a round-up of links other columns there. Where do the Guardianistas and Times columnists see a threat to society from? Jew hatred? Global jihad?

No, that doesn’t bother them at all. The real threat, of course, is Carol Thatcher talking about a stuffed toy in a private room. And if you don’t think a green room is a private place, please tell me why people are handed alcohol and encouraged to be informal in these rooms.

Neil Turner

Shocking

May I direct fellow bloggers who feel strongly about this to check out Honest Reporting's website for more misrepresentation against Israel

Suggest you contact MP's, Sky, the BBC ,a dn all your friends too

YouCannotBeSerious!

Whatever one's views on the Middle East (and I was against Operation Cast Lead), what is outlined here and in the Jewish Chronicle is unacceptable. This is pure, vicious bigotry which must be challenged head on.

Anyone in authority - whether in government, law enforcement or universities - must stand up this vile prejudice and hate, which is the enemy of legitimate political protest and disagreement.

I am enraged by the limp response of the authorities towards what has been happening. Confronting thuggery, not turning a blind eye and hoping for the best, must be the only way forward.

Alan O'Reilly

Re: "Jew free." In WW2, it was "Judenrien." 70 years on we are back to the future, as it was in 1939.

Jews running the BBC? Its two senior managers, Director General Mark Thompson and his deputy, Mark Byford, are both Catholics.

And nobody runs Catholics except Catholicism.

Eliyana

To US.Conscientious.Objector:

For the sake of argument, we will assume that everything you say is true. Considering you see this as justification raised for the points in Melanie's argument, by that same logic shall I come wielding a club and beat the living daylights out of you for all the atrocities your co-nationals have committed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Hiroshima, ... just because you are American?

Where exactly is the relevance of collective punishment of all Jews for Israel's actions, particularly when there is hardly even a unified opinion on Israeli policy at any point in Israel our outside? Sheesh.

Janet

England has certainly turned
into Nazi Germany,and once again
everyone is doing nothing to
stop these disgraceful incidents.. It is quite clear
that the Universities have gone to the dog's..why on earth are
they letting scum dictate to them...throw the bloody lot out and deport them..what is everyone so scared of..
I think it is about time that the British Government shipped the whole bloody lot off. All those who make trouble
in the Universities should be without a doubt expelled and
deported...don't think twice because these barbarians are out to get everyone who isn't muslim, not just the jews..
so you had better wake up England..as far as I can see you
are in a coma...

Augustus

'There's a Jewish translation of Mein Kampf on my bookshelf at home. Could there be a sweeter victory than that?'

emma shaw

This is a good article and very true, i go to leicester uni and im not jewish but my brother married an israeli and has kids, now living in england, im also dating an israeli boy..but my dad best mate was palestinian as he worked with many pali's in Jeddah for most of his adult life. The middle east is something i have grew up around, my house was full of palestinian flags..even Fatah flags, but like i said my brother married an israeli so all this changed. Ive been to israel many times and one of my best friends over there is an israeli palestinian arab who doesnt hate jews or israel, so i dont understand why british muslims do when none of them are even connected, only by religion which is a weak connection to make. I got in a debate with british muslims about israel who ended it with 'well we all fucking hate jews'..i have and always will care for innocent palestinians, i grew up around them, but i will not let people use palestine as a means to excuse their jew hatred, despite what we see on TV many arabs and jews live in peace together...and i am seriously worried for european jews, i live in a muslim area and some fellow muslim students seem to think im jewish, as they think anyone who doesnt hate israel is some sort of zionist jew nazi..but i can look after myself, but still i have found myself feeling very paranoid in leicester recently, and like i said im not even jewish so i feel so much for jewish brits atm.

Janet

US Conscientious Objector What a load of rubbish..those so called witnesses were probably Hamas, it is well known that if
anyone disagrees with their actions they are shot..the civilian population are forced
to lie and spread Hamas propaganda, they have no choice.
It is more likely that Hamas
violated Ms Halima's property
and stole money..they probably
threatened her to say that...

Oh well, I suppose Lawyer's have to make a living somehow..shame...

Robert Hendry

Absolutely agree. The last month or so brought home to me the level of hatred against Jews in this country and to be honest I don't really know why or understand it. All I know is that I have witnessed mass hysterical hatred against Jews from people across the social spectrum. people I know and thought were reasonable were literally foaming at the mouth during discussions and nothing I could say would shift their opinion. I heard it all from Jews killed Christ (coming from non religious people) to Jews run the world. I didnt live in Germany during Hitlers rise to power but I have a strong feeling that what went on here is exactly the same type of thing that went on there eventually leading to the final solution. I now know for certain that a repeat of the holocaust could happen again in Europe. The left liberal mind set is totally warped, very much like this country. Im not Jewish, not religious but I know right from wrong and this is wrong, and very dangerous

Nature

I have submitted the following complaint today (06.02.09) to the BBC.

I was listening this morning to the news show (06.02.09) on BBC radio 4 at about 8:40am. An interview was held with Marc Regev, the Israeli spokesman and a lady journalist who I don’t remember her name (later I was told her name was Sarah Montague). As a listener I was horrified to hear the hate and the revolt in her voice toward mark Regev. She blatantly rejected his claim that Hamas was responsible to the collapse of the cease fire, by saying “this is simply not true” this is a blunt and unprofessional statement of a journalist who do not accept the turns of events in the Israel and tries to vilify the Israelis for the their reaction to Hamas terror attacks. I do not recall any journalists interviewing Hamas terrorists on BBC rejecting any of Hams claims whether they hateful or fabricated but this lady journalist did not have a problem claiming that Marc Regev was simply lying. Furthermore, this lady journalist had a silence too long in a sentence when she was trying to find her words to describe Hamas militants, this was almost to imply that she was trying avoiding calling Hamas as freedom fighters. She had to think hard until she was able to pronounce “Hamas militants”. I have grave concern of this horrible journalistic misconduct to show a biased and a blatant hate toward an interviewee, and I call for her resignation. This is too serious for just an apology.

Jenny

That's nice, US.Conscientious.Objector,
February 6th, 2009 3:13pm, a Palestinian lawyer is judge and jury on everything that goes on in Palestinian territory.

They've plainly got Kool-Aid to spare for people like you.

Wyn

Makes me ashamed to be British when I learn that many of my compatriots cave in to intimidation at the slightest whiff of confrontation. Is it simply that they have a lack of resolve or is it something more sinister, such as collaboration?

HarleyDavidson

It is extraordinarily difficult when you sit on the North American side of the pond and read Melaine's article you can't help but think of Nazi Germany in the thirties. It has always escaped me why so called "civilized" people like the Germans reverted to such thoughtless murderous savages in the space of a few short years. Madness on a scale never before imagined. Yet, here it is in Britain, the utter mindlessness of the dammed. The very same Jew hatred sweeping through higher learning institutions exactly as did Germany. And like Germany it has become common place and is an accepted part of British society as common as breathing.

By this standard of what is occurring in Britain Germany did NOT lose the war. Germany lost a temporary battle on the battlefield, however, Germany won the long term battle for the hearts and minds for the eventual elimination of Jews.

Not on my watch. I will stand with the Jews, as will my family, and ever friend I have on this side of the pond. I said I'd never have marched to Hitler's drumbeat and now that I have been tested I know I never will. I am not a Jew but I choose to stand with Israel!

Britain has lost its moral authority. It's rather a shame for a once great nation. But other nations have taken its place. Perhaps there is a moral Britain somewhere in the hearts of some but that time has passed as did Rome in its time.

And if I should ask because I genuinely don't know, how did you all let it slip away so easily?

Britain

Miles Turner

Try not to tar us all with the same brush, please. My politics lean towards the left, but I have just as much of a problem with Hamas blowing up innocent Israelis as I do with the same indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by the Israeli military. Everyone I know who has more than a passing knowledge with the conflict holds a similar view; that it will never be solved while both sides continue with the same eye-for-an-eye mentality. It's disgusting that British Jews are being victimised over what is a religious conflict in only the shallowest possible sense and there ought to be more of an outcry over the fact.

Paul

The government have not just been supine in the face of this blizzard of anti-Jewish/anti-Israel rhetoric but have turned their faces away and closed their eyes and ears to the ever increasing abuse directed at the totally loyal and completely intergrated Jewish population in this country.Their are approximately 250,000 Jews in Britain and approx 2.5million Muslims.Is this how the current British government analyse the situation? It would certainly seems that they will go to any lengths to placate the radical Islamists in this country.

|Georgina Ryan

Well written, Melanie. Anti-Semitism has never really died, it just went underground for a while after the Holocaust. On our little island of Jersey a shocking anti-Semitic comment was made in our local newspaper by a daily columnist. Thankfully many people wrote in to complain, but it just highlights the huge problems that Jewish people are facing in the British isles today. Britain seems to forget that they will be the losers if they cut ties with Israel, and unless they get their act together and be much more robust in protecting the Jews, the UK will one day become a hateful Islamic state - if it's not that already.

phil

Where is the BBC in all this ,they are busy sacking Carole Thatcher ,a sacking that is deplored by many black people and a horrible case of reverse racism ,of course she shouldn't have said it with hindsight ,but as littlejohn says elsewhere it is necessary to have heard the intonation and seen the facial expression when hearing it .We all loved our golliwogs ,it was a toy like a bear not a person for heavens sake ,it certainly never occurred to me that it would demean a black person.It was a figure of great affection but nothing to do with the affection I have for my many black friends , for most of us the only difference between us is the colour of our skin not the quality of the person. I am going to sue Roy Chubby Brown for the insult that he is causing me for being less than slim ,any of you red heads got a complaint with Mick Hucknall.?

Now having got that off my chest I want to know when the BBC are going to make a fuss about what is happening to the Jewish people here on their patch -The trouble is we are too quiet and don't storm campus,s and make outrageous demands on the universities ,last week it was LSE and Douglas Murray,so for any of you cowards who may read this how far will your morals sink to next?

James Murphy

Again, I say unto ye scribes and pharisees - What's happened to Verity in discussions Middle-Eastern? Was she a front for someone else? A ghost writer - or voice? A marionette for a puppeteer who no longer has any use for her? Was she, in fact, Melanie? Whatever! Hear us Verity! Come back from the wilderness oh voice outspoken in the feminine name of truth!

Wm. Hazlitt

The anti-semites in spreading their poison seem unable to distinguish between Britain's Jewish communities and the state of Israel. This may be stupidity on their part or it may be vicious policy, to inflame hatred of the one by feeding off indignation, anger, prejudice, or hatred of the other. In these circumstances, would it not be prudent to avoid compounding the confusion by conflating despicable attacks on the Jewish community with protests against the state of Israel? Attacks on the Jewish community, just as attacks on Israelis, are to be condemned without reservation. But the state of Israel can surely be criticised. If citizens of the UK wish to protest against the state of Israel and its representatives surely they have that right within the law?

Dr. Stephen Avrington

Firstly, the author must know, like most educated and informed individuals that there is no such animal as a "Palestinian" be it Druze, Christian, Mohammedan or Jew. This revisionist myth, comparable to Judea now sold to the ignorant as "The West Bank", is based in socio-political agenda rather than historical fact.

When the author says "Asian" does she mean Arab? When she says "Youths" does she mean Muslims? I wish reporters would abandon this politically correct rubbish and speak facts.

Political correctness, Multi-Culturalism, Open Borders and corrupted leadership as solidified the abandonment of Britian. Sad to see the once great head of an Empire become Dar al-Islam. One cannot blame the Jew for this but corrupt "globalist" political leaders and Islam. Europe, like England is paying for both historical ignorance and hatred of those who invented the concept of morality by ridding 6 million from the Earth only to have "the Empire Striking Back" with 20 million + Muslims. Enoch Powell was right for us and Rabbi Meir Kahane was right for the Jew!

Harvey

Melanie

This is nothing new. Growing up in the 60s I recall going to Synagogue with my parents and during breaks in the service [Yom Kippur ] congregating outside on the forecourt with friends .Today things are very different .After the service, we are told to disperse at once ie keep a low profile. There are no joyful gatherings as before.

Nowadays ,as we are all aware ,every synagogue ,school,community centre, major event and function is subject to stringent security measures which I will not elaborate on here.There is and has been a clear and present threat to our community for a number of years .This threat is no longer the product of the far right BNP but emnates from radical elements within the Muslim community.

The sad fact is that over time we have all just begun to accept it as a normality and that we should just get on with it.Perhaps that is how the German Jews perceived it in the early 30s.

Well I for one resent the fact that I can no longer congregate outside my synagogue.I resent the fact that my children attend Jewish school protected by security fences ,concrete blocks and guard posts.

I resent the fact that my eldest daughter ,a student at UCL should feel intimidated on campus and questioned in a hostile ,finger pointing manner how she feels as a Jewess on the question of Gaza and if she supports the Israeli actions.

In short I dont accept any of the above. Unfortunately the new mantra of multiculturalism appears to have bypassed my family only benefitting those that threaten and intimidate my community

J Ral Dahwanih

I am glad I read this story let me tell you how I feel about things I come from Muslim family, I was brought up to be spiritual and respect every race and religion, as a Muslim background, I saw the things happening to Jewish people few years ago because it happen to me and still happens sometimes, the reason I get harassment is I am liberal who is modernize and westernise, I am not going to say which country I come from, but I am afraid how the muslims from my country behave in Britain if they are religious and non religious, they take advantage of the management of this country, when I read the story about the 12 yrs old child I felt sad, I believe if she had a support from her head teacher this would not happen, as a Muslim i get dirty looks by muslims from my country I was attack in the past, I been fallowed when I was shopping, walking back from work etc, there are so many times I been so close to be assaulted, in my country people respected individuality but not here, in here they made it up their own ghettos and believes, a lot of them are brain washing each others behind doors, they talk bad and spread hate, like teaching the kids to dislike people who are not like them so I am not like them, they have to have a war with me or people who are like me, they also know the British government are too soft and they can get away doing things, not in my country, when I told some people about my experiences they treat me like a crazy person, some of those people who let me down are my British lefty friends I mentioned how I am treated and their reply was "it did not happen to me", there was a time I cry along no one to talk, no support, I have to hide my feelings so people don't think I was imagining things, everything I say was political incorrect, now I see it is happening to innocent people like the Jewish community, it is bad, there are a lot of violence people around, the things I saw few years ago is happening to innocent people, I just want to say you are not along there are a lot of people who are getting harassment, let's all protect ourselves from narrow minded people and let's stand up for our rights, peace to you all!

Andre

Janet is right but it's not just Britain. This is happening all over Europe: France, Holland - it is very, very worrying. Hosting large numbers of disaffected Islamic youth and crazy mullahs poses a direct physical threat to Jews and Christians alike. Dare I walk through Brick Lane with crucifix in my lapel? Not any longer. Read Mark Steyn's book 'America Alone' for a non too subtle look at the demographic suicide bomb in our midst. I am not going to mouth the usual pc platitudes about Islam. The whole business is terrifying. By their weight of numbers they are making anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment the societal norm.

Winston Smith

Janet,

The reasons why the Universities are allowing the "scum" to dictate to them is because our government has got it into its head that it no longer needs to fund Universities any more or not give them the money they need. Therefore our Universities all over the UK, were of course approached by rich Saudis, who gave them the £300k each needed to survive, in turn for making sure that they set up Islamic study degrees and Arabic courses. This of course, as you may well know, has led to much recruitment of Islamists on our University campuses.
It's another failure of this government sadly. Instead of realising that the Universities have and always will be the maturation of our finest minds, they decide that the money should instead be used on funding two illegal, un-winnable wars, amongst many other pie-in-the-sky ventures, ironically fighting(our troops) against the very ideology that the Saudis are pumping into our Universities on an ad hoc basis of Islamisation of the UK.
The government, treasures finance from Saudi Arabia over the education of our own youth, to become the brilliant minds of tomorrow. It further shows how much out of touch our Politicians are in society, completely unaware of the Islamist breeding grounds our Universities and Polytechnics are turning into.

Gil

Some commenters on this page need to calm down a bit. Janet: England has NOT 'become like Nazi Germany'. Do calm down because you are not advancing the debate with such wild accusations. If anything, England with its Human Rights laws is the antithesis of Nazi Germany.

US Conscientious Objector: you are on the wrong page. This is about the problem of Antisemitism. You will be probably be more at home in the Guardian.

The events recounted by Melanie are horrifying and there needs to be some legal counter action. It is intolerable that Jews in this country should feel under threat. The Muslim parents of those kids need to be shown the full force of the law. Can the school not be threatened with closure unless they discuss this shameful behaviour in Assembly?

John from Toronto

Georgina Ryan

Was the columnist fired?

James Rothwell

How many Moslems have been killed in Darfur this year. Probably no one knows because the no one is interested. But the Moslems being slaughtered in Darfur are being killed by Arab Moslems for the crime of being black. But where are the protests, why will no one in the media ask Moslems in this country why they don't condemn the Darfur massacres?

Thsi is like the situation in the 19060s and 1970s when there was outrage by the Left about the slightest incident in South Africa, because it involved a white Government, but no one cared less about massacres in black Africa by blacks. How many were killed by that darling of the Left , Mugabe?

Brian Moshe

The destruction of Israel would be followed by waves and waves of murderous pogroms and anti-semitism throughout the world. (I make no apology for using 'anti-semitism' in this context to mean 'anti-Jewish' - the word was a favourite of the leading 19th century German and Austrian anti-semites who inspired the young Hitler, and they certainly weren't referring to Arabs.)

It is a disgrace that Muslim thugs and their quislings are disrupting British universities and intimidating Jewish students, and no doubt, any non-Jewish students brave enough to voice objections to such actions.

I give Jews in England no more than ten years before the round-ups start and Jews' passports are thoughtfully stamped with a 'J' and invalid for inter-EUrabian travel. Those contemptible British Jews who currently support the Arabs will be bulldozed into the same mass burial pits beside those Jews who didn't have the foresight (or because of other factors like being children) to get out while they could.

I was looking at some photos yesterday of anti-semitic graffiti taken this week in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. These showed the desecrated interior of a synagogue with Torah scrolls vandalised in the best nazi tradition; elsewhere ugly slogans sprayed on the bases of statues of national heroes and on other prominent Caracas locations - the word 'JUDIOS' on all of them, stabbing the eyes. It is only too painfully obvious that the Jewish communities of what were once very tolerant South American countries like Venezuela and Bolivia, that gave Jews refuge in former times, are suddenly at physical and economic risk due entirely to the actions of their pro-Muslim and anti-Jewish governments.

The condemnation of the synagogue desecration by President Chavez is on a par with a child playing with matches who starts a fire and then claims it was a deplorable accident. His official newspaper has been carrying anti-Jewish comments for months, long before the recent campaign in Gaza.

This is also the week in which a bicycle shop in Iceland began displaying a 'No Jews served here' notice.

Never mind that there are only a tiny number of Jews in Iceland, if the was only one it would still be an act Hitler would have applauded.

Straydingo

US Conscientious Objector (Nice way of saying coward)
If you are truly objective and someone who seeks out the truth, even when it may challenge his ideological beliefs, then you might be interested in the following articles:

http://tinyurl.com/aclfs2

http://tinyurl.com/b4lcco

I would love to hear your thoughts on what is reported here.

Gil

Brian Moshe, you are a bit too nervous. Calm down. Israel will not be destroyed. Nothing to do with theology. Simply, Israel will not be destroyed. The military situation will not allow it. Also, there will be no round up of Jews and passport stamping as you so confidently predict. Quite frankly commenters like you and Janet are an embarassment. More rationality please. Also, please remember that there are some very vulnerable people reading these posts.

Joe Strummer

As a non-Jewish person, these anti-Semitic reports above truly sicken me and make me not only ashamed of being British but also make me truly concerned as to where my country is heading.

It appears that where Britain's tiny Jewish community went wrong was to not only fully integrate, participate and contribute into the fabric of this society, but also be successful in doing so with no endless grieving and whimpering about " victimisation" and " discrimination".

It also seems for Britain's Jewish community that being good citizens and trying to lead a quiet decent life is not enough to save them from this dreadful bigotry and hatred.

The time for the rest of British society, of all religious denominations or none, to stand alongside their fellow brothers and sisters in the Jewish community against this onslaught is NOW !

North West Jon

Dear Melanie,

I have been following your articles for a long time now and feel you have a perfect grasp of what is happening in the U.K. today. The incredible bias that comes from the media and the anti-semetic bile that is driven by the marriage of the so called intellectual left and fundamentalists agenda is at this moment in time rearing its ugly head. When some of the British Jewry are even thinking about leaving their British roots it is disturbing. I believe that some day soon that the argument of what is right and what we are as a nation will soon come to the fore. The screaming minority will be defeated by the quite majority because that is who we are. My wide circle of friends from many backgrounds who hold serious professional jobs are fully aware of the issues and know the truth will out and that an integral part of our society will continue to prosper here in their own country.

Johanna

Gil, Janet is right, please don't do "COVER UP" just like the normal left wing liberals do, we don't need to calm down, you need to wake up...

Lizzy

Those who do not know history are condemned to repeat it, as they say.

Someone needs to tear down that sign in the Icelandic bicycle shop and give the store owner a good telling off. At least a few of the universities did the equivalent to the student intimidation. But I keep coming back to Yeats: "the best lack all conviction..." You know the rest.

Huw Thornton

I agree with Gil - let's stop talking about Nazi Germany - it devalues the suffering of people who experienced such horrors there.

This is not to minimise what is happening here. Anti-semitism has always been present, and is as much part of traditional British life as bowler hats and double decker buses. The more it rises to the surface now, the more is the duty of decent people to fight it by all means necessary.

PN

Thank you for voicing this side of the argument so eloquently. I'm not Jewish, but I am a student at Warwick and I've been disturbed by the obvious one-sidedness of discussions on the Gaza/Israel situation here by some students. I know I'm not the only one worried by this creeping anti-semitism, but you feel that if you express this people will accuse you of being cold and dispassionate to the Gazan plight. There have been numerous protests here, and if I were a Jew I would feel as if the hostility is directed towards me. Personally I believe it is pandering to Hamas' cause, which I am vigorously opposed to.

Joe Y

"Western Europe is doomed for Jews" in 10 years? Wasn't already doom for the Jews 70 years ago? What's happening to the Jews in Europe is devastating to me, but they need to get out...I don't know why they've stayed this long.

Nothing proves the need for Israel more than the persecution of Jews outside of it.

Straydingo

What a wonderful and civilised religion:

http://tinyurl.com/dyz6jr

Laker

The new brownshirts are marching in the streets of Europe and most Europeans cannot even see them

Tantor

What ever happenned to the English spines? Do you think you are solving anything by acquiescing to such intimidation? Do you believe accommodating such hate will bring you peace in your time?

Jenny

HarleyDavidson, February 6th, 2009 5:37pm, there was an American author on BBC Parliament last week who has written a book called Liberal Fascism. It's an obscure channel, which is a pity, because so much of what the writer, Johnny Heller, said was true.

It's this liberal fascism that has seen reason turned on its head here and has laid the groundwork this wave of anti-semitism and support for terrorists - and so much else, this is just one aspect of what this Marxian poison has done to our country. Everything is our ancestors' fault, our church's fault, George Bush's fault, the Jews' fault - and so on. The microscope never swings the other way, though. There is nothing these ghastly politically correct fascists want to know beyond that. They don't do reason.

Heller's book is focused on the American Left but the ideas he is seeing take root in the US are already in Britain and here in spades, too. In his interview, he said Britain is like the mine in the canary for this whole experiment in liberal fascism. I agree with him.

Brian Moshe, you do not understate the case. As well as all the stuf Ms Phillips has catalogued here, British police run away from jihadist apologists screaming 'kuffar' and calling them 'cowards'. There is no effective intellectual or physical defence of Jews and other 'infidels' like me on these shores any more. They know we're they're for the taking, which is why they scream 'kuffar' in the face of our so-called police force.

Brian Moshe

Gil wrote:
February 6th, 2009 8:16pm
"Brian Moshe, you are a bit too nervous. Calm down. Israel will not be destroyed.[...] Also, there will be no round up of Jews and passport stamping as you so confidently predict. Quite frankly commenters like you and Janet are an embarassment. More rationality please. Also, please remember that there are some very vulnerable people reading these posts."

Gil, you obviously feel you can afford to be complacent despite all the signs that are there to see; but unfortunately I can't afford such luxury. I read the signs and obviously I see and feel something you don't.

If I develop all the symptoms of a particular terminal illness or condition, and I know what the symptoms are relevant to, it would not help me in the least to be examined by an inexperienced or complacent doctor who dismissed my symptoms as mere hypochrondia or as nothing of any significance.

Of course I don't want to think Israel will be obliterated by Iranian nuclear weapons, but only someone more optimistic than me would predict that in the future it could not possibly happen.

Who in the spring of 1914 could have foreseen the history of the coming thirty to thirty five years? A huge never-ending tragedy, initially triggered by the assassination of an obscure Austrian Archduke in an obscure Bosnian city? (Well, that's what Britain's newspapers thought when the news broke, since it barely warranted a mention.) Europe in that spring and early summer of 1914 seemed such a stable series of empires.

Iran today celebrates thirty years since the Islamic Revolution. Who can possibly say that Iran will not attain the status of a nuclear world power and possibly an empire? Anything that has happened before in history can happen again.

Far from wishing to frighten vulnerable people, as you suggest, I would say that we British Jews can only protect ourselves by being able to read the danger signs in time and act accordingly and I write this in the USA but knowing I will have to give up my beloved English home and country before too long.

Frank P

James Murphy

Verity is not too far away; she misses not a day in the Coffee House. I guess, fwiw, that she has probably said all she can say about the Near East and it's intractable problems; perhaps she doesn't want to provide oxygen for the Jew hating trolls who are here to react to any rational remarks about the validity of Israel's right to both exist and defend itself, with the sort of idiocy they regurgitate ad nauseum. There is a limit to the permutations of words that can express the sentiment "Melanie, you're right." Or indeed, "Go, Israel!"

And then there's the the matter of the ubiquitous phil; she's probably having a new scroll wheel fitted before she braves this blog again.

You should get out and about a little more yourself - Coffee House could do with a few whimsical wags like you; you might even drive her back to this patch.

Edward

BREAKING NEWS: Report from Istanbul, Turkish Jews in Real Danger

This comes from a very good friend of mine, a Turkish Jew who has lived in Istanbul all his life, who is 100 percent reliable and the most moderate, mild-mannered person you can imagine:

-The crowd demonstrating in front of the Neve Shalom Synagogue after a speech of Erdogan were chanting: “Tell us to die, we (will) die ; tell us hit ,we (will) hit”. (MY BROTHER HEARD IT)

-In the most civilized street of Istanbul (Bagdat street) there were restaurants having announcements: “The income of today will be donated to the Gazans”. (I SAW IT)

-A neighboring Jewish women who spoke Turkish with a Ladino accent was told by the taxi driver I wish I hadn’t pick you up. (A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME)

-In two elementary schools 10 yrs old Jewish boys were called “Dirty Jew” by their peers. Something never heard in the last 60 yrs…(A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME)

-The Jewish youth who were supporting assimilation have debates on this topic, now. (MY FATHER SAID THAT)

-Some Muslim customers/clients are telling jokes to Jewish shopkeepers or businesspeople: “You will butchered, ha ha ha …!” (A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD IT).

-Jewish soldiers –having their obligatory service- were send home in order to be protected from the harassment of peers.(A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD IT)

-In the exit of the Neve Shalom Synagogue after a wedding was a signboard “Go away Jews , Down with Israel”… (MY COUSIN SAW IT)

A day after the “Go away Jews” part was covered but the rest remained.

-Jews are being more careful about attending synagogues but are coming together to discuss the situation in community clubs. The community leaders are puzzled by how fast the antagonism is incresing (FROM THE COM. ADMIN)

-Jews are wounded by the words of Erdogan implying they are “visitors” not citizens. (EVERYWHERE)

-They were announcements on the billboards in Istanbul “You cannot be the son of Moses !” ; after some objection they removed the signs from billboards but put them on the buildings (I SAW IT)

-The police has the power to stop any walking/march in Turkey, only if they want to : They have stopped leftist marches immediately, but let the demonstration outside the Israeli consulate continue though it had no permit.

-There is anxiety and discomfort among the community from either terrorist groups or individuals who wage violence thinking that they enjoy government support for doing so.

He ends: I personally thank you for your support to the Turkish Jews –hopefully not Jews from Turkey ,soon- .

Lightgray

Augustus: 'There's a Jewish translation of Mein Kampf on my bookshelf at home.'

Being Jewish you should learn read Hebrew.

Eraserhead

PN, Hamas' main cause is for land for the Palestineans which along with Israels right to exist is perfectly reasonable.

However the issue is the method which BOTH the Israeli government and Hamas use violence to further their cause rather than talking as the British did to mostly solve the northern Ireland problem.

To solve the persecution in the UK maybe the mainstream Jewish groups in the UK need to be more vocal about critising Israel next time they go on the rampage.

John, Exeter

Horrific.

Carl

@Nature - of course the apologist Mark Regev should be challenged as he seeks to justify the inexcusable atrocities committed by Israel. He is quite rightly held in contempt by the BBC.

John Birch

Can I just add that at one of the unis listed by Melanie there were opposing demonstrations between largely Muslim and Jewish students over Gaza. It didn't get any publicity and won't be mentioned by Melanie because it doesn't fit with her argument but some of the oppsosing demonstrators actually ended up talking to each other in a non-confrontational manner after the demonstration.

phil

US.Conscientious.Objector
February .And you believe them ?

Suffolkbor

Yes Joe y
and that is why the leftist islamist alliance wants Israel destroyed so that Jews have no where to go .
A classic pincer movement .

phil

We Jewish people must not forget that the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens support us and respect our religion ,we are not rounded up by the police or bullied by the government,the views of many decent non-Jewish people are posted here regularly ,you only have to read this thread to know that -our problem lies with radicalised young people ,mostly Muslim ,but even from Muslim moderates who write here it is obvious that they too are being intimidated and what is needed is the full force of the law to be applied to those that make trouble ----

Legitimate criticism of the Israeli government does not mean the critic is anti.Semitic ,we criticise our own government do we not ? Castigating anybody who does this in an honest and proper way does our cause great harm -I have taken issue with some events in the past but I think it is more than obvious I am neither anti Israeli or anti Jewish .

.It is time for the government to speak out loud and clear that we will not tolerate the behaviour I referred to in the first para.,stop grants and social security for those that will not conform to our laws ,and throw out from the universities those whose behaviour is unacceptable As a country-we must face up to the challenge posed by these people now! ,because if we do not we will have to remember the words that we have seen from time to time here from Pastor Niemmoller and that many of you will know .We will recover from this monetary crisis ,but we will never recover our reputation as a bastion of tolerance and decency if we allow these deluded people to have their way .

Philip

Gil - what are you apologising for? Or are you just dim?

Sarah

The incidents described here are shocking but, like some other commenters here, I think it's counterproductive to compare the UK with Nazi Germany. I'm an academic and I've never heard anyone say anything anti-semitic (or anti Israel for that matter)at my university. I've been aware of no protests although there was a 2 minute silence the other day 'for Palestine and Israel'. You can start to get a rather skewed idea of what people think if you hang out in the blogosphere too long! But I don't want to trivialise the very real problem - I just don't think things are quite as bad as some of the people commenting here seem to.

Alex Bensky

I will remember this article every time I read some European talking about how crude and ignorant Americans are.

I live in an area (Detroit) that has a large Arab population. Nothing like this has happened here.No synagogue has to have security guards. Jewish day schools are not under threat.Jewish cemeteries are not vandalized. There is of course inter-community friction across the country, but nothing like this has happened anywhere in the US as far as I know.

Tell me again how you all in Europe are so much more sophisticated and cultured than Americans.

Andre

'We Jewish people must not forget that the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens support us and respect our religion' Can I just affirm Phil's statement 100% - meahoose? As a catholic convert I am all too well aware that I worship the God who came to earth as a Jew. Salvation is from the Jews - we should never forget that. One of the most blessed years of my life was the 12 months I spent in the land of Israel many years ago. The sparkling fish lakes of the Yizreel and the meadows of Galilee are as real to me now as they were then. I have been to Belsen and visited Yad Vashem. I thought I was looking at the past. Yet when I see Islamic thugs chasing cops in London and read of them beating up Orthodox Jews and stoning Starbucks i feel I was over confidential . I too remeber Pastor Niemoller's prayer and will be ceaseless in my efforts to support Israel and the children of Abraham. It is not just that i owe them - no, I am lead to this by my faith. To pray for the peace of Jerusalem having been there and stood at the Damascus Gate is a privilege and a joy. Let us also pray for new leaders in Britain who understand the threat radical Islam poses and are moved to combat that threat with a courage and conviction our country was once famed.

Edward

The vast majority of people commenting on this blog are the most ridiculous, delusional, paranoid, ignorant-beyond-belief, self-pitying human beings I have ever come across. I am a student at Oxford University and completely reject the notion that this is an anti-semitic institution. The protest against the Massacre of Gazans (I refuse to call it a war) was entirely peaceful and even included Israeli/jewish students, not to mention Professor of international relations Avi Shlaim. It seems to me that people on this blog are incapable of fathoming the idea that intelligent, well-informed people could oppose the actions of the 'gangster state of Israel' (not my words but the words of Avi Shlaim - former soldier in the IDF) without being coerced by 'jihadist' or jew-hatred. Believe me, it has nothing to do with anti-semitism (I know this is inconvenient to you) but everything to do with rejecting and standing up against pure acts of injustice.

Mjolnir de Jersiase

Gil: will you please stop telling people to calm down? You claim that Britain today is nothing like 1930s Nazi Germany; well, you are wrong. The Final Solution came at the end of a long process that began with the acceptance of anti-Jewish hatred amongst intellectuals and in general discourse. Britain is indeed at that same stage of fascist development. I'm sure there were plenty of people like you, back in Germany, in the early 1930s, who claimed that everything was funky and that people should stop worrying about the creeping anti-semitism they could see around them; well, they were wrong then, and you are wrong now.

Steve

From here in North America, the UK appears incomprehensibly self-destructive. I don't believe the Gil's of the UK are as naive as they sound -- they're trying to convince themselves things are still normal in the UK. The comparisons with Nazi Germany, Gil, are very apt-after all, Nazi Germany's anti-Semitism ended in horror, but it passed through several years where non-Jews (and even some Jews) tried to convince themselves that things were still fairly normal, even as they witnessed mounting horror in their own streets, universities, etc. The power of self-denial. Maybe it's the vantage point gained by a few thousand miles, Gil, but the UK's new 'normal' is creepy to anyone who still treasures the values of western civilization. It would be creepy to Churchill, to Shakespeare, to any of the heroes of English tradition. That it is not creepy to you -- that you can live with it and think this is just an issue that can be addressed by a bit of administrative attention -- speaks volumes about you and those who share your mindset. This will only be eradicated when the British establishment is willing to repudiate an entire worldview and governing philosophy. I don't see that happening. I suspect Britain's Jews don't either, which is why the wisest among them are probably planning their exodus right now.

GRyan

Plus the fact that the word 'genocide' is being used. Only 0.1% of the population of Gaza was killed-hardly genocide!
US concientious objector- obviously those 'witnesses' have no axe to grind, do they?

J. Isaacs

Steady on Eddie. Your spelling of the word Jew without a capital letter gives you away. Avi Shlaim is a notorious Jewish turkey voting for Christmas (please note my spelling of Christmas with a capital C.)

Please also see Melanie Phillips' magisterial article ante entitled "Jews of the Gathering Night" foe a concise explanation of what the likes of Avi are all about.

Carl

People, understand this: Israel, as it currently is, is a disgusting, bankrupt, failed State, worth nothing more than Pariah status. Once you can accept this, then we can move forward.

HarleyDavidson

Edward
Me thinks you actually believe your silly post. Question, had any one of you brilliant intellects stood up with us when we begged and pleaded and screamed about Hamas shooting 6000 rockets into Israel we could have stopped Cast Lead before it ever happened. Where were you and your intellects then? Missing in action when called upon as usual. Another newsfash sonny, the UN suspended aid shipments because Hamas was stealing from its own people. Your response? Another update for the intellects, even the UN and "human rights" useful idiots are now saying Hamas used children as human shields. Your response? The UN has now stated the UN school was NOT hit by Israeli shell fire after all. Your response?

Question, Edward, what happened to the billion dollars donated by the EU and America for Gaza? Your response? Have you wrote on blogs and marched for 400,000 killed and 2 million homeless in Darfur? Edward? Or do you only rail against Jews? How about the 4 million in the Congo, Edward? Sir Lanka 70,000? How about the 45,000 in Yemen, Edward? Did you care? Did you and your intellectual "friends" even bother to criticize any of above? Course now. So you see, Edward, that's how one can tell an antisemitic from the crowd. You and your "intellectuals" buddies fit the description.

In my opinion whoever is paying for your university "education" is wasting their hard earned money on one so intellectually devoid of intelligence.

Wm. Hazlitt

Can I repeat a point I think important. The anti-semites seem to conflate the Jewish community in the UK and the state of Israel. Perhaps the confusion is stupidity or perhaps there is poisonous intent. It seems to me unwise to make the same confusion in condemning these people. Anti-semitism is grotesque and despicable. Protest against the state of Israel is surely allowable so long as it is within the law.

Laura

Well, I’m not surprised that the attacks on Jews are going unreported given the way the bulk of the mainstream media have abandoned the truth over what’s been going on in Gaza of late.

The method is the same again and again: bury the truth. How long did we hear about the Gaza appeal ad that the BBC refused to show? At least a week. All over the news channels and the papers - often people who should know better - would not stop banging on about why it should be on telly. Again, on Question Time this week we had another outburst about it, this time from Nigel Wotitsface from Ukip.

Here is Melanie Phillips in a post dated 26th January 2009.

“I personally believe that on this occasion the BBC has made the correct decision. For what few in this country are aware of is that Hamas is said to be systematically stealing shipments of humanitarian relief and shelling the aid crossing points.

“These claims have been made not just by Israel but by Jordanian journalists and the Palestinian Authority, who have reported that Hamas has intercepted dozens of aid trucks and confiscated food and medical supplies bound for the UN aid stores in Gaza.

“The allegation is that Hamas is manipulating the aid convoys as a weapon of war.

“So the BBC director-general Mark Thompson was, in my view, correct in justifying his decision not only because of concern that the aid would not get to the needy but also because the very issue of humanitarian need in Gaza remains deeply contentious.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/debatesearch/article-1127433/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-The-BBC-won-8217-t-Gaza-appeal-protect-impartiality-But-viewers-really-believe-impartial.html

What was the reaction to that? Nothing. The furore in support of that appeal ad just went on all that week. This has developed since, though, to the point where the pathetic UN itself has said Hamas steals aid meant for Palestinians.

“The United Nations has suspended all food aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of stealing 10 lorry-loads of supplies.”

Better watch out, UN, or Edward (February 7th, 2009 2:50pm) will be along soon to call you the "most ridiculous, delusional, paranoid, ignorant-beyond-belief, self-pitying human beings I have ever come across".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4539655/UN-suspends-aid-to-Gaza-after-accusing-Hamas-of-theft.html

Was this top story on all the TV news bulletins that the deluded Edward no doubt thinks are run by “intelligent, well-informed people”? Or on the front page of many of the newspapers, as it had been when many protested about the ad not being aired? Of course not. As a non-Jew I will speak freely and say that a huge part of this level of bias can only be pure malevolence on the part of many in the media toward Jews. How on earth can a story like the one over that appeal ad run for about a week and have no similar media reaction when the UN itself says aid is being targeted by Hamas?

That’s why people are going about physically assaulting and threatening Jews. If Israel and the rest of us are to survive the terrorist and cultural jihad, we must do all we can to punish the media, whether by cancelling subscriptions or boycotting brands that advertise on commercial news programmes that get up to no good.

This is our mainstream media in 2009: poisonous, shameless and addicted to lies given to them by terrorists and their apologists.

David Alexander

from steynonline.com

'...Why were local politicians silent about this display of bigotry, week after week?

Why did the Calgary Police Service permit this unruly mob onto private property in the first place? Why were trespass charges not laid against them weeks ago? Why did the police do nothing when a pro-Israel counter-protester had a shoe thrown at him, and when a rabbi was spat at? Why were assault charges not laid against them?

The answer is obvious: local politicians have done their math. There are only 8,000 Jews in Calgary, and more than 75,000 Muslims. Denouncing anti-Semitic bigotry is fine for politicians when the bigots are politically powerless neo-Nazi skinheads. When they're radical Muslims, funded by Saudi Arabia, the politicians fall silent.'

Jenny

Edward says: “It seems to me that people on this blog are incapable of fathoming the idea that intelligent, well-informed people could oppose the actions of the 'gangster state of Israel'“.

Really, Edward? It seems to me that you’re unable to deal with the truth of the matter. Since you won’t listen to me or anyone else here, why don’t you listen to Muslim apostate Dr. Sami Alrabaa in ‘Israeli Attacks in Gaza and the Arab Demagogy’.

He’s a damn sight more well-informed than you are and a damn sight braver given what he has the guts to say. Despite being an academic, I’ve no doubt he won’t be invited to speak at Oxford any time soon if you’re typical of the prevailing mood there.

http://www.islam-watch.org/Sami/Israeli-strikes-in-Gaza-and-Arab-Demagogy.htm

Ellien

In 1938 my parents managed to obtain work permits to come to England from Central Europe. It was just in time. Britain gave them a safe haven, but their welcome was not free of Anti-Semitism and so they emigrated to Israel. I have lived in the UK for many years, feeling fairly safe in this live-and-let-live society. However, I now feel afraid and threatened, by others who came here as refugees, immigrants or asylum seekers, supported by the accomodating left wingers. It seems the day is not far when I will have to leave in search of safety. Israel will have me back, but it is not very safe. Actually, is there anywhere safe for someone like me? Do I deserve to be a victim? All my adult life I have worked in the "helping professions", and been an honest and law abiding citizen. Is this current phase of hatred connected to the economic catastrophe that is befalling us? Am I, as a Jewess, once again being scapegoated for the ills of the financial turmoil we are in? Does anyone remember Germany's economic problems after the First World War? Or the Pogroms in Russia, and the reasons for them? I don't see any protest about the way the banks have treated us, nor about the obscene "bonuses" banking chiefs and staff are receiving. No, this hatred of the Jews is not only an outcome of the war with Hamas.

Anat

About two thousand years ago the Romans crucified a Jew.
And their cultural heirs and successors, the Europeans, have continued to crucify him ever since.

Linda Smith

Eraserhead posted 7Feb 2009 8:26am: "...Hamas' main cause is for land for the Palestineans which along with Israels right to exist is perfectly reasonable..."
You are wrong. Hamas' Charter explains its Islamic religious reasons for its intention to kill all Jews in Israel, replace Israel with a single Islamic state. Hamas' Charter also blames Jews for all the "evils" in the world, including the French Revolution, and incites genocide against the world's Jews in the same way as Nazi propaganda incited the Holocaust.
To paraphrase your final paragraph:
To solve the persecution of Jews in the UK, the population of the UK needs to be more vocal about criticisting Hamas.

janet

For all those not in a coma..
Keep it up, you are greatly
needed in order to help the
others come out of their's..right on Brian Moshe..

Ros Morris

So Edward, one presumes that you did quite well in your 'A' levels in order to get yourself into those hallowed portals at Oxford. Unfortunately you haven't learned how to construct an argument. You don't heap abuse on the people you don't agree with. One also presumes that you are a callow youth. So I guess that you haven't actually 'come across' too many people in your short life. Just a couple of things to consider before you post here: you can't come along and shout about 'massacres' and 'gangster state[s] of Israel or even, dare I say it, quote anything from Avi Shlaim. He may well have been a former soldier in Israel but he's certainly no friend of Israel. What I suggest that you do is to take out your dictionary and look up 'massacre' and 'gangster' and, when you've learned their meanings, you may have something to write. Until then, I suggest you read, digest, consider, analyse and come back to us when you've done this. So far as these recent manifestations not being anti-Semitic: having heard 'Jews to the ovens' and Jews to the gas', I didn't really consider it anything but.

John

Phillips' conclusion is irrational and the argument that anti-Israeli opinion is the modern manifestation of antisemitism is utterly offensive. It's also dangerous. People on this thread compare the "Jew free" comment to Nazi Germany, without realising it refers to SELF-ghettoisation - I suspect because their mindset is already within it.

But let's assume you're right. What are you going to DO about it? People on this thread are writing "face it, they hate us - the only solution is to move to Israel". What the hell sort of response is that?! Antisemitism is not an ever present evil. It is an irrational and ignorant opinion. So how are you going to tackle it???

postergirl

Jenny - there's a book by Jonah Goldberg called Liberal Fascism that's been a US bestseller for some while. Check it out at Penguin or Amazon.com Goldberg can also be found at National Review Online.

logdon

Winston Smith
February 4th, 2009 4:41pm

Couldn't agree more, especially the civil disobedience part. If anyone is interested Gates of Vienna published a two part scenario dealing with this very subject. It posited that the native 'insurrection' would begin in Denmark, spreading through Europe and subsequently arriving here. I receive a daily blog on Islam in Europe and the signs are that deliberately increased Muslim separation and self segregation is well under way. And as expected national retaliation is being advanced. Our politicians ignore Newton's action and reaction theory at their peril. Malmo has recently suffered appalling rioting. (Yet again!) The indigenous Dutch are getting increasingly restive and the Wilders case shows how far their authorities are submitting to Islam in an attempt to quell this. Belgium is veering to the hard right. Italians are incensed that mass Islamic 'pray in's' have been conducted in Milan and Rome intended to sacralise Christian spaces. Bishops have actually had to conduct prayers to reclaim these areas. We have Lord Ahmed threatening the HoL with a mob of ten thousand Muslims if a private viewing of Fitna is aired. The daily list is endless. This is a tiny snapshot which if assembled as a whole indicates that major trouble is brewing fast. Join the dots and it is self evident that if this is not nipped right now it will only escalate. Not one country escapes the stealth jihad and our so called leaders flap and accomodate. Meanwhile all of us poor saps at the coalface fulminate in blogs like this which the gloriously frank and fearless Melanie and her cohorts produce. All I say is thank god for women of this calibre including Ayan Hirsi Ali, Phyllis Chesler and others who actually risk their lives in the fight against submission. Trouble is are we the equivalents of Descarte's tree destined to be unheard as if of no account? Are we merely talking amongst ourselves whilst Europe self immolates? One glimmer is the wildcat strikers defying their union leadership and actually doing something about Brown's despicable hollow promise of British jobs. Maybe the one positive about this recession is that reality bites. What an illumination of where Brown’s interests lie? The wake up call has sounded. I just hope that Cameron will abandon his huskies and look to a bulldog instead.

Gil

Phillip@11:31AM: What are you on about? Where have I apologised for something?

Edward@2:50PM: Your Oxford Uni time will be wasted unless you learn about context. Melanie's piece was about the serious problem of anti-Semitism in this country. What has this got to do with Operation Cast Lead? By the way, do you demonstrate against events and use words like 'massacre' concerning Darfur, Iraq, Syria (read about the massacre committed by Assad Sr. in Hama) and other places or ONLY Israel? Never mind, you're only a student. With time you will learn.

Mjolnir de J.@2:57: Why do I have to stop telling people to calm down? So you think that Britain is like Nazi Germany. The rest of your post is rubbish, except for your correct observation about many people back in 1930s Germany. Well, I would suggest that you are a 'troll' or very very...troubled. By the way, if you knew anything about me you wouldn't need to lecture me about Germany in the 1930s.

Jay David

"Believe me, it has nothing to do with anti-semitism (I know this is inconvenient to you) but everything to do with rejecting and standing up against pure acts of injustice."

So , you and your buddies were out protesting against the injustices of Darfur, the Congo & Sri Lanka were you ? No, of course not, because for people like you, Israel is the only country in the world you truly hate. And don't think mentioning that there were Jewish Kapos at the pro-Hamas demonstrations make your arguments any stronger. I know Oxford and anti-semitism is alive & well beneath its spires.

neil

Israel is a victim of hate and its people will allways be tagets. I suport Israel every way i can and will allways do so. Shame on our government for thier disgusting avoidance of arab racists.

Jenny

Edward says: “It seems to me that people on this blog are incapable of fathoming the idea that intelligent, well-informed people could oppose the actions of the 'gangster state of Israel'“.

Really, Edward? It seems to me that you’re unable to deal with the truth of the matter. Since you won’t listen to me or anyone else here, why don’t you listen to Muslim apostate Dr. Sami Alrabaa in ‘Israeli Attacks in Gaza and the Arab Demagogy’.

He’s a damn sight more well-informed than you are and a damn sight braver given what he has the guts to say. Despite being an academic, I’ve no doubt he won’t be invited to speak at Oxford any time soon if you’re typical of the prevailing mood there.

http://www.islam-watch.org/Sami/Israeli-strikes-in-Gaza-and-Arab-Demagogy.htm

Laura

Well, I’m not surprised that the attacks on Jews are going unreported given the way the bulk of the mainstream media have abandoned the truth over what’s been going on in Gaza of late.

The method is the same again and again: bury the truth. How long did we hear about the Gaza appeal ad that the BBC refused to show? At least a week. All over the news channels and the papers - often people who should know better - would not stop banging on about why it should be on telly. Again, on Question Time this week we had another outburst about it, this time from Nigel Wotitsface from Ukip.

Here is Melanie Phillips in a post dated 26th January 2009.

“I personally believe that on this occasion the BBC has made the correct decision. For what few in this country are aware of is that Hamas is said to be systematically stealing shipments of humanitarian relief and shelling the aid crossing points.

“These claims have been made not just by Israel but by Jordanian journalists and the Palestinian Authority, who have reported that Hamas has intercepted dozens of aid trucks and confiscated food and medical supplies bound for the UN aid stores in Gaza.

“The allegation is that Hamas is manipulating the aid convoys as a weapon of war.

“So the BBC director-general Mark Thompson was, in my view, correct in justifying his decision not only because of concern that the aid would not get to the needy but also because the very issue of humanitarian need in Gaza remains deeply contentious.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/debatesearch/article-1127433/MELANIE-PHILLIPS-The-BBC-won-8217-t-Gaza-appeal-protect-impartiality-But-viewers-really-believe-impartial.html

What was the reaction to that? Nothing. The furore in support of that appeal ad just went on all that week. This has developed since, though, to the point where the pathetic UN itself has said Hamas steals aid meant for Palestinians.

“The United Nations has suspended all food aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of stealing 10 lorry-loads of supplies.”

Better watch out, UN, or Edward (February 7th, 2009 2:50pm) will be along soon to call you the "most ridiculous, delusional, paranoid, ignorant-beyond-belief, self-pitying human beings I have ever come across".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4539655/UN-suspends-aid-to-Gaza-after-accusing-Hamas-of-theft.html

Was this top story on all the TV news bulletins that the deluded Edward no doubt thinks are run by “intelligent, well-informed people”? Or on the front page of many of the newspapers, as it had been when many protested about the ad not being aired? Of course not. As a non-Jew I will speak freely and say that a huge part of this level of bias can only be pure malevolence on the part of many in the media toward Jews. How on earth can a story like the one over that appeal ad run for about a week and have no similar media reaction when the UN itself says aid is being targeted by Hamas?

That’s why people are going about physically assaulting and threatening Jews. If Israel and the rest of us are to survive the terrorist and cultural jihad, we must do all we can to punish the media, whether by cancelling subscriptions or boycotting brands that advertise on commercial news programmes that get up to no good.

This is our mainstream media in 2009: poisonous, shameless and addicted to lies given to them by terrorists and their apologists.

unistudent

What a load of ridiculous, hysterical bile. I'm at university in London and have not heard a single anti-semitic comment and 'funnily' enough neither have any of my very many Jewish friends. In fact the majority of my liberal jewish friends have faced more discrimination from the jewish community for feeling that Israel's actions in Gaza were completely unjustified. What does that tell you about a community, when having a political opinion that is different means you are more-or-less ostracised and thought of as a 'traitor'. I have heard a lot of anti-israeli foreign policy around campus, but this jew hating is, I'm afraid a fiction of Ms Phillips over active imagination. Perhaps the reason there is so much concern for the palestinian cause is because Britain was complicit in stealing Palestinian land and handing it over to the Jews. There has to be a collective guilt and a wish to put this terrible wrong to right.

Adam B.

John, sometimes anti-Semitism becomes so all consuming that "tackling it" is no longer a viable option - getting the hell out is. Personally, I don't think we're at that level yet, but if things progress as they have, it is inevitable. And if you're a Jew who's had verbal or physical abuse at work or in the street, you would seriously begin to wonder, why would you want to stay? Is this what you want for your children? Jews no longer have to be meek, they have a country where they can be themselves, without being apologetic. I can see the attraction of that.

Al

Melanie, I have tried to bring up the issue of gun ownership rights several times on this site but have always been censored. I'll try this one last time. ... In America we have the right to bear arms. Liberals have been trying to take this right away from America's citizns, but have not been successful (THANK G_D). I would not try an live in any country which denies me my right to own guns. I am not a 6'5" black belt in karate; I need an equalizer. MOST ALL JEWS NEED GUNS (liberal Jews often are too dense to realize this before it's too late).

Adam B.

Edward, is that why the Union at Oxford invited two anti-Israel spokespeople to condemn Israel, and another two anti-Israel spokespeople to...ahem, defend Israel at a "debate"? (One of them even voted against his own motion... what a cheap stunt). Between that, inviting Holocaust deniers and Tom Paulin's call for Brooklyn born Jews to be shot, Oxford Uni is in a pretty bad way.

Adam B.

Edward, some Jews collaborated with the Nazis. So what's your point? That if you can find a Jew who agrees with you, then you must be right?

Edward

Adam B I am sorry to say but you're the one pulling the 'cheap stunt' by completely fabricating an event which did not take place. It just so happens that I am a member of the Oxford Union and know not of any such event 'organised to condemn Israel', especially one as stupid as the one you just described. The Union is a world famous debating arena, designed to bring intellectuals with differing opinions to 'slug' it out in the chamber. I ask you what would be the point of arranging a debate between two groups of people who all hold the same opinion about such a contentious issue? There isn't one, I think you'll find. So Adam, please stop scraping the evidence barrel as it were.

Also, whether people protest about Darfur, Zimbabwe, etc or not does not detract from the fact the Israel is an immoral state. I think people in the west are galvanised by the fact that they see their own democratically elected governments colluding with this tyrant state, unlike the powers that be in Darfur, Congo, etc. This is why the British people feel so passionate about the issue, not because Britain is in the grip of antisemitism as some on here will have us believe. Please stop being so hysterical and actually consider the facts. People like Melanie Philips do nothing for social cohesion and only seek to fuel civil strife with their sensationalist, skewed, and biased reporting.
The University of Oxford is most certainly not an antisemitic institution. It is a place where intellectual freedom is nurtured, not suppressed. I stand by my earlier comments about some people on this blog being 'ridiculous and deluded' and you only need to read Al's comments advocating that Jews need to carry guns now to see my vindication!

Linda Smith

Unistudent (7 Feb 11.09pm) You opined "Perhaps the reason there is so much concern for the palestinian cause is because Britain was complicit in stealing Palestinian land and handing it over to the Jews". Er, I never hear anyone screaming about the partition of India and Pakistan in 1948 and the massacres and the displacement of population. Bloomin' load of hypocrites. Perhaps the real reason is good ol' antisemitism.

HarleyDavidson

unistudent
You go to the University in London, yet you appear not to have leaned even a single idea. So, according to you Britain helped steal Pal land for the Jews, eh? Ok, sonny, let's go back far as the Romans for up to that point Jews owned the land outright. Now, in your opinion where did the Pals get that Jewish land? I can provide archeological evidence of Jewish ownership of Jewish land as far back as you may wish to search. Where did you or any of your University of London buddies find Pal evidence of any existence because there was no record of Pals as late or as early as Rome's conquest. Where did these Pals suddenly appear? Product your evidence. You may find at one point Arabs conquered what is modern day Israel but Jews reconquered back their own lands despite Britain who aided and abetted the Arabs NOT the Jews. Britain even turned over all their military hardware to Arabs rather than Jews. Britain even turned back holocaust survivors who tried to reach Israel after the war and then placed those survivors in camps in Cyprus exactly as did the Germans before them. That's real history son. Where did you make up yours?

SAMI ABUKHDEIR

as an arab living in britain , I am ashamed when I read your article .. we are a minority who understand very well what is happening ..these students hamas supporters should go and live in an arab country and taste the ''democratic values''they can cherish in britain.. they spend time bashing israel but let me tell you the real culprit in their mind is the jew.. it is pure antisemitism .. beware of the antisemitism coming from the left ... I understand that many collaborators in world war 2 came from the left side of the political spectrum.. the history is repeating itself!!

Theresa Felsinger

Unistudent, 'Britain was complicit in stealing Palestinian land and handing it over to the Jews. There has to be a collective guilt and a wish to put this terrible wrong to right.'.
As a Unistudent I expect you to answer a few basic questions about this country of Palestine and its people you are protecting. When was it founded and by whome, what were its borders, what was its capital, what constituted the basis of its economy, what was its form of govt. & currency? Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat, the Egyptian? Was Palestine ever recognised by a country whose existence at the that time or now, leaves no room for interpretation? And here is the least sarcastic question of all , If the people you mistakenly call 'Palestinians' are anything by generic Arabs collected from all over or thrown out of the Arab world, if they have a genuine ethnic identity that gives them right for self determination, why did they NEVER try to become independent until Arabs suffered their devastating defeat in the Six Day War? The truth is that Arab countries have never abandoned the dream of destroying Israel and to-day they do it by proxy. Why did Egypt and Jordan not want the 'West Bank' and Gaza back when offered? The fact is that Arabs populating Gaza, Judea and Samaria have less claim to nationahood than that Indian tribe that successfully emerged in Connecticut with the purpose of starting a tax-exempt casino. At least they had a constructive goal, these so called Palestinians have one goal, the destruction of Israel. The only way to achieve peace in the ME is for Arab countries to acknowledge and accept their defeat and as the losing side pay reparations to Israel for more than 50 yrs of devastation they have visited on it. The most appropriate form of such reparation would be the removal of terrorist org. from the land of Israel and accepting Israel's ancient sovereignty over Gaza, Judea and Samaria. That will mark the end of the Palestinian people. Relocate them within the 550 millions Arabs in the ME.
Educate yourself and read the book ' A Japanese View of the Palestinians' by Yashiko Sagamori and whilst you're at it send a copy to Lord Ahmed, he'll be needing it soon.

Margaret Muller-Johansson

Unistudent, maybe you are too young to notice but a lot of university students who are your age see the things you don't see, Edward we may be paranoia and ignorant, but do they teach you how to hide the truth over Oxbridge? I hope when you graduate you don't became some kind of politician you may put us in danger, Alex Bensky I understand how you feel about Europe and the liberal left wing in this part of the world, here they always talk about America and how it is weird place, they don't see their own problems, America is better and safer for Jewish and other people, because America is big place, people are not mix like here, the immigrants who go to America from Muslim background like your community in Detroit, Michigan integrate and behave better then the ones here, those immigrants are probably from middle class educated background, In Europe the story is different, the majority of muslims who are living the council flats around are not that educated and they don't integrate they don't have to bother you see, life is too easy the liberal governments in Europe gave them everything for free even translators so they don't learn the languages of the country they are living, after that they think the western European value is horrible, in a some ways America is better and safer for everyone

phil

Frank P thank you frank p (no answer needed) those are the first kind words you have ever said to me -I seem to have acheived something too!!

Linda Smith

Unistudent (7 Feb 11.09pm) You opined "Perhaps the reason there is so much concern for the palestinian cause is because Britiain was complicit in stealing Palestinian land and handing it over to the Jews". Er, I never hear anyone screaming about the partition of India in 1947 and the massacres and the displacement of population. Bloomin' load of hypocrites. "Perhaps the real reason there is so much for the palestian cause" is good ol' antisemitism.

Ziggy Bullock

Antisemitism is alive and well in the UK, and the next generation of students are leading this aweful charge, people no longer think through these issues, history teaches them no leasons.
Thank you for sounding the warning call Melanie! Did we really believe that anything would change? Christians too are feeling the persecution from the state, albeit to a much lesser degree. They will be Israel's only friends in the future.

Alexandra

Edward says: "I think people in the west are galvanised by the fact that they see their own democratically elected governments colluding with this tyrant state, unlike the powers that be in Darfur, Congo, etc. This is why the British people feel so passionate about the issue"

Wrong again, Edward. If that was the case, where was the blanket media coverage of the democratically elected government of Sri Lanka annihilating the Tamil Tigers?

You haven't got any answers to that in just the way you haven't got any answers to the piece by Dr Sami Alrabaa cited above (http://www.islam-watch.org/Sami/Israeli-strikes-in-Gaza-and-Arab-Demagogy.htm)

You've told us you're a member of the debating union, so will
you invite him to speak there or is that just a little too much truth for people like you?

phil

Edward""I think people in the west are galvanised by the fact that they see their own democratically elected governments colluding with this tyrant state, unlike the powers that be in Darfur, Congo, etc."""--is this a subject for debate ?or is it your own immovable and very personal opinion?---

-I suggest you put forward your case bearing in mind it will no doubt be torn to shreds if you do not do your research in a manner fit for a member of oxford university. We need history ,facts figures -a definition of what is a Palestinian ,When did they first originate,and on the other side of the coin who gave Israel the right to be a state and to defend itself -is that enough for you to start ? Please no outpourings of rage .just historical truth and analysis

I think I can promise you a healthy debate backed up by traceable facts ,so lets cut out the insults ,I look forward to a learned debate -over to you .

Terence Godfrey

Why does nobody ever ask, or answer, the question. Why are people anti semitic? There must be a reason. Solve that and you have solved the problem

Linda Smith

Edward (8 Feb 1:55 am) commented: "I think people in the west are glavanised by the fact that see their own democratically elected governments colluding with this tyrant state.."
Israel is the central front in the Islamic global jihad for world domination. Israel is fighting a ward against militant Islam on behalf of the world. Anyone who does not support Israel in its fight against militant Fundamentalist Hamas and Hezbollah, Iran's proxies, is either an Islamist or a fool.

Adam B.

Edward, you are just plain wrong. you sound bullish in your assertions, but you're wrong. Read these:
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/4293

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1200572520702

You should be ashamed of belonging to the Oxford Union, which also invited the Holocaust denier Irving, and notoriously voted not to confront the Nazis in the late 30’s.

As for your second paragraph, who are you to tell Jewish people how they should feel, that they are deluded when they experience attacks and hatred? In short, Edward, you are monumentally arrogant.

Adam B.

Terence, why do you think? I'll ask you the question.

ahad ha'amoratsim

US.Conscientious.Objector (who seems to be a post-once and disappear troll), Edward and Carl do not realize how they are proving Melanie's point. They are telling us there is nothing wrong with beating a 12 year year old British Jewish girls, or threatening Jews in British schools and synagogues, because, after all, look at the horrible thing Israel is and the horrible things it does. Suppose that every charge that US.Conscientious.Objector, Edward and Carl made was true -- how on earth would that fact justify vicious behavior and physical violence directed at Jews in Britain?

Janice

\"Why does nobody ever ask, or answer, the question. Why are people anti semitic? There must be a reason. Solve that and you have solved the problem.\"

So what are you waiting for, Terence Godfrey? Tell us.

I note, too, Mr Godfrey, that youâ™re a believer in reason. In that case, you can kindly give me a legitimate reason for this then:

9:30 \"O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him.\"

And this: 5:51 \"Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends.\"

And this: 7:166 But when even after this they disdainfully persisted in that from which they were forbidden, We said to them, \'Become apes - despised and disgraced!\'

And this 5:60 Say: \'Shall I tell you [People of the Book] who will receive a worse reward from God? Those whom God has cursed and with whom He has been angry, transforming them into apes and swine, and those who serve the devil. Worse is the plight of these, and they have strayed farther from the right path.\'

And this: 2:65 And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. We said to them: \'Be apes - despised and hated by all.\'
2:66 Thus We made their end a warning to the people of their time and succeeding generation, and an admonition for God-fearing people.

b

US...Objector, wtf does that have to do with Britain?

Ethan

The only way to stop this lefty so called liberal anti semitism is for the rest of us non pc types to declare "we are all jewish now". Let them try to pick on me. Brick outhouse size and 110% fed up with continual BBC led anti israel bias.

Dave G

Yes Melanie, those on the pro-Israel right who continually seek to equate criticism of Israel with anti-semitism have something to answer for, dont they?

anglicus

You are not alone.
A church in Rochdale has been attacked for the second time by a gang of up to 20 Muslims in unprovoked attacks which have included anti-white & anti-British racist slurs. The low level of publicity given to this hate crime against a Christian church by Muslims contrasts vividly with that given to even the slightest incident when tables are turned.
I won't include the link, but you can Google it.

Mjolnir de Jersiase

Gil@8:56pm: Thank you for your arrogant, aggressive and insulting response to my post. Indeed, why should you have to stop telling people to calm down just because I say so? Likewise, why should anyone have to calm down just because you say so? You are correct in one respect: I am indeed troubled; troubled by the rising tide of anti-Jewish hatred that is sweeping across Britain and Europe as a result of the unholy marriage of Liberal-Left Fascism with Islamic Extremism. It is true that I don’t know anything about you, and I wasn’t presuming to ‘lecture’ you about Nazi Germany in the 1930s, I was merely stating a fact that the implementation of Nazism didn’t happen overnight but developed out of the Fascist thought that was popular in European academia, and popular culture, well before Hitler’s rise to power (Heidegger and Nietzsche spring to mind). In his book “Modern Fascism”, Professor Gene Edward Veith states that: “Fascism is not merely the seizure of power by madmen. Nor can it be understood simply as racism, totalitarianism, or ‘right wing extremism’. These may be symptoms, but they are not the essence of the disease. Fascism is a worldview. The elements of this worldview derive from romanticism, Darwinism, and existentialism. They are part of the mainstream of Western thought. As such, they were basic assumptions of the intellectual elite of the 1930s. They remain so today.”
Given that we have recently seen crowds of bearded Islamists, along with their white-European liberal-left accomplices, chanting: “Death to the Jews” and “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas” in Holland, and teenage Jewish girls being persecuted in the streets of England by groups of Muslims shouting “die you filthy Jews” etc., as well as police turning a blind eye to such outrages, I think that it is not ‘rubbish’ to assert that, in some respects, we are now seeing a Fascism that is reminiscent of the earliest days of the 1930s. If you claim that this view is ‘rubbish’, please could you explain why this is so - without resorting to a barrage of aggressive and arrogant personal insults?
Oh, and, by the way, you need to calm down a bit…

Mark

"Ok, sonny, let's go back far as the Romans for up to that point Jews owned the land outright. " HarleyDavidson.

Hmm, didn't they actually conquer it from several groups of people in Canaan, or do you also draw artifical start lines in history?

However you try and justify it, the massacre of innocents in Gaza belies Israel's true nature, and it is not pleasant.

To protest against such does not make one an anti-Semite; to scream anti-Semitism whenever someone criticises Israel does however make you appear irrational.