Attacks on Jews soar since Lebanon

[oberliner]

Synagogues and citizens have been targeted

BRITISH Jews are facing a wave of anti-Semitic attacks prompted by Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Synagogues have been daubed with graffiti, Jewish leaders have had hate-mail and ordinary people have been subjected to insults and vandalism.

On Thursday an all-party parliamentary inquiry will state that anti-Semitic violence has become endemic in Britain, both on the streets and university campuses. The report will call for urgent action from the Government, the police and educational establishments.

Mark Gardner, of the Community Security Trust, said: “In July, when the conflict in Lebanon began, we received reports of 92 incidents, which was the third-worst month since records began in 1984.” In 2000 the monthly average was between 10 and 30 incidents.

The former minister Denis MacShane, who chaired the parliamentary inquiry, said: “These figures confirm the evidence given to us that anti-Semitic attacks are a very real problem.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2339394,00.html

[PresidentWar]

1. Every war tour the Chimp starts, the worse for world Jews.

I'm surprised the self described "supporters of Israel" among the Bushistas haven't noticed this one yet.

[peacetalksforall]

2. I detest how the term 'anti-Semitic' is used. I am not anti-

Semitic. I am anti whoever it is that is calling the shots and causing war and killing and the perpetual lock-out of Palestinians. I am anti whoever it is that can only come up with military solutions.

What is the name for those in Israel who do and support what some in Israel are doing?

Not all Semites believed in the crushing of Lebanon.

Journalists, get on the ball. The term is no longer appropriate because it is being used to stifle dissent.

[cali]

4. Excuse me?

What does this have to do with the article posted? Pathetic that people can't even simply condemn blatant bigotry.

[peacetalksforall]

7. The author of the article used it. Next time I'll caption any

side point I make with a little warning balloon for you or I will point out that I'm addressing only a portion of the author's points or the author's way of pointing. I think it is unfair to paint all Jews with the term (Semite) and it is unfair to paint all who disagree with Israel politics as anti (Semite). Not only is it unfair, it's misleading, inappropriate, and a cop out.

Put me on your ignore list - I'm going to keep pointing this out.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. They used it to describe verbal and physical attacks on Jews

and Jewish property, which is indeed 'anti-Semitism'. The term was originally invented to describe hatred of Jews, and that is also the common usage today. Why you think this is 'unfair', I can't tell. The article does not paint those who disagree with Israeli politics as 'anti-Semitic' - it says there has been an increase in anti-Semitic attacks because of the Israel-Lebanon conflict. The only people making the connection between Israeli policies and Jews in Britain are those who made the attacks.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[geek tragedy]

16. So, you don't think that attacks on Jews in the UK

should be described as anti-semitic.

I don't think anyone gets your logic. Please enlighten us.

[High Plains]

3. Hmmm, the article mentions ONE physical assault.

Then there's graffiti, people mailing nasty letters to Jewish leaders, and people making remarks to other people on the street, and one guy got his car vandalized.

It seems like the headline is a bit misleading.

[cali]

5. So you aren't

going to be bothered by a story about similar acts of bigotry playing out against say, Mulims? Bigotry is inexcusable no matter who the victim is. There's nothing misleading about the headline. And violence is the end result of bigotry. We shouldn't wait until it comes to that to condemn it.

[dogday]

6. Yes bigotry rears it's ugly head but

you see it in all walks of life, blacks, hispanics, arabs in the US are constantly called "towel heads"..

I don't see the difference in the acts of bigotry, they are all the same... Remember a black man was dragged to his death in Texas...

[geek tragedy]

21. And all are worthy of strident and unequivocal

condemnation.

[dogday]

39. Absolutely

and unequivocally and equally condemned...

[riverwalker]

8. graffiti, hate mail and insults

Is more of a nuisance than a pogrom. I get that after publishing a LTTE.

[geek tragedy]

17. Yet more compassion for victims of racial

harassment.

Somehow I doubt very highly that people would be so dismissive of such activities directed at blacks, Muslims, or homosexuals.

[ShawnGreen]

23. Krystalnacht Was Just A Bunch Of Ruffians Letting Off Steam

Good thing much wasn't made of it...

[geek tragedy]

24. I hate how people call anti-Zionists like the Nazis

anti-semitic.

:sarcasm:

[msmcghee]

31. Why is that?

My understanding is that underlying their anger over Israel's establishment as a Jewish homeland is the idea is that Jews should be persecuted as a "race" and never allowed to form communities of any kind - unless perhaps they are in Ghettos where they can be "controlled".

I have had some contact with neo-Nazis in North Idaho and I assure you they have a deep hatred of Jews - such that anything notable that a Jew does or says is considered worthy of contempt.

[geek tragedy]

32. I added a sarcasm tag to that post.

I was being facetious.

[msmcghee]

33. Oooops, sorry! nt

[dogday]

34. I live in Houston

The hate never stops here... There are so many different ethnic groups here that you have a smorgasbord of hate and no, not every offense at blacks, muslims or homosexuals gets noted, or even investigated... That includes hate against the Jewish people....


No hatred of one group of people is worthy of more distaste than any other.. I see all as festering pustules inside a person.

[msmcghee]

36. Your post brought me a flashback.

I was in Houston back in the sixties working at NASA in Clear Lake. (Sent there temporarily by my company from LA.) Me and my buddy go into Houston one night to see Kubrick's new film, 2001 - at Houston's biggest finest theater. (Don't remember the name of it.)

During the first very dramatic scenes when the apes were discovering the possibility that bones could become weapons - some lady yells out very loudly in this huge theater, "Careful, boys, George is gonna get you."

She was referring to George Wallace of course, the Gov. of Alabama who stood in the doorway of University of Alabama to prevent blacks from entering.

That shocked me enough - but when the whole place erupted in laughter and hooting I was completely blown away.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ShawnGreen]

12. Did You Read The Article?

Jews in the UK are being attacked because of something the Israeli government did. And you seem to be countenancing it


By your logic Americans in Terre Haute deserve to be attacked because BFEE invaded Iraq.

[geek tragedy]

14. But, don't you dare call him anti-semitic

for blaming UK Jews for something that happened on another continent.

[ShawnGreen]

26. This Is Just Fodder.

There have always been people who don't much care for Jews.

[geek tragedy]

28. Yep. And they use any excuse

to justify or minimize it.

[ShawnGreen]

29. I Oppose All Forms Of Bigotry Regardless Of The Target

Hating people for who they are and not what they do just seems dumb.

[geek tragedy]

30. I wish everyone here had that attitude. eom

[geek tragedy]

13. UK JEWS DIDN'T KILL ANYONE. LEARN TO READ.

I'm going to assume laziness in reading instead of outright bigotry.

[Lurking Dem]

15. How odd.

When attacks on Muslims soared after 9/11 everyone on DU decried it as wrong, unfair, and blatant racism.

And rightly so.

Now Jews are being attacked worldwide under the auspices of having attacked Hezbollah and many don't seem to think the same and one is essentially saying "you reap what you sow."

Odd, that.

[geek tragedy]

18. People here are more tolerant of anti-semitism

than other kinds of bigotry.

When you talk about anti-semitism, about half will immediately chime in with one of three responses:

1) They'll just criticize Israel;

2) they'll dismiss it as unimportant and not worth commenting on; or

3) whine about how criticism of Israel shouldn't be equated with anti-semitism--even though the subject is anti-Jewish bias crimes.

[ShawnGreen]

19. You Acted Surprised....

I'm not surprised.

Maybe disappointed.

[geek tragedy]

20. Outraged, but not surprised.

It is horribly sad to recognize that anti-semitism is considered more appropriate on the left than it is on the right--especially amongst the Neo-cons.

I am fully against equating criticism of Israel--even unfair criticism--with anti-semitism.

But, when people talk about "what goes around comes around" regarding innocent Jews living thousands of miles away from Israel, there can be only one inference drawn.

[msmcghee]

22. Or, the most common response will be . .

. . something like,

Oh, there's lot's of discrimination in the world, get used to it. Remember the black guy who got dragged behind that pickup.

This type of comment is the most insidious and also the most hypocritical.

As I mentioned on another thread - it's interesting how some DU'ers can spot the most carefully coded words of bigotry in a Republican congressman's speech - but the most outrageous and blatant bigotry against Jews, much of it written into posts in this forum, is just something we should all get used to - because the "policies of Israel caused it".

[ShawnGreen]

25. How About This

Oh, there's lot's of discrimination in the world, get used to it. Remember

-that gay young man in Wyoming who was crucified for making a pass at those two guys in a bar.


-or Barry Winchell , the soldier who was killed for dating a transexual


-or Gwen Araujo- the transgendered young woman who was killed by two of the sexuslly confused men she had sex with.

Hate is never right regardless of the target.

[geek tragedy]

27. Hate is the enemy. Not Israel. Not 'the terrorists.'

The haters need to be shown the door by real progressives.

[dogday]

35. Funny I posted just that in another post

I can assume you are talking to me... You can say what you want but I am one who believes all forms of bigotry are wrong and I do not believe that one certain type of bigotry is any more important to recognize than any other....

[msmcghee]

37. The wording of your post . .

. . led me to think you were justifying it. I see now I was wrong and apologize if that was the case.

[dogday]

38. That's cool

I don't like to see any of it, I always seem to support the underdog.. I am that type of person.. I always tried to fight for fairness...

[msmcghee]

40. I appreciate that you . .

. . always seem to support the underdog.. are that type of person.. always try to fight for fairness. Me too.

Supporting the underdog especially seems to be a common thread here of those who see Israel as the heartless monster oppressing the defenseless Palestinians.

And I know that what I say about that will not change many minds. However, I feel compelled to say it anyway. Because, when there is injustice in the world, and I think this is a prime example, it is the moral duty of each person to call it for what it is.

I also understand that is what you and (most) others here who condemn Israel are doing. You see it as a matter of justice that must be addressed.

So, in that respect we both are being true to our liberal nature. We both refuse to stand by while injustice is done. That's good.

We now only need to discuss whose view of the situation is more accurate and complete. What that means is that when I argue my position I am not accusing anyone of being morally wrong (anti-semitic) - just incorrect in their opinion as to who is at fault.

There are however some few posters in this forum who I believe are basically motivated by anti-semitism - who are of the white-supremacist mentality masquerading as liberals to sway opinions here. It is not my crusade to out them or accuse them of that. I will confront them with reasonable arguments as I will anyone else here and if they are indeed motivated by darker thoughts that will eventually become apparent to anyone who reads their statements with an open mind - as I believe has occurred in several cases.

I know you will keep on standing up for what you think is right - even if we disagree. That's good.

:thumbsup:

[dogday]

41. You can check my history and know

I am just wanting all the violence to stop, all the people to get along... I know that is a tall order.. I know that it will not happen....

When I say underdog, you know it could mean Israel surrounded on all sides by people that hate them, you know.. You can't take it the way you do... I usually mean those in the right who are oppressed by government and money....

I do not take a stand on the I/P or Lebanon war... I just don't know all the details, I just want it to stop, the suffering on both sides is so sad and I feel for both... I cannot allow my politics to get involved with my feelings as a person... And as a person I can't stand to see the suffering on either side of the aisle....

One last thing... My son serves in Iraq, I have found out what is important in my life, and what is just crap... My son living is the most important thing I can think of... I can relate to everyone who suffers as a result of war or terrorist attacks...