All forms of prejudice and bigotry are wrong. I think there has been an increase in violent anti-Semitism and other racial and religious prejudices throughout Europe recently and this is, indeed, worrying.
I also think that casual anti-Semitism was much more rife in the previous generation, i.e. our parents' generation, and earlier generations than now. Of course there were aggressive anti-Semites in the UK then – Oswald Mosley was not without supporters – but there was also a fairly common acceptance of the stereotypical miserly Jew (Shylock, Fagin) and it wasn't unusual to hear expressions such as "He's a Jew boy" thoughtlessly spoken by respectable and otherwise pleasant people.
The growth of aggressive bigotry towards Jews marches with a similar increase in hatred of "the other", whatever the other may be. Foolishly I would have expected globalisation and the movements of peoples around the world to increase tolerance and understanding of different cultures, lifestyles and beliefs. In some individuals it has, but in others it has resulted in a pull up the drawbridge and fetch the boiling oil mentality.
It is not inconceivable that some members of political parties and some members of universities nurture such unsavoury ideas – these are large barrels that also contain many more apples that are not rotten. Sadly, the flames of hatred are often fanned by modern media, sometimes deliberately, but also by default in an age of soundbites, spin, getting the best pictures and the gaping maw of 24-hour news.
It behoves thoughtful people, therefore, to be watchful, to speak up when appropriate, to avoid knee-jerk responses to so-called news stories, to use their votes and other political power wisely, and calmly to guide those who are younger, less experienced and, perhaps, less wise. Small steps can still cover a long distance.
