What is antisemitism?

We have a growing community of Haredi Jews not far from me, they have always been visible in the community, now it’s noticeable that they are not out and about since 7/10.

I think most Jewish people I know are identifiable Hewish, but so what if they are? It doesnt mean they sit on different seats if the tube from the rest of us or we don't pas the time of day with them. Same for all the other black, Chinese or whatever.

Having said that, my best Jewish friend when we were young mums used to be relieved her daughter had blonde hair, and she did everything not to "appear" Jewish. (That was Hampstead where she could easily have aligned herself with the Jewish community but chose not to). I think that is sad.

I wear a cross everyday, I do not know how I would feel if I felt too scared to do so in my country of birth.

That’s the situation my Jewish friends are in with their Star of David.

There is a very practical reason Orthodox Jews gather in one area: their synagogue. They must not drive on the sabbath. Therefore they must be within walking distance of the synagogue.

Joseann

I think most Jewish people I know are identifiable Hewish, but so what if they are? It doesnt mean they sit on different seats if the tube from the rest of us or we don't pas the time of day with them. Same for all the other black, Chinese or whatever.

I have a dozen or so Jewish friends and none of them are identifiably Jewish, although most of them keep the Sabbath and follow Jewish dietary rules. Not surprisingly (because we tend to seek out friends like us), they are politically liberal and don't like Netanyahu and the events in Palestine. They don't live in Jewish areas or send their children to Jewish schools and none of them has ever talked about being frightened. I realise that it's different for Orthodox Jews, who are more noticeable in the streets.

Joseann

Having said that, my best Jewish friend when we were young mums used to be relieved her daughter had blonde hair, and she did everything not to "appear" Jewish. (That was Hampstead where she could easily have aligned herself with the Jewish community but chose not to). I think that is sad.

Was that because she was frightened or felt she had little in common with them?

Iam64

The question about whether people are identifiably Jewish has been asked on several occasions recently. There was the suggestion that the hair and dress of some orthodox Jewish men and women resulted in them being subject to anti semitism.
Most cities have areas where Jews escaping pogroms in Europe lived in the 19th/early 20th century. Manchester has the second largest Jewish community in the UK. Early, often poverty stricken Jewish people lived in slums alongside Irish families in Angel Meadow. As they became established many Irish families moved to south Manchester, the Jewish families to north Manchester.
There is still a substantial Jewish community in Cheetham Hill. There have been attacks in synagogues, schools, cemeteries and community buildings. My Jewish friends in the area aren’t orthodox and they’re anxious about the increase in anti semitism.

I agree with you about Orthodox communities. However, not all Jews (even practising ones) are Orthodox and they're not recognisably Jewish, so I'm genuinely curious about how people identify them.

My best friend at school was Jewish and I didn't even know until I went to her house and saw a Menorah on the mantlepiece and asked what it was. I hadn't even noticed that she didn't eat pork if it was served for school lunch.

Cambridge has a thriving Reform synagogue. If I happen to be walking past when there's some kind of service, I've seen men with kippahs, but I've rarely seen them being worn in the street.

growstuff are you saying that to feel frightened and/or intimidated for being Jewish you have to look like a Jew?

We have a week's timeshare down in Bournemouth where there is a quite sizeable Jewish community, and on a Saturday they are quite visible going to and fro to the synagogue, some are clearly identifiable as Orthodox. Several years ago, and I can't remember what precipitated it, but some skirmish between Israelis and Palestinians had taken place, there were quite a number of cars driving around the town waving the Palestinian flag accompanied by vocal anti Jewish shouting and abuse from those in the cars. Having witnessed it at the time, I could only conclude it was a blatant display of anti semitism Always! always! by some factions,the Jews per se are conflated with the negativity of whatever the government of Israel happens to be doing.

Hamas has said to want a ceasefire and exchange of hostages for Palistinian woman and children held in Israel military prisons for a long time. Israel won't do that. The attacks of 7th October lets Israel comit ethnic cleansing. You don't carpet bomb indiscriminately war crimes. There has to be a better strategy. The only way to stop this human catastrophe is to stop the occupation free hostages ceasefire

Hamas may want a ceasefire as it will help themselves.
Will they let over 200 innocent hostages go or a dozen only? What Palestinian women and children are in military prisons for a long time? What crimes have the women committed?

Grany
Israel has not been carpet bombing, whatever you would like to think. They have warned the Palestinian population to move south, but Hamas prevented many of them from doing so. Additionally they have given warnings before firing bombs. They have taken food, water, medicines, and fuel into the hospital in Gaza, but that doesn’t fit your narrative does it?

Oreo

Hamas may want a ceasefire as it will help themselves.
Will they let over 200 innocent hostages go or a dozen only? What Palestinian women and children are in military prisons for a long time? What crimes have the women committed?

You could Google your questions Quite a few children are in military prisons are are badly treated

I heard the fuel was only enough to run fir half hour …..as fir medicine food and water I saw soldiers carrying stuff but there are over 2000 people together with patients and medics so a few bottles of water won’t make any difference in the scheme of things.

Basically we only know what we are told and what we hear is not always the whole truth. I do try to hear both sides but my heart is with those with nothing.

www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-hostage-deal.html

"Israel and Hamas Appear to Be Near Hostage Deal, Officials Say"
NY Times 20+ minutes ago

Callistemon21

www.nytimes.com/2023/11/15/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-hostage-deal.html

"Israel and Hamas Appear to Be Near Hostage Deal, Officials Say"
NY Times 20+ minutes ago

A glimmer of hope 🙏

Fifty people is a good start, but there’s much further to go.

maddyone

Grany
Israel has not been carpet bombing, whatever you would like to think. They have warned the Palestinian population to move south, but Hamas prevented many of them from doing so. Additionally they have given warnings before firing bombs. They have taken food, water, medicines, and fuel into the hospital in Gaza, but that doesn’t fit your narrative does it?

Allegedly ...

growstuff

maddyone

Grany
Israel has not been carpet bombing, whatever you would like to think. They have warned the Palestinian population to move south, but Hamas prevented many of them from doing so. Additionally they have given warnings before firing bombs. They have taken food, water, medicines, and fuel into the hospital in Gaza, but that doesn’t fit your narrative does it?

Allegedly ...

There was video footage of IDF taking supplies into the hospital shown on the 10pm news yesterday.

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

maddyone

Grany
Israel has not been carpet bombing, whatever you would like to think. They have warned the Palestinian population to move south, but Hamas prevented many of them from doing so. Additionally they have given warnings before firing bombs. They have taken food, water, medicines, and fuel into the hospital in Gaza, but that doesn’t fit your narrative does it?

Allegedly ...

There was video footage of IDF taking supplies into the hospital shown on the 10pm news yesterday.

Did they show what exactly was indeed the boxes labelled "medical supplies"? Was there any fuel to run the equipment?

growstuff

GrannyGravy13

growstuff

maddyone

Grany
Israel has not been carpet bombing, whatever you would like to think. They have warned the Palestinian population to move south, but Hamas prevented many of them from doing so. Additionally they have given warnings before firing bombs. They have taken food, water, medicines, and fuel into the hospital in Gaza, but that doesn’t fit your narrative does it?

Allegedly ...

There was video footage of IDF taking supplies into the hospital shown on the 10pm news yesterday.

Did they show what exactly was indeed the boxes labelled "medical supplies"? Was there any fuel to run the equipment?

That is what the accompanying commentary said.
Bottled water was definitely visible, even without my glasses.

The issue of ‘looking’ jewish is irrelevant really. The remaining survivors of the kinder transport feel frightened. A close friend who is nit orthodox but follows his faith told me last week ‘it feels like the holocaust’. He’s the last person I’d see as over dramatising. He said the survivors and others, talk about the rise of anti semitism in Europe and see Israel as where they should be -without Netanyahu

Sorry if I'm seeing this wrongly, but isn't Netanyahu then creating his own version of anti semitism amongst his own people? Would he want to do this?
The trouble is though, once he is out, the hostility and hatred towards Jewish people the world over still won't go away.

Joseann, I don’t understand what you mean by suggesting Netanyahu is creating his own version of anti semitism amongst his own people.

If yiu mean dividing society, then look to the UK and USA, divided to political extremes. Our government doesn’t represent me. That doesn’t stop me being English