What is antisemitism?

Looks like KS will loose quite a few of his front benchers.

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🚨 NEW: Channel 4's Cathy Newman reports that 17 Labour frontbenchers expect to be sacked on Wednesday for voting in favour of a Gaza ceasefire.

The shadow ministers are demanding that Starmer call for an "immediate ceasefire". Starmer has repeatedly ruled this out.

If America said let’s call for a ceasefire Starmer RS would too.
They do what America wants. We are the 51st State.

Other similar countries as ours France does not follow America’s lead nor did they approve of the Iraq war.

Since Starmar became leader, the Labour Party has continuesly expelled any LP member who dared to express any support for the Palestinian movement, or opposition to the current fascist government in Israel. Many of those expelled were Jewish and many had been LP members and active workers for decades See
Now, it appears that even daring to equate what Israel is doing in Gaza with what the Nazi's did is a crime.

I am Jewish, not a Zionist, and totally and absolutely in opposition to the current Israeli government.

I listen with horror to Israeli government spokesmen informing us that whereas they do not target schools and hospitals, they have to bomb these as Hamas soldiers may be hiding there. The best example of 1984 Newspeak I have ever come across!!!

Really is time to distinguish between JEWS and Israeli Government. I am sure there are plenty of anti-semites out there, sadly most religions seem to have inbuilt fear of other religions, and the closer they are, the more hatred.

Of course, as has been pointed out Palestinians are Semites also.

Galaxy

I think or am beginning to think that antisemitism is the racism of the middle class.

I would sincerely hope that it’s not just a ‘middle class’ thing!

IMO there’s always been a strong vein of anti-semitism in the U.K. and of course elsewhere - you only have to read some older novels to see the casual disparaging references to Jews - or to ‘a gentleman of the Hebrew persuasion’ as Trollope once put it. (Though to his credit he did once portray the Jewish suitor of an aristocratic woman, as an infinitely more worthy character than she was.)

Only now, instead of being IMO fairly taboo to express it, because of the current horrendous situation it’s become almost ‘fashionable’ in some circles to express it, and to lump all Jews in with the actions of the current Israeli government.

I don't understand either MaizieD. We have Holocaust Memorial Day every year, in January some time, and on each occasion survivors share their stories while we shudder and try to understand. Then, for the rest of the year that scab continues to be scratched away at as feelings of anti semitisn rear up again. Is it because Jews expect special treatment because of the Holocaust?
I don't think it has anything to do with the creation of Israel. As others have said, anti semitisn goes much deeper and has been going on for centuries. Being Jewish is seen by some almost as a crime from the beginning of time.

Antisemitism, like any variant of bigotry, isn't rational. Some people seem to be so full of hatred that they even deny the Holocaust and/or maintain the Jews only had themselves to blame.

Historically, most antisemitism has been perpetuated by Christians. I think the current pro-Palestinian antisemitism is something more complicated. The core of it is about land (and if I were Palestinian I'd be pretty miffed about being turfed off my land because Europeans had caused problems), but it's coalesced into tribalism and more "traditional" antisemites have joined in.

I don't understand how anti- Semitism has managed to persist after the massive wave of horror which followed from the revelation of the Holocaust at the end of WW2.

Is it just that the weight of centuries of anti-Semitism is too heavy to be dispelled even by Hitler's brutal genocide?

I don't agree that fascist politicians are wielding power in Israel. Admittedly, some of the politicians in the current coalition government are ultra right wing and don't appear to be very savoury characters, but they're not fascist.

Einstein's nightmare: The fascists polititions wielding power in Israel. By Andrew Feinstein writing in Red Pepper. Feinstein a Jew lost family in the holocaust.

Galaxy

I am just trying to think it through growstuff. Quite hard without offending the entire world.
So I think it is frequently a particular group of society who take part in for example Tommy Robinson's nonsense. Whereas I think antisemitism is seen by a different segment of society as acceptable racism, or maybe 'not quite so bad' racism. Swastikas are involved in both but somehow the second group are not quite as bad swastikas.

There is certainly a group of people who recognise that Jews are discriminated against, but seem to think they "ask for it" because they're portrayed as rich, manipulative, sly, etc etc. Jews are associated with world order conspiracy theories and a load of other hogwash. I guess the argument is that they're not "victims" of society, therefore discriminating against them isn't racist.

In case anybody misunderstands, I don't subscribe to those views.

I think antisemitism is more than racism. It's about culture, history, land, tribalism, religion and so much more.

I don't see antisemitism as "middle class", which is why I asked for clarification.

Demonisation Double standards Delegitimisation

Thank you Iam64, the three words you suggested certainly sum up antisemitism for me.

Dislike of Jewish people who live all over the world not just Israel.

The Jewish schools here employ armed guards to protect the children and staff. That says it all, really, because other schools don’t have that need.

Personally, I don't believe that criticism of the Israeli government is antisemitic, but there are many people who claim that Israel is a Jewish state and that any criticism of the state is, by definition, antisemitic

Of course governments can be criticised. At your peril in some countries but criticism of Netanyahu and his policies is legitimate and not anti-semitic.

Those who cannot differentiate between the two need to have a serious re-think.

I am just trying to think it through growstuff. Quite hard without offending the entire world.
So I think it is frequently a particular group of society who take part in for example Tommy Robinson's nonsense. Whereas I think antisemitism is seen by a different segment of society as acceptable racism, or maybe 'not quite so bad' racism. Swastikas are involved in both but somehow the second group are not quite as bad swastikas.

Joseann

Jackiest

Am I right in thinking antisemitism is racism towards Jews being given a specific name or is it more than racism?

I think you're right, it's racism in the extreme because it incites violence and murder.
I've sometimes heard people telling black people or immigrants to go back where they came from, that they aren't wanted, but I've never heard so many vile slogans chanted against Jewish people and hateful images depicted as in the past few weeks. It's beyond belief.

If asking someone "where are you from - where are you really from" is the criterion by which we judge racism then certainly, anti-semitism is very much on the rise in the UK and it is frightening.

It is not criticism of Netanyahu and his policies, which is valid.

It is the expressed hatred of the Jewish people for no reason other than that they are Jewish.
It is subscribing to everything our parents fought against. They won that war against fascism and would be sickened to see that it is on the rise again in this country.

Fleurpepper

Question two- what is Islamophobia or Arabophobia?

Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread as that would deflect from the purpose of this one.

Galaxy

I think or am beginning to think that antisemitism is the racism of the middle class.

Please could you clarify that thinking because I don't get it.

TerriBull

I'm inclined to agree with Maddyone and Galaxy, it's almost as if anti semetism is an inevitable by product of Netanyahu's Israel, why would so many high profile Jewish individuals say so, and attest as in David Baddiel's book, "Jews Don't Count" that it is the one form of racism that isn't taken seriously. In some ways I find it hard to know why the OP was posed, to not know that anti semetism exists and that culminated in the murder of 6,000,000 of the people of that ethnicity and religion well you must have been living under a stone!

I understand the OP very well. If you Google "What is antisemitism?", most serious sites will say something along the lines that there is no agreed, single definition and that it has changed over time anyway.

The definitive definition isn't what I think or any other individual. There quite literally dozens of different nuances, which are discussed all the time.

Personally, I don't believe that criticism of the Israeli government is antisemitic, but there are many people who claim that Israel is a Jewish state and that any criticism of the state is, by definition, antisemitic.

Iam64

Start a different discussion on that subject

So so closely related- so no need.

Galaxy

I think or am beginning to think that antisemitism is the racism of the middle class.

I think it has been for some time now.

I think or am beginning to think that antisemitism is the racism of the middle class.

Fleurpepper

Question two- what is Islamophobia or Arabophobia?

Are you asking for help in understanding what the 2 words mean?

The OP writes ‘what is anti-Semitism’?
Well, you’ll know it if you see it, hear it or read it!

Start a different discussion on that subject

Question two- what is Islamophobia or Arabophobia?