“The number of recorded antisemitic incidents across the country rose by 147 per cent in 2023, which itself was a record high.” The Times.
With a few exceptions distinguished members of Britains Jewish communities have been silent on Netanyahu’s war. It’s almost as if to be Jewish means you have to support whatever the Israeli government does. And that is surely a cause of antisemitism in all too many cases.
We may not like it but it’s a fact. These instances of antisemitism are mostly a direct response to Israel’s attacks on the people of Gaza. The conflation of “Israel” and “Jewish people” is inaccurate and ignorant, but it’s understandable, though shocking, why people do it. It’s not helped by Britain’s Jewish commentators almost to a man or woman failing to condemn Israel’s actions.
That Netanyahu was right to respond strongly to the Hamas attack on 7th October should not be in doubt. But the launch of all out war on the people of the West Bank is another matter. This prompted many people around the world to protest – a perfectly understandable and uncontentious thing to do. Except when to be anti the actions of the Israeli government (reasonable) turns itself into antisemitism (obscenely wrong).
With a few exceptions distinguished members of Britains Jewish communities have been silent on Netanyahu’s war. It’s almost as if to be Jewish means you have to support whatever the Israeli government does. And that is surely a cause of antisemitism in all too many cases.
Paddy’s Blogs in a crazy world 
In exactly the same way the Palestinians fail to criticise Hamas and its actions on October 7th. For a Jew or Islamist to publicly criticise the war is close to blasphemy. Although I am sure in private many do.
This is a partisan war. Both sides believe the right is carried by them through their faith. Outsiders see the war as insane madness but then our beliefs lie elsewhere.
Zionism sowed the seeds for an infernal conflict that may last hundreds of years. The land of Palestine cannot belong to anyone who takes it by force of war, murder, or intimidation. The Palestinians have the moral and political right to live in their country in peace.
The creation of the two-state solution must be the way to end the conflict. Netanyahu sadly has other ideas. He wants to drive every Palestinian into the sea and the people stand back and allow him to do it. Western powers the same. It is the closest process to genocide the world has witnessed since Hitler adopted the ‘final solution’. The German people stood by then and failed to criticise the unthinkable.
LikeLike