Posts

Spike in Anti-Semitism Amidst Gaza War

As the war goes on in Gaza, heightened tensions are sparking increased anti-Semitic threats and attacks around the world. Here are some that made headlines: Anti-Semitism Spikes in Britain According to TotallyJewish.com, eighty five individual incidents or threats have been … Read More

By / January 15, 2009

As the war goes on in Gaza, heightened tensions are sparking increased anti-Semitic threats and attacks around the world. Here are some that made headlines:

Anti-Semitism Spikes in Britain

According to TotallyJewish.com, eighty five individual incidents or threats have been reported against Jews and/or Jewish institutions in Britain in just the first two weeks of January, setting the nation on a path to having the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in one month in the history of the Community Security Trust’s records. 

Synagogue in France Vandalized

A synagogue in northern France was vandalized on Tuesday with graffiti that included a swastika, according to the Jerusalem Post. Ynet also reports 55 incidents of anti-Semitism since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead.

Vandalism of Hebrew Girls School in Brooklyn

Jewkey.com reported the vandalism of Shaare Torah, a Hebrew Girls School in Brooklyn with "Kill the Jews" graffiti and swastikas. 

Israel Advocacy Group Raided by Pro-Palestinian Protestors

London’s BICOM was raided on Tuesday morning by shouting protestors who super-glued photographs of Gaza victims to computers, doing damage to much of the office’s communication infrastructure, according to TotallyJewish.com.

Policemen Stoned in Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post reported that four policemen suffered minor injuries after being stoned by Arab teenagers in east Jerusalem on Wednesday. 

Turkey-Israeli Relations Strained

MSNBC reports strained relations between Israel and Turkey, once its closest friend in the Muslim world. The prime minister of Turkey is under pressure to take a stance on the war as it continues to be fought in Gaza.

Tagged with:
  • eitan189

    Ashley, your list is confounding clearly anti-Semitic acts such as attacks on Jews and Synagogs, with Anti Israel actions such as Pro-Palestine Protesters raiding a Pro-Israel advocacy groups office, or anti Israel violence such Palestinian youth throwing stones at Israeli policemen in Jerusalem.

    Lastly, to say that strained diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel is anti-Semitic, you disqualify the possibility that Turkey has a legitimate right to take diplomatic steps in response to Israeli government actions.  Promoting the simplistic notion that opposition to government actions is equivalent with Anti-semitism, is doing a disservice to Jews who suffer from real anti semitism. 

  • David Kelsey

    I know there are plenty of Muslims who have no problem with Jews, and I know Christians who do. 

    That proves nothing. Absolutely nothing. The issue is proportion. There are Jews who live in projects and get food stamps, and plenty of African-Americans who are very successful. Never the less, poverty is more of a pervasive problem in the black community, and wealth is more common in the Jewish community. To deny this because it is by no means always true is insane. So too here.

    A higher proportion, maybe, but there are other people and trends we should also be concerned about.

    There is no other group of people we should be as worried about at this time. 

    And your reference of graffiti as an example of the problems that Jews are facing in Paris are facing is bizarre. They are having much bigger problems.

    Is it because at least with graffiti we don’t know for sure who it was? Guess it’s hard to pretend we don’t know who the guys actually beating the Jews are, since they are identifiable. Fits better into your "we can’t generalize" P.O.V., right?

    I think it’s unfair to generalize that all of these attacks.

    Most, Ashley. Not all. Most. Deal with most. No weasel words to deny reality, okay?

     

  • Ashley Tedesco

    I can’t say with any degree of certainty that every one of these instances of anti-Semitism come from Muslims or otherwise, so I won’t comment on that necessarily, but the fact of the matter is that a. this is not just happening in the West and b. it’s not just Muslims who are anti-Semitic. I know there are plenty of Muslims who have no problem with Jews, and I know Christians who do. Even atheists. Therefore I respectfully disagree with your assessment; I think it’s unfair to generalize that all of these attacks, vandalizations, threats, slurs, etc., are all stemming from Muslims and/or their immigration to the West. A higher proportion, maybe, but there are other people and trends we should also be concerned about.

  • David Kelsey

    Ashley,

     This is not just about "anti-semitism" and "heightened tensions."

     This is also about the West’s increasing problems because of mass immigration from a population that has a growing Islamicist element.

     The more Muslims we take in, the more problems like this we will have.

     

     

     

  • jer

    Since I know how little is required to meet your standards of "attacking and slamming their own people", I’d like to point out that your moral compass is even further out of whack than even I had thought, if truly you think that Jews critical of Israel’s actions are worse than those who vandalize synagogues and girls’ schools. When you judge actual anti-semitism as more virtuous than principled disagreement, it’s time to take a serious look at your positions.

    And what Fishman said. 

  • Alcove-One

    …remain vigilant against attempts to bring our own faith and community into disrepute….

    Hamas doesn’t do that but a few local punks do I guess. Perhaps that is what is really bothering them.

    A day late and a dollar short and highly qualified. They cannot hold a candle to many Jews who make attacking and slamming their own people in favor of terrorists a virtue.

  • Fishman

    Because Jewish girls in Brooklyn are responsible for Israel’s actions in Gaza!

    There is no word to describe the ones who did this.