As a British Jew, I’m appalled by our passivity to anti-semitism
It’s no surprise so many British Jews feel under threat during this wave of violence between Israel and Gaza; we are caught in the middle of people shuffling awkwardly, not sure what to say or do, and those who are actively celebrating death.
This week has been tumultuous to watch, with more than a thousand deaths on the Israeli and Palestinian side of a war – the overwhelming majority of whom, are innocent civilians.
It’s painful to watch the news, and this war is infecting almost all areas of life too, including sport.
On the streets, and on the internet, it has been shocking to see how quickly people’s sympathy for victims of murderous terrorism has descended into not just passivity, but actual celebration of what took place.
As the horror of terror became apparent, Palestine activists rapidly organised rallies in solidarity with Palestinians.
Last the weekend at a pro Palestine rally, Dana Abuqamar, president of the Manchester Friends of Palestine, said: “We’re really full of joy, full of pride at what has happened… This time it was [Hamas] who have taken the first move, which has taken Israel by surprise. We are proud that Palestinian resistance has come to this point.”
In Brighton, through a loudspeaker, a Palestinian activist said: “Yesterday was a victory. For freedom fighters to break out of a 15-year blockade so successfully under the inhuman genocide of Israel was so beautiful and inspiring to see.”
“Beautiful”, “inspiring”, “full of joy”, are not phrases that would usually be associated with people getting gunned down in their own homes.
They certainly weren’t words we used to describe the Russian incursion in Ukraine.
On Monday evening, I went to a vigil outside Number 10 Downing Street, and Palestinian activists gathered outside the Israeli embassy to demonstrate. The embassy was boarded up, fireworks were thrown at it, and three have so far been arrested.
I have no problem with Palestinian supporters flying the flag in support of their cause, nor do I want to see innocent people in Gaza bombed and made homeless. It should not be an either-or situation though. It doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.
It was jarring – and actually quite intimidating – however, to see this outpouring of support as the Israeli body bags were piling up, and my Facebook feed was full of posts about missing and dead friends.
With this conflict like a minefield for those who aren’t well-versed in its complexities, official government and sporting bodies have tried their best to honour the dead in Israel and Gaza – while not pouring more fuel on the fire.
The government asked official buildings to light up in blue and white for Israel, with Downing Street, City Hall and many other local authorities following suit.
Despite this, there was vocal opposition, with one protester even climbing up a pole in Sheffield to remove the flag.
And then football clubs were criticised for saying nothing at all. Arsenal, Chelsea and other Jewish supporters groups criticised their respective clubs for their silence, with many fans citing assumed opposition from their internationalised fan bases – not to mention in some cases, Middle Eastern owners.
The Football Association announced a moment of silence before a game against Australia – but no Israeli or Palestinian flags would be allowed – and unlike many other public buildings, it would not light up its famous arch in blue and white, like it did with the French colours following the Bataclan massacre.
The BBC reported it was “because of fears of a backlash from some communities”. Make of that what you will.
Next, the England and Wales Cricket Board issued a statement, which said virtually nothing, a day after declining to comment, when Moeen Ali shared a Malcolm X post, which cryptically seemed to reference the war in Israel and Gaza.
As a British Jew, I look on at the major US sports teams and leagues, and their heartfelt messages of solidarity, and can’t understand the passivity in the UK.
When did it become so hard to say “murdering Jews in their homes was bad”, without it being controversial?
Sometimes a statement that says nothing is worse than, actually saying nothing.
While Jewish schools are closed amid safety fears, following a staggering 400 per cent spike in anti-semitism – and the government stumps up £3m in additional security funding – it’s clear the direction of travel.
Unless organisations are explicitly told by the government that they have to acknowledge terrorism against Jews is bad, the reaction appears to be “meh”, for most, and “yay” for others.
And that makes me seriously worried for the future.