Europe Has a Serious Anti-Semitism Problem, and It’s Not All About Israel

[Garthem]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/08/04/anti_semitic_incidents_in_germany_and_france_hostility_to_jews_on_the_continent.html?wpisrc=obnetwork

It was sadly predictable that the latest war in Gaza would lead to an uptick in public anti-Semitism in Europe. All the same, the last few weeks have been disturbing, with reports of attacks and hate speech becoming staples in the daily news. It would be a mistake, though, to assume that events in the Middle East are the primary driver of European hostility to Jews. The reality is that anti-Semitic attitudes are far more widespread and mainstream than European governments would like to admit.

The rise of anti-Jewish sentiment has been most notable in France, home to Europe’s largest populations of both Jews and Muslims. While most pro-Gaza demonstrations have been peaceful, on July 20 demonstrators attacked Jewish-owned stores in Sarcelles, a suburb of Paris with a large Jewish community. A synagogue in central Paris was also attacked, and protestors have chanted “gas the Jews” and “kill the Jews” at various rallies. The number of French Jews emigrating to Israel has increased.

Germany has also seen an alarming uptick in anti-Semitism. Demonstrators chanted “Jew, Jew, cowardly pig, come out and fight alone” during a protest on July 17, and last week explosives were thrown at a synagogue in western Germany. Anti-Semitic graffiti has appeared throughout Rome, and reports of hate speech are up dramatically in Britain.

When European government ministers talk about anti-Semitism, they tend to focus on the continent’s growing Muslim community—see French President Francois Hollande expressing concern about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict being “imported” to his country. This may accurately describe many of the incidents of the past few weeks—the Sarcelles riots, in particular, do appear to have been carried out by young Muslims—but the problem may be more widespread.

More at link

[JDPriestly]

1. K&R. This is nothing new.

[COLGATE4]

2. Once again as we get generationally away from the horror

that was the Holocaust the pendulum begins to swing once again, back to the "old" ways of thinking.

[JI7]

3. i agree, israel is just an excuse for many to be more open about it

but these things are nothing new and they need to do something about it.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Yup.

Anyone following the recent elections in Europe will already be aware of the rise in anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from various persons in power and political groups. The severe financial crisis in Europe has unleashed a torrent of anti-Semitism and anti-immigration speeches, the two favorite scapegoats of financial woes.

[Rhinodawg]

20. +1000

[Laelth]

4. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[LittleBlue]

6. I propose an experiment

Israel stops killing civilians in Gaza, stops building settlements, and negotiates in good faith to end their apartheid-like practices in the West Bank and Gaza.

Then we'll see how many critics of Israel were actually antisemitic.

[mwrguy]

7. +1

[iandhr]

8. Are some critics of Israel anti-Semites?

Absolutely.

Are all of Israel critics anti-Semites?

Absolutely not.

[JDPriestly]

9. The anti-semitism in Europe is not just against Israel or Jews. It's also lcaused by the anger at

immigration of guest workers into Europe who now live there permanently. I edited this to change a meaning I did not intend.

I had just moved to a small town in a European country and placed my daughter in day care. I was obviously a foreigner. A woman, probably the grandmother of a couple of the children walked up to me and said, "Where are you from?" I told her, "America." Oh, she smiled really big and said, "That explains why you're not like THEM." THEM meant the guest workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia. As an American, I was offended by her racism and ignorance.

But I was just one person, a stranger in a strange land. I had many similar experiences. Anti-semitism is not just about Jewish people or Israel. It find any excuse to emerge. "That explains why you're not like THEM."

It started about Jewish people, but it is no longer just about Jewish people. It's about THEM.

The situation in Israel is just an excuse to complain and hate THEM. Jews are in the front row when it comes to being objects of hatred. The Turkish people are right behind them, and then the list goes on and on.

For close to two thousand years, the Catholic and some Protestant churches stirred up hatred for the Jews, It wasn't until the late 1970s or early 1980s that Catholic shrines that were erected to commemorate totally bogus Jewish "crimes" were removed by the Catholic Church.

Muslim terrorism has not helped Muslim people who are in Europe and the US. Not at all.

And just practicing the Muslim religion in historically Christian countries disturbs some Europeans. Then there was all the NAZI propaganda that is talked about in front of children when the world isn't watching.

Most Europeans do not hate Jews or Muslims, but the prejudice is more widespread than Americans would want to believe.

[LittleBlue]

10. You have a point there

Turkish, Roma, hell even the Polish, are really looked down on in western Europe. Groups like the EDL are disgusting.

Those racist groups can go to hell, as far as I'm concerned.

[JDPriestly]

11. Hungary is a good example of this trend. It's scary.

[LittleBlue]

12. Yep. Greece too

There was some type of Neo-Nazi party trying to get a foothold in their lawmaking body. I think the group eventually was banned, but it had a lot of support before then.

[pampango]

17. Nice post, JDPriestly. "It's about THEM" whether "they" are Jews, Muslims or Poles.

Americans (particularly WHITE Americans) are not "them" to many Europeans who target Jews, Muslims and Eastern European immigrants.

[JaneyVee]

13. These are rightwing hate groups.

[JDPriestly]

14. Yes. They are emerging now because people are not watching out

for the ugly face of anti-semitism. It's racism. That's what it is. It's just mostly focused on Jews right now. But it also targets other people with religions or ethnic backgrounds that aren't strictly European.

European countries have the right to establish their own immigration policies just as we do, but this is racism. These anti-Jewish and anti-semitic sentiments are not shared by all or even most Europeans. Please don't think I am claiming that.

[JDPriestly]

15. Virtually all of them.

[JI7]

16. this is like republicans bringing up al sharpton, chicago etc if some black kid in florida

is murdered by some racist piece of shit.

anyone who brings up those things is a racist. and using those things as an excuse for their bigoted positions.

just like republicans who go on about terror babies and other attacks on minorities and use things like 9/11 as an excuse.

[JI7]

18. i'm a critic of israel and i'm not out attacking any random jewish person

because of israel.

[oberliner]

21. Like in the 1950s?

Were the critics of Israel back then all antisemites?

[oberliner]

19. Australia too

JEWISH children as young as five were subjected to a terrifying racial attack when thugs stormed their school bus and threatened to slit their throats.

Screaming “Kill the Jews” and “Heil Hitler” the louts jumped on the bus packed with about 30 students, from kindergarten to year 12, who were on their way home from school yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025346273