Soccer Dad

How to fight the new antisemitism

Denis MacShane - The New Antisemitism

Our report showed a pattern of fear among a small number of British citizens -- there are around 300,000 Jews in Britain, of whom about a third are observant -- that is not acceptable in a modern democracy. Synagogues attacked. Jewish schoolboys jostled on public transportation. Rabbis punched and knifed. British Jews feeling compelled to raise millions to provide private security for their weddings and community events. On campuses, militant anti-Jewish students fueled by Islamist or far-left hate seeking to prevent Jewish students from expressing their opinions.

More worrisome was what we described as anti-Jewish discourse, a mood and tone whenever Jews are discussed, whether in the media, at universities, among the liberal media elite or at dinner parties of modish London. To express any support for Israel or any feeling for the right of a Jewish state to exist produces denunciation, even contempt.

MacShane, an Labour Party member, argues that the European antisemitism provides a fertile ground for the vicious antisemitism of Ahmadinejad to prosper. He seems to say that the views of Noam Chomsky and Edward Said constituted criticism of Israel. I don't think that they were quite that benign. Still it's worthwhile.

I wouldn't assume though, that having the BBC train Palestinian "journalists" is a good start. As Daled Amos writes, that's like bringing "coals to Newcastle."

UPDATE: At buzztracker.

Rhymes with Right wonders if the antisemitism figures to coincide with feelings towards another religion.

Indeed, not only is it time to examine the anti-Semitism running rampant in America, it is also time to closely examine the philo-Islamism that threatens to undermine our struggle against the forces of jihadi terror.

VodkaPundit comments

Wow. Imagine UC-Berkeley enlarged to a nation-state, and you've got the postmodern UK.

And what does Norman Finklestein have to say, Harry's Place writes

"I am just the messenger who reports on the actions of the Jewish establishments, actions that are encouraging anti-Semitism."