Will Jews start to flee England?
There's a very interesting "Comment is free" in Sunday's al-Guardian from one Francesca Segal, an identifying but non-practicing British Jew. She is considering fleeing England for New York. And while fleeing England may be the right move, if she wants to resolve what's bothering her, she might consider fleeing in a different direction (Hat Tip: Hot Air).In August 2001, I turned 21 and my parents gave me a Star of David necklace. Then a month later, the world changed and my mother, with remarkable foresight, began her campaign to rescind the gift, begging me to take it off because she was frightened it would make me a target in the wake of mounting evidence that fanatical Islamism was tightening its grip on the country. My argument was always the same - when I am no longer safe being identifiably Jewish on the tube, I don't want to live in England.Francesca is certainly right about England. Three of the top five most viewed articles on al-Guardian's web site currently deal with Israel. They are Why Israel's war is driven by fear at number 2, Naomi Klein (self hating Jew?): Enough. It's time for a boycott of Israel at number 3 and Leading British Jews call on Israel to halt 'horror' of Gaza at number 5 (by the way, the scare quotes around 'horror' were al-Guardian's and not mine). It seems that much of British Jewry has been spooked by the strong reactions of their Muslim neighbors to what's going on in Gaza. And with good reason.
Now it's happening and I am devastated. It was bluster. I am resolutely, irreducibly British. I love Marmite and Labradors and Sunday lunch. If you step on my foot, I will reflexively apologise. New York, where I will go if I have to leave the UK, does not feel like home for me nor, I suspect, could it ever. But as the British establishment sides with the appeasing of Islamism at home and abroad and as the word Zionism is increasingly bastardised, hijacked by a new definition comprising traditional antisemitic libels and demonising conspiracy theories, and as the liberal media and campaigning groups single out Israel disproportionately among all other countries for criticism, perpetuating the myth that Israel is responsible for mushrooming anti-western sentiment, I feel increasingly that I cannot stay.
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Hamas' leader Mahmoud Zahar has now declared Jewish children worldwide as "legitimate targets" and although Fleet Street's recent Hamas revisionism made his statement easy to miss, it seems that plenty of others have taken note. The Community Security Trust has dealt with more than 50 antisemitic incidents in the UK in the last two weeks, including an arson attack on a synagogue, a massive spike in violence since the current operation began in Gaza.
"Normally, in that period we'd expect about a dozen," their press officer explained to me, but what a staggering and unacceptable base rate. The average number of antisemitic attacks in a civilised western country should be zero. There has been a sea change in Europe and it's terrifying.
Welcome to the real world, poor child. You won't escape the anti-Semites by fleeing to New York either. You see, anti-Semitism has chased after us for hundreds of years (it's called the oldest hatred for a reason), and while New York is in better shape than London now, there is no guarantee it will continue to be so by the time you reach middle age. But you can fight the anti-Semites by coming to Israel, where we are proud to be Jews out in the open - just like you are. Here, we are a majority (and God willing will be a majority for many years to come, contrary to what you've been told in the media) so you will be among friends. Have you ever been to Israel? If not, please at least consider a Birthright trip. You won't regret it.
Oh and Francesca, please follow this link to the 2008 Weblog Awards and vote for this blog as the Best Midsize blog in the contest. You won't be sorry. Promise.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:48 PM
10 Comments:
I have stated several times on Melanie Phillips' blog that English Jewry's time there is running out (as it is at a slower place on the mainland) and that their co-religionists are already pround apartment (sorry - flat) owners in Netanya, Herzliya and Jerusalem.
AFAIK, Ms. Phillips herself is the proud owner of a dwelling in Jerusalem.
The link to Francesca's article and responses is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/11/gaza-britain-judaism-antisemitism . As you can see from the sheer number of "deleted by moderator" as well as the tone of the responses that passed moderation ... something is very ... very wrong in the UK.
Supposed Jews are justifying anti-semitism. Supposed jews are siding with the 'palis' against their bretheren. These people, using that term loosely, are regurgitating agit-prop known to be false, as true. They are providing a window deep into the sick soul of the UK.
Francesca, it is time you left. Get out while you can.
I look at developments here in the states as an ominous sign of tolerance of extreme viewpoints.
Unlike my relatives in Europe in the 30s and 40s, I will not go quietly into the night.
Nor should you. Or any real jew.
I've said Jews should leave Europe and come to Israel. Time is running out for them in Europe. Many times. If they stay any way, they have no one to blame but themselves if they are slaughtered. They have been warned and they know where there is sanctuary. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to live with Jews and have a secure future? That is what Israel offers - which can be found anywhere else.
Come out west to California, you might like it! We have our problems here as well, but by in large, people still respect each other. Also, if I punch someone in the nose for being threatening towards me, the police here will arrest the other guy for being threatening, not the other way around. Common sense still lives here.
The eventual conflict between islam and Englishmen will put paid to any worries....the govt is trying everything it can to keep a lid on things but time is running out.The history of england shows an unfortunate love of violence amongst the english and it has a definite target now......just read any forum or comments page outside of metropolitan London to see how the English view the terrorists amongst us.
My best friend in the U.K. (Jewish girl) left already. Her friends aren't far behind.
The neighborhood she grew up in? Jewish persons can't go out after dark... guess why.
Here are two interesting, constrasting rallies in Europe. The first rally was a PRO-Israel rally that took place in Manchester, England.
The second rally was an Islamofascist rally that took place in Duisberg, Germany. The most incredible part of the German rally was the Dhimmi action of the German Police, which is shown by a video. Watch this video before it mysteriously disappears from YouTube.
It's incomprehensible to me that any jew would have long term plans to stay in Europe. The rapid change in demographics there, along with the absolute lack of political understanding of how bad the situation is becoming, make it certain that in a generation there will be no safe place for them to live or send their kids to school or work.
Europe's jews need to choose between emigrating to the "new world" (Canada, US, Australia) and making a stand there, or standing in Israel.
But Europe is not a future option.
Me, too. I'm a London Jew who realises that the writing is well and truly on the wall for us. That said, I've noticed a slight swing away from the vitriolic comments to those that are slightly more in favour of what Israel is doing, having witnessed the mindless (or is it?) violence that accompanied the pro-Hamas rallies here in the UK. Although, of course, the BBC HYS site is proportionately 90%-10% pro-Hamas. If I could leave for Tel Aviv tomorrow, I most certainly would! All I think that I can do at this time is to buy somewhere in Israel as my bolthole.
More than anything else (ie cultural or ethnic distinctives) the thing that marks out Jewish people as unique is that they are (or claim to be) the chosen people of the one true God. It is ultimately because of this that there even is any question of whether or not the land of Israel belongs to the Jews.
How is it then in such a post as this that the God of Israel is not even mentioned? How is it that no mention is even made of the Jewish scriptures when discussing where the safest place for Jews to live would be?
The Hebrew prophets spoke of a time of great distress coming upon the Jewish people - I wish I could say that this has already been fulfilled in the previous exiles and the Shoah of the last century, but many believe that this time of great calamity is still future. And while it is a calamity that will affect Jewish people worldwide - those within the land of Israel itself (which may be the very maelstrom) will not be safe either.
How can one be safe then and escape such things? I have no easy answer to that - but if biblical history is anything to go by, God often promises to keep safe through times of disaster those who repent and put their faith in Him.
As for the USA as a safe refuge - don't be fooled. American Jews are possibly the most assimilated Jews on the planet and whenever this happens violent anti-semitism is never far behind.
What is the connection between Jewish assimilation and anti-semitism? Well, I point to a possible answer from the prophet Ezekiel which, if God does not change, is just as relevant today as it was then:
Speaking through the prophet to the Jewish people, God says
"You say 'We want to be just like the other nations, like the peoples of the world...' But what you have in mind will never happen. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath."
While many may dismiss this as a religious rant, I pray that some will consider more carefully what their true calling and purpose in this life as Jews really is - and that as many Jewish people as possible will be kept safe through the times of darkness and suffering still to come.
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