Britain has a problem it needs to deal with – anti-Semitism

Article published on CT Insight, 13, February 2024

Whilst many sections of British society seemingly misunderstand the role that anti-Semitism plays in Britain’s national discourse, the lived experiences for Jewish communities should remind politicians and local authorities that action is needed.

The reality of war is brutally scary and in recent years, extremist groups have sought to propagandise imagery and narratives to polarise people, which in turn enhances extremist influences. Sharing such graphic imagery around the consequences of war is deliberately designed to evoke emotions such as shock and horror.

In this instance, we’ve seen that in the narrative surrounding the situation in Israel and Gaza following the horrific terror attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on Saturday 7 October 2023.

The ripple effects of that ongoing conflict are acutely felt by Jewish and Muslim communities here in the UK. Between 7 October and 13 December 2023 there were “at least 2,093 anti-Semitic incidents” reported to the Community Security Trust in the UK (1) .

A separate survey carried out by the Campaign against Antisemitism also found that around one-third of the British public believes Israel treats Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews, including over half of 18-to-24-year-olds (2).

So why does society continue to ignore anti-Semitism?

Whilst anti-Semitism shares similarities with other forms of bigotry, in that it is a social prejudice, it differs from them in that it is a conspiracy theory about how the world operates. People tend to perceive their lived experiences through this conspiratorial lens.

On the weekend after the Hamas terror attack in Israel, I attended a Jewish friend’s wedding in central London. The mood was celebratory but at the same time, thoughts were never too far from the awful events and scenes coming out of Israel from the previous weekend.

There was a stomach-churning moment when we were advised to remove Kippahs as we headed outside for photographs. Removing them would reduce the chances of being subject to a verbal or physical attack.

It’s shocking that even today in Britain, a Jewish person must consider their safety purely because of their faith, ethnicity, and appearance.

But at the same time, it is hard to be surprised when antisemitism has been a dominant feature in British discourse over the last decade. Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party failed to contain or effectively challenge anti-Semitism, with senior party figures downplaying how serious the problem was. The Jewish MP, Luciana Berger, faced abuse and threats which eventually led her to resign from her constituency seat.

An investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that Labour was responsible for harassment and discrimination, and that it could have tackled anti-Semitism more effectively (3).

Whilst the new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, took swift action to remove Labour’s candidate for the upcoming by-election in Rochdale, Azhar Ali, it amplifies the point that something isn’t right in our approach to combatting anti-Semitism in the UK. Azhar Ali made public comments about Israel taking 7 October as a pretext to invade Gaza.

Unlike other minority groups, Jewish people are often subject of demands to provide their opinion on the Israel-Palestine situation. Many Jewish people here in the UK are blamed by association for the actions of the Israel state, whether they agree or disagree with them.

I absolutely understand that other minorities, such as Muslims, in the UK have been tarred with offensive and damaging labels, but the rapidly increasing rate of anti-Semitism is a cause for concern.

In the days and weeks that followed the Hamas terror attack, journalists and political commentators demanded to see evidence of the atrocities. The Israeli government was forced to release dehumanising images of women who were raped, butchered, and paraded through streets.

Still, there are groups of people in the UK who quickly dismiss the concerns of Jewish people and accuse the state of Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians.

People have proactively taken to the streets in Britain, proudly displaying swastikas and other forms of anti-Semitic imagery. In some instances, non-Jewish people have been quick to go to the lowest form of insult and compare the circumstances around the current conflict to that of the Nazi treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. This is specifically aimed to cause offense.

That is why there is an urgent need to encourage respectful and meaningful dialogue on this subject in the UK. You cannot facilitate avenues to build tolerant and empathetic communities if people set out to insult and dehumanise others with different views to their own.

If the Government, local authorities, and community groups fail to challenge anti-Semitism, discrimination and hate-based narratives, there is a risk that anti-Semitism will lead to a dramatic increase in extremism-inspired attacks or hate crimes.