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Antisemitism Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 14, 2014 13 Comments
In recent weeks, we have covered dozens of instances of violence and harassment reflecting a simmering convergence of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism worldwide, but particularly in Europe. In Paris, the situation is particularly dire: Cnaan Lipshiz writing in The Times of Israel, adds context that in Paris, the violence simply has become routine, a part of the background, Coming face to face with anti-Semites in Paris:
My friend Alain Azria gave me a puzzled look when I told him, with some indignation and disbelief in my voice, that I had just heard talk of killing Jews at an unauthorized anti-Israel demonstration last month in Paris A young black man with a Parisian accent told a dozen friends loudly, but without shouting, “OK, guys. Let’s go hunt some Jews.”

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 12, 2014 26 Comments
For years we have been documenting the rise of anti-Semitic violence in Europe masquerading as anti-Zionism, in a coalition of Islamists and Leftists in places like Malmö, Sweden. Copenhagen, Denmark also has this history, so much so that the small (6,000-8,000) Jewish community all but stopped showing Jewish symbols in public. In 2012, the Israeli Embassy advised Israelis visiting Denmark not to wear a Yarmulke (aka Kippah or skull-cap) or other similar religious symbols in public. The threat on the streets continues, with a Jewish school in Copenhagen just this month forbidding its students from wearing yarmulkes in public:
A Jewish school in Denmark informed parents that its pupils are no longer allowed to wear religious symbols near school grounds. The private Caroline School in Copenhagen informed parents of the policy in a recent letter, the Jyllands-Posten daily reported Friday. The letter said it was not permissible for students of the 7th, 8th and 9th grades to leave school premises if they are wearing visible Jewish symbols.... Hansen also said the move was “pure preventative.” He added: “I know there has been an increase in the number of Jews who have been accosted over the summer in connection with the conflict in Gaza.”
When actor Seth Menachem traveled recently in Denmark and Sweden, his group encountered numerous acts of anti-Semitism:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 10, 2014 15 Comments
On July 26, we reported on anti-Semitic protests that had taken place in The Hague in which Death to Jews was shouted to the dismay of local officials. This video of ISIS supporters shouting Death to Jews was posted on June 24. It's not clear if it was the same protest, but it was the same chant, as reported by YNET News:
A protest in Holland, that was approved by the Dutch government and meant to be a peaceful demonstration against Israel's Gaza operation and against the arrest of an Islamist operative, turned into a terrifying rally of hundreds of ISIS supporters. The Dutch were shocked of the protest, and The Hague's mayor was called to resign after his staff were the ones to approve the protest without realizing the danger it poses. The Dutch were also shocked to see pictures posted by ISIS recently that show a Muslim Dutch national alongside severed heads of Syrian soldiers he murdered in cold blood. Analysts estimated that the extremist organization was using this protest rally to recruit youths to its religious war in European cities. Some 3,000 European youths of Muslim descent are believed to have joined ISIS for fighting in Syria and Iraq, some of which have already returned home after having trained with ISIS and murdered many.
Jonathan Hoenig has been photographing and filming an anti-Israel rally in Chicago today. He tweeted out a flyer that was handed out:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 10, 2014 20 Comments
Less than a week ago we wrote about how The anti-Semitic shame of Malmö, Sweden continues with attack on Rabbi. It's part of an outburst of open, unabashed anti-Semitism throughout Europe and the world, but particularly Europe, under the mask of opposition to Israel's Gaza war. This trend did not start with the Gaza war. We covered almost exactly a year ago how many parts of Europe were becoming unlivable for Jews due mostly to anti-Semitic violence from Muslim communities, tolerated and egged on by anti-Zionist leftists, Jews in Europe past their expiration date. Anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism is so open now that even The Guardian in Britain issued an Editorial denouncing the practice. The Editors of The Guardian likely did not consider how their own biased anti-Israel coverage contributes to this atmosphere. Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, a Swedish Jewish writer and political commentator, writes in The Jerusalem Post about how Sweden has become unlivable for Jews, so she is leaving for Israel permanently, Hold on, I’m coming home:
My friend tells me that Sweden ever so quickly has gone from so-called anti-Zionism to open anti-Semitism, and that no one seems to care. “Don’t come back.” That’s what he said to me; “Don’t come back here, you have no idea how bad it has become since you left.” I went to Israel on July 23....

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 06, 2014 33 Comments
Anti-Semitism is becoming a pervasive, worldwide problem hinged on anti-Israel attitudes. Australia has seen numerous anti-Israel protests and an increase in anti-Semitic incidents.  A Rabbi visiting from Israel was recently attacked.  Some of the Australian media have engaged in anti-Semitic tropes. In the Bondi area of Sydney, a group of religious Jews recently was attacked: The latest attack was on a school bus used by a Jewish school, from The Daily Telegraph - Australia:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 04, 2014 7 Comments
Once again we return to writing about Malmö, Sweden. Malmö, for us, has become something of the poster-child for Islamist anti-Semitic violence in Europe coupled with leftist tolerance and indifference, all in the name of hating Israel. From our archives: Recently there have been anti-Israel rallies in Malmö: It is not surprising that the anti-Semitic shame of Malmö egged on by anti-Israel hate in the streets has resulted in violence, from JTA via Haaretz, Rabbi attacked in Sweden, days after synagogue vandalized
A rabbi from the Swedish city of Malmo was attacked by men who hurled objects at him from a car and used anti-Semitic pejoratives. Rabbi Shneur Kesselman was assaulted on Saturday night along with a member of his congregation, the Sydsvenskan daily reported Sunday. The attack, which resulted in no physical injuries, came on the heels of vandalism against the southern city’s main synagogue on July 31, when unidentified individuals smashed three of the building’s windows by hurling objects at them.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on August 03, 2014 19 Comments
You can add this to the growing list of grossly anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi outbursts around the world, as we noted in Just more “pro-Palestinian” protests: Nazi salutes in Paris, “death to all Jews” in the Hague In Calgary, pro-Palestinian protesters confronted pro-Israel protesters. After some shouting back and forth, the pro-Palestinian protesters started chanting (at 0:40) "Heil, Heil Hitler." (h/t @EzraLevant) More on the protest at Sun News. This is part of an extensive pattern in which neo-Nazi symbolism, chants and other anti-Semitic slogans are used. It's not isolated, but pervasive. And it is something, we have noted, that anti-Israel activists have tried to blame on Zionism itself: Twitter - @SteveSalaita - Zionists partly responsible for antisemitic shit Yet the anti-Semitism reflects ages-old blood libels, actively being pushed by top Hamas leaders:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 27, 2014 25 Comments
Margie in Tel Aviv called attention today to a Christopher Hitchen's quote. I had not heard that before, so I looked it up, here is the clip, from 2010 (transcription):
“And I'll close by saying this. Because anti-Semitism is the godfather of racism and the gateway to tyranny and fascism and war, it is to be regarded not as the enemy of the Jewish people, I learned, but as the common enemy of humanity and of civilisation, and has to be fought against very tenaciously for that reason, most especially in its current, most virulent form of Islamic Jihad.... Our task is to call this filthy thing, this plague, this—this pest, by its right name; to make unceasing resistance to it, knowing all the time that it's probably ultimately ineradicable, and bearing in mind that its hatred towards us is a compliment, and resolving (some of the time, at any rate) to do a bit more to deserve it. Thank you.”
http://youtu.be/SVNcCKeRIlk?t=3m20s What we are seeing is anti-Semitism back in the open in the name of anti-Zionism. You cannot separate the two in the political real world. In addition to all the other videos and images we have protested, here is France, where anti-Semitic pro-Palestinian street rioters wear "Boycott Israel" shirts (which we have seen before): http://youtu.be/YnErARKvIRk?t=21s Here is Paris burning during anti-Semitic riots (more here): It is important to document this widespread, worldwide anti-Semitism which infuses these "pro-Palestinian" protests.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 26, 2014 9 Comments
We've documented many times the open anti-Semitism that infuses many "pro-Palestinian" anti-Israel rallies around the world, including the United States. In Paris, scene of vicious anti-Jewish protests, another protest today Thousands protest Gaza operation in Paris, some with Nazi-like 'quenelle' salute:
Several thousand gathered in Place de la République in Paris, France to protest the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, defying a state ban on the demonstration. Protesters chanted "Israel is an assassin, Holland is an accomplice" and "we are all Palestinians," and some were seen gesturing the quenelle, a reverse Nazi-salute, AFP reported. Tension mounted as hundreds of protesters, some masked, began throwing stones and projectiles at police who responded with tear gas. "This event is illegal, but for us it is more than legitimate. This is to show our solidarity with people who are now being massacred," Hugo, a New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) activist, told AFP. The NPA decided to defy the ban and hold the protest as planned in an assertion of the party's "solidarity with the Palestinian people," NPA leader Olivier Besancenot said. Earlier, France's interior minister called on the protest's organizers to observe the order, fearing anti-Semitic violence.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.607300?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter In The Hague, Netherlands, meanwhile, Dutch News reports, The Hague mayor urged to get tough after anti-Jewish chanting at rally(via Jihad Watch):

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 23, 2014 39 Comments
While I had seen the images and videos, I did not realize the depth of the depravity exhibited in the anti-Jewish riots in Paris. HuffPo UK reports, France's Jews Flee As Rioters Burn Paris Shops, Attack Synagogue:
France's politicians and community leaders have criticised the "intolerable" violence against Paris' Jewish community, after a pro-Palestinian rally led to the vandalizing and looting of Jewish businesses and the burning of cars. It is the third time in a week where pro-Palestinian activists have clashed with the city's Jewish residents. On Sunday, locals reported chats of "Gas the Jews" and "Kill the Jews", as rioters attacked businesses in the Sarcelles district, known as "little Jerusalem". Manuel Valls, France's prime minister said: “What happened in Sarcelles is intolerable. An attack on a synagogue and on a kosher shop is simply anti-Semitism. Nothing in France can justify this violence.”
The HuffPo post has numerous photos. The Times [of London] Europe Edition reports, Jewish shops set ablaze in Paris’s Little Jerusalem:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 22, 2014 44 Comments
I tweeted about this yesterday: Now Yair Rosenberg of Tablet Magazine has the video: This is part of a worldwide phenomenon, and puts the lie to the claim that in modern political reality there is any difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 20, 2014 16 Comments
From an Imam in Berlin -- can you tell his words apart from tweets of pro-Boycott Divest and Sanctions professors and campus speakers? From my Twitter feed keeping track of events today:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 18, 2014 14 Comments
There has been a lot of vile anti-Israel propaganda in social media, going along with open anti-Semitism in social media and the streets. It's part of a pervasive dehumanization of Israeli Jews to justify Hamas' deliberate rocket fire into the middle of cities and perpetual war to destroy Israel. This tweet caught my eye because it distills how deviant the propaganda has become comparing not just Israelis, but Zionism itself, to Nazism.  The tweet shows the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, giving birth to Hitler: Twitter - @bound0479 - giving birth hitler Zionism As if that's not bad enough, note the reaction from Max Blumenthal, one of the leading anti-Israel and pro-BDS campus speakers and authors:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 15, 2014 12 Comments
This week we have seen a rise in open anti-Semitism throughout the world as protests against Israel spread in reaction to the Gaza conflict. It is expected in places like Pakistan and some Arab countries, where hatred and demonization of Jews always is in the open. But what is remarkable is that it is in the open in Europe and to a lesser extent in the United States.  And the heart of the hate is a coalition of leftists and Islamists -- a coalition we have written about for years regarding places such as Malmö, Sweden, and British universities. Anti-Israeli protesters carrying Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) banners and messages attacked a Synagogue in Paris while it was packed with worshipppers. In Boston, an anti-Israel protester not only attacked a pro-Israel student, she shouted that there would be no place for Jews once Israel was defeated -- only for Christian and Muslims: "We'll claim back Jerusalem, Christians and Muslims." The protest was organized by leftist and anti-Israel "Jewish Voice for Peace" -- which is anything but. Throughout the U.S. comparisons of Israelis to Nazis were predominant at demonstrations, including anti-Semitic smears. In Frankfurt, Islamist and leftists were joined by neo-Nazis, as reported by The Jerusalem Post:
A demonstration in Frankfurt against Operation Protective Edge erupted into violence, with protesters tossing stones at the police. According to the Frankfurter Rundschau paper, about 2,500 protesters appeared in downtown Frankfurt, screaming “God is great,” and slogans such as “freedom for Palestine” and “children-murderer Israel.” Eight police officers were injured. One sign at the rally was titled, “You Jews are Beasts.” German media reported that after the protests, groups sought to locate Jewish institutions. The Frankfurt police said Jewish institutions would be protected. It is unclear if the goal was to attack said institutions
The JPost did not run the photo, but I believe this is the sign "The Jews are Beasts" to which they were referring (see Featured Image also):

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 13, 2014 10 Comments
On the streets of Paris today, a crowd of anti-Israel protesters surrounded and attacked a Synagogue full of worshippers, throwing rocks and attacking the building, via Times of Israel:
Several thousand demonstrators walked calmly through the streets of Paris behind a large banner that read “Total Support for the Struggle of the Palestinian People”. But clashes erupted at the end of the march on Bastille Square, with people throwing projectiles onto a cordon of police who responded with tear gas. The unrest was continuing early Sunday evening. Media reports said that hundreds of Jews were trapped inside a synagogue in the area and police units were sent to rescue them. A person in the synagogue told Israel’s Channel 2 news that protesters hurled stones and bricks at the building, “like it was an intifada.”

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 12, 2014 9 Comments
Chloé Simone Valdary is an outspoken pro-Israel student who has organized pro-Israel events, made pro-Israel videos and written op-eds critical of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement. We have featured her videos several times, and also written about the vicious, racist attacks on her because of her pro-Israel views: On Friday, July 11, 2014, Chloé attended a pro-Israel counter rally in Boston near the Israeli Consulate. There were about 75 anti-Israel protesters, according to Chloé, and about 12 pro-Israel protesters. [caption id="attachment_91881" align="alignnone" width="500"](Protest Boston, July 11, 2014, Chloé Simone Valdary center) (Protest Boston, July 11, 2014, Chloé Simone Valdary center)[/caption] As this video shows, Chloé was physically assaulted by a woman carrying a pro-BDS poster in what appears to be an unprovoked attack: Here are more images of the woman provided to me by Chloé (photo credit Elan Kawesch):
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