Rising Wave of Anti-Semitism Sparks Fears of a Dark Future for Jewish Communities

[Social Media]

 

The surge in anti-Semitism following Hamas's attack on October 7, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, is evoking memories of the tense period leading up to World War II. This alarming rise in hostility toward Jews is spreading fear across global Jewish communities, as highlighted by key European and US officials. "We have seen a tsunami of anti-Semitism really rolling across Europe and the globe," stated Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission's coordinator on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life.

 

Speaking to AFP in Geneva after a private workshop at the United Nations, von Schnurbein expressed her concerns about the unsettling parallels between current events and Europe's darkest historical periods. She described a disturbing wave of anti-Semitic actions, including firebomb attacks on synagogues, Stars of David being spray-painted on Jewish homes, and Jewish students facing violence on university campuses. "We are seeing a situation that we had hoped we would never see again," she said.

 

During the UN workshop, hosted by the United States, officials underscored a significant spike in anti-Semitic incidents since last October. In France, the number of anti-Semitic incidents quadrupled last year, reaching 1,676 cases. Denmark experienced a similar trend, with 121 reported incidents in 2023—an astonishing increase of 1,244 percent compared to the previous year’s nine cases. "We see these spikes everywhere," von Schnurbein remarked.

 

The war's impact has extended beyond the battlefield, inciting protests on numerous university campuses across the US and beyond. Some demonstrations have been accused of fostering anti-Semitic sentiments and creating a hostile environment for Jewish students. Columbia University in New York recently released a report highlighting a "surge in violent anti-Semitic and xenophobic rhetoric" and called for improved training and reporting to safeguard Jewish students.

 

Deborah Lipstadt, the US envoy against anti-Semitism who also participated in the UN workshop, stressed the distinction between criticizing Israeli policies and harboring anti-Semitic views. "Criticism of Israeli policies (or) the Israeli government... is not anti-Semitism," Lipstadt emphasized. She pointed out that if criticizing Israel equated to anti-Semitism, then the hundreds of thousands of Israelis protesting in the streets would be labeled anti-Semites, which is obviously untrue.

 

However, Lipstadt also noted that both sides are guilty of conflating criticisms of Israel with anti-Semitism. She cited incidents like the defacement of an Anne Frank statue in Amsterdam with "Free Gaza" slogans and Jewish students being pursued by demonstrators who claimed they were only targeting them for their political views.

 

Lipstadt voiced her concern over the "normalisation of anti-Semitism," which has sparked a pervasive sense of fear within the Jewish community. She noted that Jewish students are now choosing universities based on perceived levels of hostility, and Jewish men are concealing their yarmulkes under baseball caps.

 

Michele Taylor, the US ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, expressed particular alarm over the violent online rhetoric, especially threats targeting Jewish women. Taylor highlighted a chilling case from France where a 12-year-old Jewish girl was brutally gang-raped, illustrating the harrowing extremes of anti-Semitic violence.

 

The workshop underscored the urgency of countering anti-Semitism through global guidelines that urge governments and political leaders to swiftly denounce such hate whenever it surfaces. "Anti-Semitism is a scourge on our collective humanity," stated UN rights chief Volker Turk in a video address. "We all have a duty to eliminate it."

 

Turkey's Erdogan recently called for Islamic alliance against Israel. "The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries," Erdogan said at an Islamic schools' association event near Istanbul. “Israel will not stop in Gaza,” he claimed. “If Israel continues in this manner, it will set its sights elsewhere after occupying Ramallah. The turn will come for other countries in the region. It will come for Lebanon, Syria. They will set their eyes on our homeland between the Tigris and Euphrates."

 

It is unclear what Erdogan was referring to, as Israel has made no such declarations. 

 

Credit: AFP | Reuters 2024-09-09

 

 

 

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[JonnyF]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

"We have seen a tsunami of anti-Semitism really rolling across Europe and the globe,"

 

At the same rate that Islamism and extreme Leftism has been rolling across Europe and the globe.

 

An amazing coincidence. Uncanny, in fact. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Rightwing talking heads with millions of online followers platforming Nazi apologist Holocaust deniers might be doing their bit to promote this hatred

[Brian Hull]

The wave of Anti Semitism internationally is directly caused by the neo-Nazi Israel government's appalling treatment of the Palestinians over many decades, and by Netanyahu and his thugs in particular .

[candide]

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

I see you managed to most of the stereotypes/tropes about Jews into a single paragraph. 

 

Very impressive.  

He posted the same type of garbage in the other thread about a WW2 history revisionist interviewed by Carlson.

[watchdog2]

Carlson at least has the capability to think critically and speak substantively without hiding behind the official "narrative."    you could use a bit of that instead of spewing nonsense against those with whom you disagree...

[herfiehandbag]

59 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

I see you managed to most of the stereotypes/tropes about Jews into a single paragraph. 

 

Very impressive.  

Almost like a 21Century edition of "The eternal Jew"!

 

Then I looked more closely and saw who posted it, all became clear!

[koolkarl]

Again the airheads are targeting the wrong group.  In the Koran it  states that if you are not a believer in Islam, you are an infidel and must be eliminated.  Don't know of any other group with such a doctrine.  A rock would understand this better.

[RamblingOn]

Criticizing Israel for killing more than 40000 Palestinians is not Anti-Semitism.

[koolkarl]

34 minutes ago, RamblingOn said:

Criticizing Israel for killing more than 40000 Palestinians is not Anti-Semitism.

 

Hamas started this mess Oct. 7 after they barbarically slaughtered and humiliated civilians. They refuse to release hostages, they wear civilian clothes, like cowards, and hide among civilians, the leaders stole billions in aide money and sleep in 5 star Qatar hotels.  The Gazans themselves knew about those tunnels which took years to build, they don't complain loudly to Hamas about the bad conditions, they hide hostages in their home, etc  They are all complicit in one form or the other.  Besides I assume you are a non believer in Islam.  Read a book called America Alone.  You will be enlightened.

[Donut21]

Jews deserve better then  a Zionist government.  Get your politician's  to understand the world would be more peaceful without  Benjamin Netanyahu and move the 500,000 Israelis settler's back into Israel. There will never be peace whilst you keep Netanyahu in power.

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, Donut21 said:

Jews deserve better then  a Zionist government.  

 

 

 

   Jews do not have a Zionist Government though .

Read up on the basics . 

Jews live in numerous Countries and each Country has a different Government .

   If you meant Israelis , then Israel has numerous Religions that the people abide to  .

[Nick Carter icp]

6 minutes ago, Donut21 said:

Jews deserve better then  a Zionist government.  Get your politician's  to understand the world would be more peaceful without  Benjamin Netanyahu and move the 500,000 Israelis settler's back into Israel. There will never be peace whilst you keep Netanyahu in power.

 

 

 

   There will never be peace until all the Jews have gone from the land , Muslims will keep fighting to eradicate the Jews from the land , stopping the Settlements will not change anything  

[koolkarl]

50 minutes ago, RamblingOn said:

Criticizing Israel for killing more than 40000 Palestinians is not Anti-Semitism.

 

Furthermore, they are not Palestinians.  They are Muslims living in Gaza and historically, they were not the first inhabitants there. You have no idea what you are talking about and are brainwashed.

[Nick Carter icp]

40 minutes ago, RamblingOn said:

Criticizing Israel for killing more than 40000 Palestinians is not Anti-Semitism.

 

 

   It could be construed as Anti Semitism when you don't criticise  anyone else for participating in a war and killing the enemy .

   How many Russians have Ukraine killed ?

Have you also criticized Ukraine for killing Russians ?

Why just criticise Israel ?

[frank83628]

just because someone disagrees with  Israel government re Gaza, doesn't mean they are all antisemitic, sound like the bully crying they're being picked on!

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

just because someone disagrees with  Israel government re Gaza, doesn't mean they are all antisemitic, sound like the bully crying they're being picked on!

 

  But no one is saying that anyone who disagrees with the Israeli government is Anti Semitic .

  That just isn't happening , Anti Semites use that line to keep going with their anti Semitism  

[frank83628]

2 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  But no one is saying that anyone who disagrees with the Israeli government is Anti Semitic .

  That just isn't happening , Anti Semites use that line to keep going with their anti Semitism  

are you saying i am antisemitic?

[Nick Carter icp]

Just now, frank83628 said:

are you saying i am antisemitic?

 

  No, if I was saying that you are Anti Sematic, I would have written that , but that wasn't what I wrote .

  

[RayC]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

At the same rate that Islamism and extreme Leftism has been rolling across Europe and the globe.

 

An amazing coincidence. Uncanny, in fact. 

 

Looks like you have found #11

 

https://plotlygraphs.medium.com/spurious-correlations-56752fcffb69

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, placeholder said:

It's not "the jews" who "continue to butcher palestinians...". It's Israelis who are doing this. Blaming  Jews per se for this is anti-semitic. On the other hand, it's been a constant refrain in this forum that harsh criticism of the Israeli govt is anti-semitism. In fact, the JDL explicitly states that singling out Israel for harsh criticism is anti-Semitic.

 

   Yes, that is what Anti-Semitism is , its when you treat Jews differently to how you treat everyone else .,

   When  you ignore all the other wars in the World and JUST criticise  Israel for waging war, that is indeed Anti-Semitism

[placeholder]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Yes, that is what Anti-Semitism is , its when you treat Jews differently to how you treat everyone else .,

   When  you ignore all the other wars in the World and JUST criticise  Israel for waging war, that is indeed Anti-Semitism

Because Israel is an ally which depends on a lot of support from the West particularly the USA. And allies should be subject to harsher scrutiny.

[300sd]

13 minutes ago, placeholder said:

It's not "the jews" who "continue to butcher palestinians...". It's Israelis who are doing this. Blaming  Jews per se for this is anti-semitic. On the other hand, it's been a constant refrain in this forum that harsh criticism of the Israeli govt is anti-semitism. In fact, the JDL explicitly states that singling out Israel for harsh criticism is anti-Semitic.

Just wondering what you would call the "Allies" during ww2 that killed around 450000 innocent Germans that were not involved in the war? Butchers?

[placeholder]

10 minutes ago, 300sd said:

Just wondering what you would call the "Allies" during ww2 that killed around 450000 innocent Germans that were not involved in the war? Butchers?

If you're referring to the Russians, I would call their leaders monsters. In that War it boiled down to the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Is that the case with the US and Israel?

[LukKrueng]

2 hours ago, RamblingOn said:

Criticizing Israel for killing more than 40000 Palestinians is not Anti-Semitism.

 

Maybe not, but understanding where the numbers are coming from (hamas) and how to read them (how many of them are innocent if any, and if they were killed because hamas is using them as human shields) makes the difference between anti-Semitism and true criticism.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

Because Israel is an ally which depends on a lot of support from the West particularly the USA. And allies should be subject to harsher scrutiny.

Under scrutiny  from the USA ?

Is that the same USA that recently  spent 20 years bombing Iraq and Afghanistan where about 500 000 people died ?

   They are the ones scrutinising Israel's actions ?

[frank83628]

3 hours ago, placeholder said:

Because Israel is an ally which depends on a lot of support from the West particularly the USA. And allies should be subject to harsher scrutiny.

Ally to the government, not necessarily the people, if which the government are supposed to work for

[Nick Carter icp]

6 hours ago, Donut21 said:

Jews deserve better then  a Zionist government.  Get your politician's  to understand the world would be more peaceful without  Benjamin Netanyahu and move the 500,000 Israelis settler's back into Israel. There will never be peace whilst you keep Netanyahu in power.

 

 

 

   Donut indeed . 

A Zionist is a person who believes that Jews should have a Country in Israel .

  You are saying that Zionism is wrong and Jews should go and live in Israel proper...................which is what Zionism is .

  You are opposing Zionism and supporting Zionism at the same time 

[Baht Simpson]

8 hours ago, koolkarl said:

  In the Koran it  states that if you are not a believer in Islam, you are an infidel and must be eliminated.  Don't know of any other group with such a doctrine.  A rock would understand this better.

Bible:

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 ESV

And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

[Nick Carter icp]

18 minutes ago, Baht Simpson said:

Bible:

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 ESV

And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman.

 

   ^ Needs to be put in context  :

 

 

I think you are referencing 2 Chronicles 15:12-13. It means that those who refuse to carry out the covenant they make to worship the True God and who refused to desist in practicing their gross idolatry was to be put to death.

It helps to read 2 Chronicles chapter 14 and then follow that up with chapter 15 in their entirety. Asa was the third king of the southern kingdom of Judah with its capital in Jerusalem. The entire nation of Israel was dedicated to the true God by their own choice. But the kingdom was permeated with rank idolatry and apostasy. There were even male prostitutes at the temple of God. Asa’s own grandmother Maacah had made horrible idols in her position as sort of queen mother. Both she and the idols were removed. Asa cleared out the idolatry and apostasy. Asa’s zeal for true worship – pure worship – was blessed by the true God Jehovah. But yes, it meant death. Apostasy and idolatry were capital offenses, punishable by death.