Jeremy Corbyn's favourite Seder hosts @jewdas have published an article about antisemitism that manages to blame Jews for antisemitism *and* blame people who fight antisemitism for antisemitism. It's quite something. Here are some highlights... /1 jewdas.org/philosemitism-…
Jews are used by the ruling classes to "manage exploitation" of others & media stories about antisemitism are published to distract people from this exploitation /2
The fact that Jews are involved in this exploitation of others is why antisemitism happens /3
The vilification of antisemitism is a trick to distract the masses from this exploitation and to scupper radical change (presumably the chance of a Corbyn government). So opposing antisemitism is not a good thing, unless... /4
... unless you also "reject the existence of capitalism", because antisemitism will only end when capitalism is overthrown. If you are Jewish and don't want to end capitalism, I guess it's tough luck /5
Worse, those "Jewish institutions" that "ally themselves with the rich" are actually feeding future antisemitism. It's their fault /6
According to Jewdas "people are not dying from antisemitism", or they are only dying "a bit" and only in "mainland Europe". Really? There have been 11 racist murders of French Jews in the past 12 years, plus others in Belgium & Denmark /7
This is the organisation that seeks to lecture the Jewish community about anti-racism and thinks it has something useful to say about antisemitism. I suggest they stick to comedy. /End
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Emma Watson's post isn't, in and of itself, antisemitic. It may be simplistic, ignorant, one-sided, and many other things, but it isn't antisemitic and expressing solidarity with Palestinians doesn't, in and of itself, make Emma Watson an antisemite.
Here's a different way of responding from a different Israeli diplomat (but with a similar line in Harry Potter-themed puns) that tries to engage with some of the arguments. It's a much better way, whether you agree with Gilad Erdan's points or not
Of course, the relationship between anti-Israel politics and antisemitism is complicated. Some anti-Israel speech is antisemitic, some isn't, and some of it is sometimes depending on context. Use the IHRA definition to help work it out holocaustremembrance.com/working-defini…
The second @BristolUni QC’s report into David Miller has been leaked. It exonerates Miller just like the first one did: nothing he said was antisemitic. How did they reach this conclusion? They used the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-wins… 🧵👇
The QC was “asked to take into account” the IHRA definition of antisemitism, but devotes several pages of the report to criticism of IHRA by Tomlinson, Sedley, Feldman & Stern. Only one opinion supporting IHRA is given, even though it is backed by most Jewish orgs in this country
Instead they clearly preferred the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism's definition of antisemitism as “hatred, discrimination, prejudice or hostility against Jews *as Jews*, or Jewish institutions *as Jewish institutions*” (their emphasis) - and this is the problem.
David Miller, whose academic methodology is to identify funders of research he deems to be Islamophobic and then cherry-pick evidence about them to build a guilt-by-association case, was himself funded by the UK state & the EU. What if we apply his methodology here?
E.g. Victor Orban is an EU head of state and has said loads of antisemitic things in the past. By Miller's logic this arguably calls into question his ability to produce fair & balanced research about Jews, because that's how research funding works apparently 🤷🏻♂️
Ridiculous, isn't it? So is Miller and all his stupid so-called research. He cherry-picks bits of evidence to support preconceived conclusions and ignores anything that contradicts it. Here's an example from his latest paper exposed on @GuidoFawkes...
THREAD: This week's @JewishChron tells the story of how an anti-fascist informant codenamed 'Arthur', who infiltrated the far right for @CST_UK & Searchlight, identified the London nailbomber as BNP member David Copeland in 1999 thejc.com/news/uk/how-th…
'Arthur' did so much more than this: he spent a decade inside the far right, attending over 400 meetings, rallies and leafleting sessions, and told us all about everyone he met, everything he saw and everything that was being planned.
He was surrounded by vicious antisemitism, racism and misogyny, and a casual attitude to violence that was utterly chilling.
Conflict rages in Israel and antisemitism rises in the UK. It happens every time with wearying predictability. Here's a thread of top tips for people who want to support Palestinians in a non-antisemitic way:
Don't blame British Jews for what the Israeli government does. Don't demand that British Jews condemn the Israeli government. Don't deliberately take your Palestinian flags and banners to wave at Jews. It's antisemitic.
Be precise in your language. If you say "Jews", you mean all Jews around the world. If you say "Zionists", you mean everyone who thinks Israel should exist. If you say "Israelis", you mean all Israelis. How about "the Israeli government/army"?
I've spent two weeks waiting to see if any academics will speak out publicly about David Miller's antisemitic conspiracy theories and his targeting of Jewish students. Finally they have spoken... in his defence. This is the list of shame docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…
The letter itself is a masterpiece of euphemism, obfuscation and untruths. Miller was not "approached to provide a statement on Israel-Palestine". He gave a speech at a meeting in which he identified the Jewish Society at his own university as an enemy & a bunch of racists
Miller followed up that speech with another statement claiming that Jewish students at Bristol University who have complained about him are "directed by the State of Israel". This is antisemitism.