The Rachel Riley T-shirt is the best visual illustration of the staggering myopia which characterises some of the response to antisemitism. A thread with some thoughts.
I don’t want to go on about the t-shirt itself. Lara and others have said it better than me. I just wonder how we got to the stage where so many people think it’s fine.
It's not unusual for victims of racism to focus on their own sense of victimhood, and be oblivious to other groups’ predicament. This is no reason to ignore their concerns. Solidarity with victims of antisemitism should be unconditional, as @KeithKahnHarris argues compellingly.
I think Rachel Riley has terrible politics and poor understanding of racism, but she has also been the target of antisemitic and misogynist abuse, which, I don't have to say, is wrong.
The problem begins when people purport to fight antisemitism on the basis of anti-racism, while paying very little attention to other forms of racism.
The problem is with the recurrent phrase “no other minority is treated like this” which is spectacularly blind to the actual condition of other minorities in the UK.
We should note that Antisemitism in the UK relatively rarely manifests in material terms of physical violence, discrimination in getting a job, or police brutality. It primarily manifests in discourse and representations, on social media or in real life.
These discursive manifestations have real and serious effect on people and should never be dismissed. The risk of physical violence is also real, as evident in the US, Germany. Just this week we learned on plans to attack a synagogue in Newcastle. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
Other forms of racism such as Islamophobia and anti black racism can take discursive form similar to antisemitism, or not. But they also come with much higher risk for state brutality and discrimination, physical violence, discrimination in getting a job, etc.
If you've never been stopped and searched; if you've never had your application dismissed because of your last name; if you were never seen as “security risk” just because of faith - you should stop and think before saying “no other minority is treated like this”.
Unfortunately, many vocal elements who have campaigned against antisemitism (supposedly under anti-racist banner), suffer from this myopia. Indeed there are also elements who “fight antisemitism” while promoting their own islamophobia and racism.
A reminder to them, and to everyone, that the case against Labour antisemitism in the EHRC is conducted on the basis of UK's equality legislation. That is legislation that was promoted on the basis of anti-racist campaigns across the board.
Those who think we can fight antisemitism as a unique phenomenon, without the support and solidarity of other groups, are wrong, in pragmatic, political and ethical terms.
