Last night Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, spoke at the Oxford Union. A meeting that was frequently disrupted by members of the audience reached its low point when one person shouted “Kill the Jews” in Arabic, before being thrown out of the meeting.

Danny Ayalon has tweeted this here.

There is a detailed account of the meeting on The edge of where? blog, which has this revealing vignette about the attitude of at least one person in the audience:

Outside the debating chamber, all the while, protestors were shouting ‘free free Palestine from the river to the sea’. When Ayalon argued that this chant amounted to a call for Israel’s destruction, and asked where Israeli Jews would have to go for Palestine to be free ‘from the river to the sea’, the woman sitting next to me said ‘back to where they came from!’ I couldn’t resist and had to ask her where exactly it was that she expected Jews to go ‘back to’, to which she replied, ‘well you’re in England, you appear to be doing fine’. I didn’t think it worthwhile to point out that actually my grandparents ‘came from’ Poland and Czechoslovakia, and that the reason I am in England today is that in the 1930s they were not ‘doing fine’ in the countries they ‘came from’.

CST’s latest Antisemitic Incidents Report showed a record high of 924 incidents during 2009. CST was grateful to receive the following public statements of opposition to antisemitism and support for the Jewish community in relation to the report.  

Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP:

Anti-semitism is one of the most ancient of hatreds – and yet it constantly adapts to modern times, requiring ever greater vigilance from all of us who are determined to stand up for tolerance and for the truth. Whether online, on campus or on the streets there is absolutely no place for racism or discrimination of any sort and the Community Security Trust has my whole-hearted support in its work with the police and the Jewish Community.

The increase in anti-semitic incidents recorded by CST in the early part of last year is deeply troubling and I want to be unequivocal today; I am a proud friend of Israel and welcome a robust debate about how we ensure both a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state existing side by side. The debate is welcome, but no strength of feeling can ever justify violent extremism or attacks and we will stand firm against all those who would use anti-Israeli feeling as an excuse or disguise for anti-semitism and attacks on the Jewish community.

Cohesion Minister Shahid Malik MP:

I am deeply concerned by this worrying rise in Antisemitic attacks. This country will not tolerate those who seek to direct hatred towards any part of our community. Everyone, irrespective of their faith, race or background, should be able to go about their business without fear of attack or abuse.

We all understand that for many there is genuine frustration about the Middle East peace process. But there is no frustration that can justify hatred being directed at innocent people simply because they happen to be Jewish. “We have taken, and will continue to take, steps to address this issue. Community leaders, Police and Local Authorities are working together to manage and resolve any tensions that may arise and we are in close contact with community organisations to provide support wherever possible.

Shadow Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Michael Gove MP:

Britain’s Jewish citizens face a real and growing danger. The dramatic increase in antisemitic incidents over the last year proves that the oldest of prejudices has been given a new lease of life. Every one in public life – politicians, media figures, academics and community leaders – has to recognise that this growth in antisemitism is a stain on our society. History tells us that whenever Jewish individuals feel less safe, society as a whole is becoming less free. We must learn the lessons of the past, recognise that prejudice against the Jewish people leads to a growth in hatred and intolerance overall and therefore we have to be tough on both antisemitism and the causes of antisemitism.

The Conservative Party is pledged to work with the Community Security Trust, the police and others to counteract antisemitism wherever it is found. We need to be more vigilant in countering extremist groups such as the BNP and Hizb-ut-Tahrir, more determined to counter extremism on campus and intimidation of young people, more aware of the new ways in which hatred is spread. Crucially, we need to understand that preachers of hate are exploiting events in the Middle East to peddle prejudice on our streets. It is up to all of us to challenge those spreading hate against British citizens.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne MP:

This steep rise in anti-Semitic crime is shocking and shameful.

We must do everything we can to prevent foreign conflicts from spilling over onto British streets and campuses.

The police must work with all communities to stamp out anti-Semitism and hate crime in all their forms and to promote cohesion and tolerance.

Chair of the All-Party Group Against Antisemitism, John Mann MP:

This report makes for disturbing reading. While incident figures continue to climb, we must be doing all that we can to ensure such hatred is met with our resolute determination to stop it.

This underlines the need for all the recommendations of our All-Party Inquiry report to be implemented without delay.

Chair of 2006 Parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism; current Chair of European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism; & author of ‘Globalising Hatred. The New Antisemitism’, Denis MacShane MP:

This sudden rise in antisemitic incidents should be a warning sign that hate against Jews is on the march. But when the antisemitic BNP win seats as MEPs, when university campuses host preachers of anti-Jewish hate, or when a British ambassador says Jews should not serve on public inquires why should we be surprised? The open hate of Israel fanned by jihadi Islamist ideologues is creating an unacceptable climate of fear for Jews. Politicians need to take the lead and say loudly and clearly that British Jews should not have to face intimidation and threats.

CST’s report on antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2009, out today, shows a record number of incidents against British Jews: 924 last year, compared to 546 the year before. It is 55% higher than the previous record high of 598 antisemitic incidents in 2006.

The full report is here, or there is a summary here. The article below appears in today’s Jewish Chronicle.

To fight hate, we must face it

In recent weeks, the Community Security Trust’s London and Manchester staff have undergone intense training courses designed to ensure that our service as first responders to the victims of antisemitic hate crimes is as good as it can be.

The training, provided by the Home Office’s Victims Support Unit, used real case studies, making some of the intricacies of victims’ lives and traumas harrowing for us to hear and comprehend. It served as a profound reminder that a real person is behind every report and statistic we deal with, and that each victim’s reactions depend upon their own histories, personalities and environments. The experts also stressed that we must not tell people how to actually feel about their experiences, as each victim’s feelings are so rooted within their own individual circumstance.

Instead, the CST’s responsibility is to ask the right questions at the right times, listen properly to the answers, analyse the situation and offer constructive advice.

I want to apply this learning in a more general sense to the many challenging questions that arise from today’s report regarding antisemitic incident levels. In summary, the CST  recorded over 900 such incidents across Britain during 2009: an increase of 55 per cent from the previous the worst year on record, 2006. On both occasions, Jews in Britain (and elsewhere around the world) suffered a wave of antisemitic attack, triggered by conflicts directly involving Israel.

Whatever you think of Israeli politics, remember that, historically, antisemites have always justified their behaviour on some premise or other. We have to insist that anti-Jewish racism be as readily condemned as any other type of racism within British society. Anything less and we risk fostering the notion, seductive for some, that antisemitism in the name of anti-Israel hatred is somehow a legitimate form of political protest.

I hope that anybody taking the time to read the report will see that the CST is doing its utmost to present these upsetting and complex facts as comprehensively and analytically as possible. Nevertheless, our community will meet these latest statistics with a huge range of emotions and interpretations; with responses ranging from fearing that there is no viable future for the next generation of British Jews, to treating it like water off a duck’s back. The CST will not question the integrity of individual reactions, but we do believe that the significant and sustained increase in antisemitic attacks since the year 2000 demands the serious responses that the CST has provided in partnership with a range of communal organisations, politicians, police and other faith communities during this period.

I am keenly aware that discussing antisemitism may cause some people to be afraid to lead the Jewish life that they would otherwise choose. Ignoring the problem, however, will not make it go away. Furthermore, understanding the situation and publicly explaining it are the cornerstones upon which we build  strategies and partnerships to combat the problem. For example, the CST has prioritised the installation of shatterproof window film at hundreds of Jewish sites across the country. Consequently, last January, when arsonists tried to burn down a London synagogue in the middle of the night, they were unable to break the glass. Discussing antisemitism may be discomforting, but it pales against the impact that a fire-gutted British synagogue would have had upon the entire community.

The CST provides many physical and political responses to antisemitism, but the community should augment these by strengthening its own psychological approach to the problem. This does not mean tolerating or hiding from antisemitism. Rather, it is to stress that we must not allow antisemitism to dominate us; and therefore we need to encourage amore robust mentality against it. This fightback begins by opposing antisemitism when it occurs, whilst consciously appreciating and seizing the vast range of religious, cultural, charitable and political options for expressing your Jewish life and identity in Britain today. Do this, and you will see that not only is antisemitism well worth opposing wherever it rears its ugly head, but also, it most certainly does not define the average day in the life of British Jews.

From today’s Jewish News:

Police have launched an urgent investigation into a horrific Facebook group that gave graphic details of anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated by its members against Ilford’s Jewish community.

The group, created by a student at Loxford School of Science and Technology, attracted more than 500 members in two weeks following its launch last month and featured teenagers boasting about engaging in anti-Semitic behaviour.

It featured messages from youths using language rife with spelling errors, profanities and teenage colloquialisms.

One girl wrote: “Jews are the ones that killed prophets in the past. Dirty filthy scum-bags. No wonder they have the curse of Allah upon them. Burn Jew burn.”

Another stated: “OMG! ii Saw a Jew Todaii ii Swearr downn Weariingg Dahh Hatt He Lookedd At Me Liike Man Knowsz Me [sic].”

She went on to describe screaming obscenities at the man and rudely telling him to go away.

In a further disturbing post, a girl bragged about aggressively confronting a Jewish woman in Argos after she was “looking at me”. She wrote: “Looool i Had a Fight Wif 1 Urgh in Argos [sic].”

The Jewish News was informed about the group, created by a student at Loxford School, by a private investigator in Australia. It has since been removed from the popular social networking site.

The group was described by a Community Security Trust (CST) official as “one of the most shocking things I have ever seen”.

A spokeswoman from Redbridge Council, speaking on behalf of Loxford School, said the school was contacted about the group and then immediately reported it to Facebook and the police.

The spokeswoman said: “The student concerned has been dealt with and the school has taken disciplinary action. There is an ongoing police investigation so we are unable to comment further.”

[...]

Several comments on the vile Facebook site include misguided references to Islam and the Koran as justification for targeting Jews.

One female youth wrote: “We hate Jews for the sake of Allah as he has told us to do in the Koran.”

[...]

Mark Gardner, director of communications at the CST, said he was left “utterly chilled” by the casual way that the youths displayed their anti-Semitism.

He said: “It shows how new media is now facilitating the most shocking anti-Semitism among groups of youngsters, as if hatred and violence and gross ignorance were all just a part of their normal lives.

“Anybody who wants to understand how anti-Semitism can be transmitted today should study this online group closely, but they will need a strong stomach to do so.”

[...]

Mike Gapes, the local MP for Ilford South, urged the authorities to take “very strong action”. Gapes told the Jewish News: “I am deeply concerned.
Incitement to hatred is a crime and we must stand very firm and take action against anyone who incited racial or religious hatred. Anti-Semitism has to be opposed.”

Lee Scott MP for Ilford North also denounced the site, saying: “It is shocking and I condemn it.”

A Facebook spokeswoman said that the group was removed because it breached the company’s policies. She said: “We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others.” She added that users should report groups that they feel violate Facebook’s rules.

The French Jewish community organisation, the Jewish Community Protection Service, has recorded a 75% rise in antisemitic incidents in 2009:

PARIS — A group founded to protect France’s Jewish community says anti-Semitic acts in France soared 75 percent last year – many coming as Israel pressed an offensive against Hamas in the Middle East in January.

The Jewish Community Protection Service tallied 832 anti-Semitic acts in 2009, up from 474 a year earlier. Most involved graffiti and threatening gestures; about 17 percent involved vandalism and violence.

The group said Wednesday that 354 took place in January 2009 alone, when Israel ended a three-week offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas in response to rocket attacks from Gaza.

The full SPCJ report is here, for those Francophones amongst our readers.

CST’s report on antisemitic incidents in the UK in 2009 will be published tomorrow.

There is a long and tragic history of terrorists attacking Jewish communities in various parts of the world, many of which are documented in this 2003 report from CST. Looking at the news in the past few days, the problem of anti-Jewish terror is not going away.

In Egypt, between 20 and 25 people have been arrested for plotting to bomb the tomb of  Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira, a revered 19th century Moroccan rabbi who died in Egypt in 1879 on his way to the Holy Land. Hundreds of pilgrims, mostly from Israel, visit the tomb every year and the bombing was allegedly being planned to coincide with the latest visit, which took place in January. According to press reports:

The suspects, some of whom were arrested several weeks ago, are also accused of planning to blow up American ships in the Suez Canal and carry out terror attacks in Egypt. They are also accused of planning to cripple major banks in Cairo and Alexandria.  

Various reports indicate that the suspects were caught with a large weapons cache, including warheads for Qassam rockets manufactured by Hamas. Egyptian security forces say they set up training camps where they practiced using explosives.

Egyptian prosecutors have begun investigating the suspects.

Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reports that the alleged terror cell is based on the ideology of Sayyid Qutb, considered the spiritual father of the radical Islamic movements that fought secular rule.

In a separate story, Hamas have responded to the mysterious death of one of their senior operatives in Dubai by considering attacking Israeli targets outside Israel. As the CST report on anti-Jewish terrorism shows, terrorists often do not distinguish between Israeli targets and Jewish ones, and Hamas of course has a long history of suicide bombings against civilians. According to one report of the comments by Mahmoud Zahar, one of Hamas’s most senior figures in Gaza:

He stressed that the organization was fully capable of carrying out such attacks, but had so far not chosen to do so.

Hamas has always insisted that its only quarrel is with Israel, and its fight is limited within those borders. If it is true that Hamas has established the capacity to carry out terrorist attacks in other countries, then that profoundly changes the nature of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Meanwhile, here in Britain a video has been found in Manchester – although probably filmed in Pakistan – which shows young children playing with real guns while an adult says:

We will kill the Jews – we will kill the Jews.

In 2003, then Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad caused an international storm when he told an international Islamic conference that “the Jews rule this world by proxy“:

1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews. There must be a way. And we can only find a way if we stop to think, to assess our weaknesses and our strength, to plan, to strategise and then to counter attack. As Muslims we must seek guidance from the Al-Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Surely the 23 years’ struggle of the Prophet can provide us with some guidance as to what we can and should do.

[...]

We are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.

[...]

But the defence of the ummah, the counter attack need not start only after we have put our houses in order. Even today we have sufficient assets to deploy against our detractors. It remains for us to identify them and to work out how to make use of them to stop the carnage caused by the enemy. This is entirely possible if we stop to think, to plan, to strategise and to take the first few critical steps. Even these few steps can yield positive results. …

The enemy will probably welcome these proposals and we will conclude that the promoters are working for the enemy. But think. We are up against a people who think. They survived 2000 years of pogroms not by hitting back, but by thinking. They invented and successfully promoted Socialism, Communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so they may enjoy equal rights with others. With these they have now gained control of the most powerful countries and they, this tiny community, have become a world power. We cannot fight them through brawn alone. We must use our brains also.

Mahathir is no longer Prime Minister of Malaysia, but he has become something of a celebrity on the ‘anti-Imperialist’ circuit. His Perdana Global Peace Organisation is listed as the Malaysian website of Viva Palestina. He has spoken at conferences organised by the Ramadhan Foundation in London and in Kuala Lumpur. His Foundation to Criminalise War holds events in different countries and continents, and attracts high-profile speakers. Last week, at a conference in Malaysia, Mahathir returned to the subject of the Jews and in particular the Holocaust. It doesn’t make for pretty reading:

One of the greatest injustices done was to take Palestinian land to give to the Jews to create the state of Israel. It was so easy to take what belongs to others in order to give to people who had been giving you problems in your own country. The Palestinians must be sacrificed to save the Europeans from the depradations of the Jews.

The Jews had always been a problem in European countries. They had to be confined to ghettoes and periodically massacred. But still they remained, they thrived and they held whole Governments to ransom. Even after their massacre by the Nazis of Germany, they survived to continue to be a source of even greater problems for the world. The Holocaust failed as a final solution. Creating  a state for them was thought to be a better solution. It could be if some European territory had been alllocated to make a permanent ghetto for the Jews. But of course if this was done the affected European state would rise in arms and kill all the Jews the way they had been doing before. So the debate was about creating an Israeli state in Uganda, Africa, or somewhere in Latin America or Palestine of course. It was so easy to decide on Palestine, a British mandated territory.

This view, that the Jews brought the Holocaust on themselves by their behaviour, is something that you normally hear from neo-Nazis.

Mahathir also updated Mohammed Naseem’s ‘dancing cows’  theory to question what really happened on 9/11:

In September 2001, the World Trade Centre was attacked allegedly by terrorists. I am not sure now that Muslim terrorists carried out these attacks. There are strong evidences that the attacks were staged. If they can make Avatar, they can make anything. Killing innocent people to provide an excuse for war is not new to the US.

Mahathir’s comments should be no surprise to anyone. His 2003 speech was not out of character, and nor is his latest offering. It is up to those people and organisations who work with Mahathir to decide whether his views about Jews and the Holocaust are welcome within their campaigns.