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Anti-Semitism drives record-high Western European immigration to Israel

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Jewish migration to Israel from western Europe has reached an all-time high, a leading group has said.

The Jewish Agency, which acts as a link for Jews around the world, said the exodus resulted from a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe.

It reported that 9,880 western European Jews emigrated to Israel last year.

Around 8,000 came from France, where Jews have been targeted in a series of recent attacks, it said.

The agency also reported that about 800 Jews left Britain to Israel in 2015, the AP news agency reported.

Jews have been targeted in many European countries, such as Belgium and Denmark, but the worst attacks have been reported in France

The country's 500,000 Jewish population is the world's third largest, after Israel and the United States.

"That a record number of European Jews feel that Europe is no longer their home should alarm European leaders and serve as a wake-up call for all who are concerned about the future of Europe,'' Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky said, according to AP.

This week, a teacher in Marseille was stabbed by a boy who reportedly said he had done it for the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, the third attack on Jews in recent months in the city.

The attack prompted a local Jewish leader to ask men to stop wearing the traditional skullcap. France's chief rabbi, however, urged Jews to keep covering their heads.

In January 2015, four Jewish shoppers were killed by an IS supporter at a kosher supermarket, shortly after the deadly assault on the office of Charlie Hebdo magazine.

Since then, more than 700 synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres have been protected by police or soldiers.


Source


That's not going to help the cycle of violence. I imagine it's going to get worse before it gets better in France as well.

Edit: thread title came from another, more biased news source which I forgot about when I switched over to sourcing BBC while making the post. Sorry if it's inflammatory.
 

HUELEN10

Member
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.
 

orochi91

Member
That makes little sense.

In Europe they'll still be more safe than in Israel, which is neighboring a fair bit of turmoil, not to mention the internal domestic attacks and the occasional Intifada.
 

Jonnax

Member
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.

England? Your fears are straight up crazy.
 

Jumeira

Banned
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.

England is a little strange. Theres rising islamaphobia, so much so that it's now recorded as such and not hate crime, I'm sure there's anti semetism but not anymore than the usual racism/bigotry that can go on. We're quite protective of our different cultures, I think were quite good at it. People just get on, theres nothing so serious where you should be afraid.

We have Jewish communities getting on normally here. You shouldn't read into the hyperbole
 

Chichikov

Member
There's still more Israelis moving to Western Europe than Jews from Western Europe moving to Israel.
The Jewish agency whole goal in life is to get Jews to migrate to Israel, they're reports on such matter are a bit suspect (and boy do they overplay anti-semitism everywhere).
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.
I'm Jewish and I've been to both many times, you have nothing to worry about.
 

orochi91

Member
The Jewish Agency sounds like propaganda trying to get the Jewish diaspora to migrate to Israel, lol

In what world is Israel safer than France or UK (or most of the West)?
 

HUELEN10

Member
Yep.
Damn noticeable Hebrew accent accent too.

For real man, stop living in fear, go to France, it's not a dangerous place to visit, like, at all.
It's a great country too.

Sephardi here...

My aunt already has been spit on and rocks thrown at her. I am hesitant to be myself in France because of fear.

And yes, France is awesome. I wanna go visit the country of my mother's family and mine, my heritage...
 

ElTorro

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.
I've heard that many advertisements in Israel for houses and property are also written in French nowadays. It's sad to hear that many Jews in Europe are not feeling safe.

The extent of the real threat is probably debatable, but I do not want to sweep it under the rug either. Anti-semitism and anti-semetic conspiracy theories are a real problem in many Muslim-majority countries, and that should be at least acknowledged as a potential cultural problem that we might face and would have to address in the context the current refugee situation.
 
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.

What the fuck? There's nothing for you to be worried about in England.
 

Chichikov

Member
Sephardi here...

My aunt already has been spit on and rocks thrown at her. I am hesitant to be myself in France because of fear.
I'm white so I really can't comment on whether or not you're likely to get hate because of your skin color, it's possible.
But I'm telling you, the chance that your Judaism negatively impact a visit to France, let alone risk your life is ridiculously small.

England is even more ridiculous, I used to live in England, I'm there quite often, I'm telling you straight up, your fears are unfounded.
 
Been to a few European countries and experienced no anti-semitism, but I'm not visibly Jewish. Got yelled at in France 3 times though, but that was unrelated.

There's still more Israelis moving to Western Europe than Jews from Western Europe moving to Israel.
The Jewish agency whole goal in life is to get Jews to migrate to Israel, they're reports on such matter are a bit suspect (and boy do they overplay anti-semitism everywhere).

I've read that 50% of all hate crimes in France in 2014 were directed at Jews. Do you believe that number is greatly embellished?
 

Newline

Member
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.
You sound major paranoid. You'll be absolutely fine here in England.
 

Quixzlizx

Member
The Jewish Agency sounds like propaganda trying to get the Jewish diaspora to migrate to Israel, lol

In what world is Israel safer than France or UK (or most of the West)?

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/is-it-time-for-the-jews-to-leave-europe/386279/

I don't know about Israel being safer, but this article was pretty worrisome. I wouldn't be worried as a tourist, but I might be worried if I were outwardly devout and living in certain areas.

Israel definitely wouldn't be my top emigration destination, though.
 

HUELEN10

Member
I'm white so I really can't comment on whether or not you're likely to get hate because of your skin color, it's possible.
But I'm telling you, the chance that your Judaism negatively impact a visit to France, let alone risk your life is ridiculously small.

England is even more ridiculous, I used to live in England, I'm there quite often, I'm telling you straight up, your fears are unfounded.
That does make me more confident in going in the future, thank you for sharing it.

I just... I guess I've been more afraid than others around me. 9/11 sucked as far as being used goes, the hate I got kinda stuck with me.
 

ElTorro

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.
The 2011 report on the issue of anti-semitism in Germany (no English version, sorry), researched by and for the German government, concluded that 20% of people living in Germany exhibit "latent anti-semitism"; that is, they have anti-semetic ideas that are not necessarily consciously malevolent and do not lead to violence, but are still akin to "diet racism." It mentions far-right extremism, far-left extremism, and Islamism as main sources.

If the situation in other European countries is comparable, it seems reasonable to assume that, while the threat of violent acts is low and no reason to avoid European countries, anti-semitism is still a real problem.
 

Suen

Member
That makes little sense.

In Europe they'll still be more safe than in Israel, which is neighboring a fair bit of turmoil, not to mention the internal domestic attacks and the occasional Intifada.
Yes and no imo. While they may be less safe in Israel due to rockets fired by Palestinians in occupied areas or internal violence between Jewish and Palestinian citizens they'd be better off in Israeli society since they're not gonna get stabbed or have their place of worship attacked simply because they are Jews. Sadly I also see Muslims living in Europe eventually heading in a similar direction, just give it a few decades. It's kind of ironic when you consider the increased anti-semitism coming from a portion of the Muslims in Europe who've brought their Israel-Palestinian issue there.
 

sploatee

formerly Oynox Slider
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.

English Jewish person. Half Sephardi half ashkenazi

England def isn't the biggest fan of Israel but it's not anti Semitic

I work in big city with Christians Muslims etc Israel may be a political debate but anti Semitic no.
 

Chichikov

Member
I've read that 50% of all hate crimes in France in 2014 were directed at Jews. Do you believe that number is greatly embellished?
I don't know, I haven't looked at the stats and what is being counted.
What I do know is that you're order of magnitudes more likely to die in a car accident while visiting France than being a race motivated murder victim.

That does make me more confident in going in the future, thank you for sharing it.

I just... I guess I've been more afraid than others around me. 9/11 sucked as far as being used goes, the hate I got kinda stuck with me.
The trick is to look at the numbers, people don't like to do the that grizzly math but I think it's helpful.
The odds of you being attacked for being a Jew are so tiny they're not worth stressing about.
And FWIW, Israel is by far the most dangerous place for a Jew in that regard.
 
As a Jew, I am afraid to go to England or France due to anti-semitism. I wanna go to France so bad, but fear keeps me away.

Anti-semitism can be found anywhere though, like most forms of bigotry, discrimination, and hate.

wot? I live next to Stamford Hill which has 30k strong Hasidic Jew population and we all living fine with each other.
 

Renekton

Member
I can understand Muslims hating Jews, it is their thing.

But why are educated modern white people still anti-semitic?
 
It is a harder time for Jews in England than it logically should be. They are worried about things like security of their synagogues and schools after violent attacks and after how certain attacks in France were targeted at them. I don't see why religious hate crime should have a place in modern England but whatever. People don't seem to care that much.
 

ElTorro

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.
But why are educated modern white people still anti-semitic?

Some people categorize certain anti-"Zionist" views, which can be found on the left of the political spectrum, as anti-semitic; like holding Israel to higher standards than other countries, or accepting certain conspiracy theories as fact. I tend to believe that this is rather a consequence of anti-Americanism/anti-Imperialism and has little-to-nothing to do with the Jewish identity.
 

Quixzlizx

Member
Some people categorize certain anti-"Zionist" views, which can be found on the left of the political spectrum, as anti-semitic; like holding Israel to higher standards than other countries, or accepting certain conspiracy theories as fact. I tend to believe that this is rather a consequence of anti-Americanism/anti-Imperialism and has little-to-nothing to do with the Jewish identity.

What do you mean? I'm trying to think of conspiracy theories you could be describing that aren't anti-semitic.
 

ElTorro

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.
What do you mean? I'm trying to think of conspiracy theories you could be describing that aren't anti-semitic.

That Jews are running the international financial system, for instance. That's a classic one that already served Hitler well. You can find variants of this formulated as rich American Jews lobbying for support for Israel.
 
That does make me more confident in going in the future, thank you for sharing it.

I just... I guess I've been more afraid than others around me. 9/11 sucked as far as being used goes, the hate I got kinda stuck with me.

You act like an oblivious child on GAF it's hard to believe you were actually born before 9/11 let alone old enough to be victim to racial abuse after it!

Everyone has bad stories from friends or relatives, you can't judge a whole country, even continent, based on those.
 

ElTorro

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.
That's... like, the classic anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

That's not anti-Zionist.


I misread you, and I wasn't clear enough in my original post. What I meant were not theories that are anti-Zionist but not anti-Semitic. What I meant was that certain people categorize certain views as anti-semitic that the people holding them would describe as anti-Zionist.
 
I misread you, and I wasn't clear enough in my original post. What I meant were not theories that are anti-Zionist but not anti-Semitic. What I meant was that certain people categorize certain views as anti-semitic that the people holding them would describe as anti-Zionist.

Not to put too fine a point on it or anything, but I'd wager that these days everybody who holds anti-Semitic views would characterize them as anti-Zionist.

That's how dog whistles work. They latch on to something legitimate (issues with Israel) or semi-legitimate and then just apply the same tired crap.
 

Quixzlizx

Member
I misread you, and I wasn't clear enough in my original post. What I meant were not theories that are anti-Zionist but not anti-Semitic. What I meant was that certain people categorize certain views as anti-semitic that the people holding them would describe as anti-Zionist.

If by certain people, you mean all people who aren't anti-semites.
 

Chichikov

Member
Not to put too fine a point on it or anything, but I'd wager that these days everybody who holds anti-Semitic views would characterize them as anti-Zionist.

That's how dog whistles work. They latch on to something legitimate (issues with Israel) or semi-legitimate and then just apply the same tired crap.
Yeah, but not every anti-zionist (or someone who is just oppose certain things that Israel is doing) is anti-semitic.
Far from it.

Israeli right wing loves to make that connection though.
 

Quixzlizx

Member
Yeah, but not every anti-zionist (or someone who is just oppose certain things that Israel is doing) is anti-semitic.
Far from it.

Israeli right wing loves to make that connection though.

That's not what is being discussed here and you know it. It's a specific discussion about how anti-semites call themselves "anti-Zionists" because it is more socially acceptable to pretend that your hatred of Jews is really a hatred of the Israeli government.

That's not the same as saying that all criticism of the Israeli government is anti-semitic, and left-wing people are just as likely to trot out this obfuscating crap as people like the ADL are to do the reverse.
 
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