Fears mount of Gaza conflict spill over in Europe

[Vegasaurus]

Anti-semitism on the rise against ALL Jews, not Israelis, and not the Israeli government. Just as all Arabs or Muslims do not want to be conflated with terrorists, nor are all Jews conflated with Israeli politics. This is a dangerous development, because anti-semitism is already on the rise in Europe.

PARIS – Government officials and Jewish leaders are concerned the conflict in Gaza may spill over into violence in Europe, with attacks reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain.

Assailants rammed a burning car into the gates of a synagogue in Toulouse, in southwest France, Monday night.
A Jewish congregation in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, was attacked Monday night by someone who "broke a window and threw in something that was burning," said police spokesman Leif Nilsson. And on Sunday slogans, including "murderers ... You broke the cease-fire," were daubed on Israel's Embassy in Stockholm.

-snip-


Jews in the small Strasbourg suburb of Lingolsheim in eastern France woke up Tuesday to find graffiti with words like "assassins" spray-painted on the outside walls of their synagogue. The community filed a complaint for "degradation of a place of worship," the mayor's office said.

Damage to the synagogue in Toulouse was limited to a blackened gate. Police said unlighted gasoline bombs were found in a car nearby and in the synagogue's yard. A local Jewish leader, Armand Partouche, said he believed the assailants fled when the building's alarm went off.

In another incident last week, a gang of 15-20 youths walked along the main street in Golders Green, a largely Jewish neighborhood in north London, shouting "Jew" and "Free Palestine" at passers-by, said Community Security Trust spokesman Mark Gardner.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_re_eu/eu_europe_gaza_jews_attacked

[Vegasaurus]

1. Doesn't surprise me that no one on this forum cares about anti-semitism

or equating all Jews with Israeli politics, and condemning an entire people who have nothing at all to do with this conflict.

Watch what happens if anyone mentions "Palestinians" or Arabs and "militants" in the same sentence though.

Double standards again.

[Recursion]

2. Oh for Christ's sake

The attacks on synagogues are outrageous and wrong and if you think anybody is defending them I'd love to see some evidence of that.

[shira]

9. don't you think blaming Israeli (Jews) of intentionally murdering Palestinians fans the flames?

Do you think Jewish commanders of the IDF are telling their troops, "hey look over there, Palestinian civilians - kids and their mommies and grandparents - are sheltered in that building...so let's bomb the building boys!"?

And do you think Israelis (Jews, or even worse, the 20% who are Arab) have the stomach to follow such insane orders, with Israel ultimately handing over to Hamas propaganda victories that would only thwart Israel's military objectives?

I get the feeling MANY here believe that, judging by all the accusations.

These frothing-of-the-mouth accusations have historically had a toll on Jews - and we're seeing it today in modern times, from some of the forces of "progress".

[subsuelo]

3. oh shut up

[Vegasaurus]

4. Oh shut up?

good job.

You have reached a new low.

[LeftishBrit]

6. There have been quite a few threads about it on GD.

[cali]

7. That's simply false.

what a stupid claim- that no one here cares about anti-semitism.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Disgusting actions

Unfortunately, antisemitism is one thing that will never die, it seems.

Conflicts in the ME tend to increase episodes of both antisemitism and Islamophobia elsewhere; but it's a chronic problem. A bit of the antisemitism comes from Islamist extremist groups; but the large majority is from our lovely local Europaean neo-Nazis and their sympathizers.

In Britain, in fact, it's not that extreme. Personally, I've come under considerably more threat over the years because I work at a university where some people do animal research, than because I'm a Jew. I get the impression that France is worse, and Eastern Europe much worse.

Some may be interested in the following link:

www.axt.org.uk

It should go without saying that, whatever people's views on the conflict, they should NOT be taking it out on Jews or Muslims who are totally unconnected with the conflict.

[shaayecanaan]

8. A bit rich...

Here is hardly the place to debate the actions of the anti-vivisectionists, but to imply that you've come under personal threat from them is a bit ambitious, unless of course you're actually in the business of torturing beagles all day.

[LeftishBrit]

10. There are groups who EXPLICITLY say that anyone who works at the university is a justified target

And several people who had NO connection with animal research had their cars torched.

And no I don't do animal research, and wouldn't know how to.

Not the forum for it, I agree; but there is extremism in many contexts - not only religious ones.