Brickbat: 'Openly Jewish'

London's Metropolitan Police Service has apologized for threatening to arrest a Jewish man at a pro-Palestinian protest. Video showed police officers telling Gideon Falter that his "quite openly Jewish" appearance risked provoking the protesters and threatening to arrest him for "causing a breach of the peace" if he didn't leave the area. After the video was released, the Met first apologized for the officer's language but said counter-protesters needed to be aware "that their presence is provocative." It later deleted that statement from social media and apologized again: "In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we caused further offence," it wrote in a statement. "This was never our intention. We have removed that statement and we apologise. Being Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in this city."

Comments

[MWAocdoc]

"Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in this city."

I don't see how. The right to express one's opinion anywhere in Europe starts at "questionable" and goes downhill from there. Anti-Jewish violence has a long history in Europe and, although less severe in England, nevertheless could not ever be characterized as making Jews "feel safe" in London. Perhaps it's a previous King of England's collaboration with Nazi Germany that would make Jews feel safe there? Or maybe a statement by a law enforcement officer that one is obviously Jewish in appearance, followed by a non-apology by law enforcement officials requiring a second less obnoxious retraction would be reassuring?

[Mickey Rat]

London is not exactly an English city these days.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Aren't they planning to change the name to West Islamabad?

[Get To Da Chippah]

He was guilty of aggravated Judaism!

[The Margrave of Azilia]

European Jews are some political refugees the USA might consider admitting.

[Vernon Depner]

You really think they're safer here?

[BigT]

Yes, if they avoid Dem cities.

[MatthewSlyfield]

Are there any cities that are not Dem?

[Vernon Depner]

Tulsa? I can't think of any others.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

You mean; “mouse utopias?”

[Mickey Rat]

The police must walk on eggshells lest the adherents of the Religion of Peace be provoked. This led to misunderstandings.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Yes, yes, we all know that Islam is a religion of peace. And that Brutus is an honorable man.

[Mickey Rat]

And we all know that British law enforcement has been ignoring crimes committed by Muslims (including organized sex crimes) for fear of offending that community.

[Pear Satirical]

A piece over there and a piece over there....

[Davedave]

What an idiot you must be. It's not Muslims on these marches that are attacking Jews, it's your neo-Nazi chums.

[Fetterman's Hump]

Neo-Nazi. Muslims. Democrats.

They are the same thing.

[Mother's Lament]

Mickey Rat is a progressive?

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Step right up folks! it’s the same deflection we saw during the summer of love; “If there was violence it was because of the right!”

Pathetic.

[Fist of Etiquette]

It later deleted that statement from social media and apologized again...

"We apologize for our earlier apology when we said your skirt was too short to wear in front of the agency-free anti-semites."

[SQRLSY One]

"Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, have been sacked."

We could only wish!

[VULGAR MADMAN]

You get the culture you import.

[A Cynical Asshole]

But were those responsible sacked?

After the video was released, the Met first apologized for the officer's language but said counter-protesters needed to be aware "that their presence is provocative." It later deleted that statement from social media and apologized again: "In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we caused further offence," it wrote in a statement.

...an were those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked, been sacked?

[Ragnar_the_Pirate]

It is entirely outrageous of you to reference such a thing. It is just too silly, too silly, none of that here.

[mad.casual]

"This was never our intention. We have removed that statement and we apologise. Being Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in this city."

"You're Jewish in public, that means we might have to arrest you."
...
"Sorry for calling you 'Jewish in public'."

I will probably never tire of the long British tradition of "soft racism".

[MWAocdoc]

Poor London bobbies. They can't help it! They were born with a racist foot in their mouths.

[Brandybuck]

Not to bash on home territory, but there's a reason the Jewish community does not dress "Jewish" in the United States (outside of large Jewish enclaves such as New York City). And it's because of the virulent anti-semitism that still exists in most areas of the country, as well as many different political ideologies.

It was within my lifetime that people would openly spit on Jews and call them "Christ killers". I've actually heard people credulously invoke Blood Libel. The big push back against this actually came from Evangelical Christians in the 40s and 50s. But anti-semitism is still out there everywhere. It's still strong among many corners of Catholicism, still strong in Deep South, still strong among many on the Left who are seeking to expel Jews from "liberal" circles, as well as Identitarians who accuse them of being "honorary whites", and from the Right who see Jews as a tradition "liberal" bloc, etc.

So yeah, London (as well as most of Europe) needs to be chastised for its anti-semitism. But we should not pretend that we are much better. We're better than we were, but we are still not past it.

[bobby oshea]

I just don't know about these claims.

"virulent antisemitism that still exists in most areas of the country". spitting on jews and calling them Christ killers within your lifetime.

Color me extremely skeptical. Maybe you should give your definition of "virulent antisemitism" and then I can work off of that.

[Bill Falcon]

America is the promised land for Jews. From Hollywood to the media, to academia, to banking to big tech and the govt Jews have prospered more than any other immigrant group as a percent of the population. It is something all groups should aspire to. And they should stop blaming the folks who have achieved.

Being against Israel is not against Judaism. You can be against the mafia and even though Italian Americans were overrepresented in it, not be anti-Italian. Israel is not above criticism.

A state based on 19th century Central European Ethno-nationalism in an Arab land was bound to have issues with the indigenous peoples. It is about land..and ethnicity. The "Our people and our land". Unless both sides decide to have one multiethnic state there is no solution and more will die. Ethno-Nationalism is a disease

[JeremyR]

Yeah, no. I don't think I've ever heard anything even use the K word in real life.

[mad.casual]

He's a fucking retard.

WHYCOME THERE"Z NO LITTLE ITUHLY IN SOUTH DAKOTA? HOWCOME NO CHINATOWN IN RURAL WYOMING? MUST BE HICK ANTISEMTITISM!

Nevermind that it's a widely-known and understood fact that Hitler studied up on eugenics by looking at American immigration policy, work by Cold Springs Harbor, and opinions like Oliver "Three generations of imbeciles is more than enough." Wendell Holmes Jr. and tempered it with the Antisemitism that permeated Europe.

There's plenty to blame rural America for historically and accurately, but this is just literally just mtrueman-style "I say intentionally stupid shit all the time in the desperate need for someone, anyone, to pay attention to or believe me."

[Vernon Depner]

A lot depends on where in the US you live. In the region I live in, Jewish people are normal. You usually don't know they're Jewish until they tell you. They're like everybody else except for where they worship. On the other hand, in New York most of the Jews you meet are like characters from a Neil Simon play. They stand out, even without wearing a shtreimel and a tallit.

[Dillinger]

>>"In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we caused further offence,"

they'll never be the hey this guy gets it! guys

[JohnTheRevelator]

Let's try some variations on this.

"Your openly black appearance may provoke the white power protestors." No?

"Your openly gay or trans appearance may provoke the conservative Christian demonstrators." Still no? Huh.

"Your openly leftist slogans may provoke the Trump supporters."

I'm having trouble seeing the issue with any of the above. Clearly the logic is that one is disturbing the peace if one is near people who may be incited to violence on becoming aware of one's presence. I mean, right? It's not just some people who are subject to that standard while others aren't, because that would be bigoted and a double standard for public safety, and surely we enlightened wokes aren't bigoted, are we?

[MWAocdoc]

"Your openly female appearance without a burqa and veil may provoke a fundamentalist Islamic Wahabist to cane you."

"Your openly secular appearance on the Shabbat might provoke an Orthodox rabbi to stone you."

[JeremyR]

Welcome to the effects of importing millions of radical muslims.

See also, Michigan.

Immigrants are eventually your future rulers. So choose them wisely.

[AT]

at a pro-Palestinian protest.

You mean a Hamas Rally.

[VULGAR MADMAN]

Isn’t it neat that we are funding them?

[AT]

Par for the course really, in our social/political/cultural slow-motion suicide.

[Jonathan Affleck]

Zionism has transformed Judaism into a program of genocide. Thanks to Zionism, the standard indicia of Judaism have become genocide incitement. As many of the greatest scholars of Judaism have stated, Zionism is the most perverted antisemitic ideology, which has ever existed. No one expresses more hatred for Jews and for Judaism than someone that expresses love of the State of Israel and that supports its continued existence.