From France to the USA: why anti-Semitic hatred should worry us

Paris. London. New York. Berlin. No, this is not just the list of some of the most important cities in the world, which have marked, for different reasons, the course of history. What has just …

From France to the USA: why anti-Semitic hatred should worry us

Paris. London. New York. Berlin. No, this is not just the list of some of the most important cities in the world, which have marked, for different reasons, the course of history. What has just been presented is also the number of some of the places affected by the shameful episodes of antisemitism since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel last October 7th.

In the beginning it was Paris. You will remember, at the end of October, the clearly anti-Semitic graffiti placed in over two hundred houses and shops. Stars of David mainly, the same ones that were used to distinguish people of Jewish religion from other prisoners in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Terrifying images, which we hoped to never see again. France was not the only theater of these shameful scenes. Incidents of hatred towards Jews have also been reported in London. In a recent article in the newspaper, it is reported how theincrease in complaints linked to anti-Semitic events is 1353%. These are frightening numbers that need to make us reflect, especially since they occurred in a city where there have been numerous demonstrations in support of Palestine. And, between one weekly demonstration and another, in addition to the Palestinian flags, other particularly disturbing ones also appeared, such as that of ISIS.

Anti-Semitic events were also detected in Berlinwhere acts of hatred towards Jewish people have increased exponentially, but also in the very civilized and unsuspected New York, the city with the most Jews in the world behind only Tel Aviv. In an article in the New York Times last December 20, it is underlined that, following the demonstrations for the ceasefire, which sometimes resulted in more or less violent protests, the Jews residing there, for the first time in many years, they no longer feel safe. They have the feeling of “not being at home and not being welcome”. In this regard, Dan Senor, official during the George W. Bush administration and then foreign policy advisor during the presidential campaign of Republican candidate Mitt Romney in 2012, again to the NYT, released the following statements: “The language used in protests and the speed with which they seem to turn from protests into physical intimidation is alarming. It goes far beyond criticizing Israeli policies.”

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Protesting is legitimate. Express your dissent, too. But when we move from the request for a cessation of hostilities and recognition of a nation, Palestine, according to the principle of “two peoples, two states”, to violent and threatening behavior that harks back to a terrible past, we go beyond the point of no return e public opinion cannot remain indifferent.

LC, February 20, 2024

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The article From France to the USA: why anti-Semitic hatred should worry us comes from Nicola Porro.