For thousands of British Jews, 7 October wasn’t just a massacre that started a war, it was the moment the politics of the Middle East were imported to the UK – and petrol poured all over them, writes Jack Mendel
There will be any number of think pieces written today to mark the anniversary of the 7 October attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza.
Most Brits don’t really know what’s going on – and they certainly don’t understand how British Jews are feeling at the moment.
Like most British Jews, I have close family and friends in Israel and it’s a country that I’ve been to many times.
For me and thousands of others 7 October was not just the start of a war in the Middle East. It was also a moment when the dynamics of conflict were imported to Britain and petrol was poured on them.
Whatever one’s views on Israel, its actions and its leaders, targeting British Jews for the actions of a foreign state is unforgivable. Yet the last 12 months have incubated a sense of acceptability – even a right – to do that.
The scale and regularity of protests in London over the last year have been remarkable.
No doubt this has been due to the strength of feeling at Israel’s actions, and the shocking number of innocent people who’ve been killed, leading to grave accusations that Israel is commiting a genocide.
While many peaceful protestors attend the marches, they have also created a hostile atmosphere for British Jews every Saturday. And as with many protest movements, they have swept up undesirable elements.
The difference is these elements have not been condemned and cast out. Rather, antisemites have been emboldened.
There are far too many examples to list, but there have been grotesque caricatures invoking blood libel, comparing Jews to Nazis, using tropes about Jews and money (while the police just stand there and watch), and implying some ‘Zionist’ (a code word for Jewish) control over the media, or politics, the weather and even the creation of polio.
Glorifying terror
Last weekend, thousands took to the streets to mark a year since 7 October. And like in the aftermath of the attack itself, there was glorification of Hamas’ slaughter and Hezbollah’s terror.
Someone actually dressed up as a Hamas paraglider. Meanwhile, there were placards openly praising Hezbollah, and calling the sickening events of 7 October ‘resistance’ which was ‘justified.’ There have also been chants praising the Houthis and Iran, both of whom have fired rockets towards Israeli cities.
Perhaps most insidiously, anger at Israel’s actions has transformed into full-on delegitimization of its very existence.
During a protest in London this weekend, there was a massive banner proclaiming that the demonstrators did not want two states. They wanted 1948. In other words, Israel should be wiped off the map.
Similarly, once-respected charity Amnesty International’s UK branch, posted a video at a Palestine protest, alongside the caption “it didn’t start one year ago”.
The implication here is that 7 October wasn’t the trigger for this war but a legitimate reaction to Israel’s existence.
The implication here is that 7 October wasn’t the trigger for this war but a legitimate reaction to Israel’s existence
Instead of two states, it’s now a zero-sum game. The extremists in Israel’s cabinet must be delighted, as moderation has withered away.
The normalisation of calls to delete Israel from the map isn’t just a direct threat to our friends and family there – it will invariably make British Jews question their future here, too.