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To: SJackson

I think we must distinguish the issue of Britain and Jews on three fronts: Muslims, virulent anti-Semitism, and genteel dislike.

First, the Muslims: there is no doubt the Islamics in Britain hate the Jewish people just as God said they would. And much of the violent pogrpms against Jews in Britain as of 2007 are perpetuated by this group.

Virulent anti-Semitism disguised by anti-Zionism among the ethnic Europeans: I have no doubt that this group is probably not as acute as among the many in Europe. But unfortunately as Britain becomes more “European” in the EU sense, so does that sentiment converging towards their continental couterparts. The UCU and other unions’ actions are probably reflective of this group.

Genteel dislike, or uncomfort of Jewishness: it is largely distinct from the second sentiment, but they do feed from one another at times. No doubt it is very widespread in Britain left and right and I have seen one common refrain among British litatures on the issue of Jews: “Jewish cultural influence runs deep in the United States - everywhere I look at I see kosher, Judaism, passover. Things that I don’t see in other English-speaking countries!”, from Oscar Wide, through to 1920s and 30s (read any biographies of King George VI by British historians and note particularly chapters on his visit to the United States pre-WWII and the descriptions of the United States through contemporary British accounts quoted), even on the internet-era publications like the libertarian free-market website semizdata.net .

In sum, I don’t think the talks of Britain embracing neo-Nazism are really on the mark, but neither the sooth-sayings like Britain has always been friends to Jews that accurate either. I sense a general negative sentiment towards the Jewish people in Britain that is probably reflective of hallmarks of a post-Bible-Christian and post-Jewish-cultural-influenced society.


24 posted on 06/07/2007 2:49:03 PM PDT by NZerFromHK (The US Founding is what makes Britain and USA separated by much more than a common language.)
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To: NZerFromHK

I wouldn’t disagree about either Muslim hatred or traditional dislike of Jews among the elite. And the long term history of Jews in England aside, there’s certainly a more recent history of conflict in the first half of the last century. I’d distinguish the boycott from simple “dislike” though. It’s an overt act, one intended to cause significant harm both to individual Israelis (Jews in some versions) and Israeli institutions and business’ by expelling them from world markets. No, it probably won’t have a significant effect, Israel is on the cutting edge of too many things in the medical and technoligical sphere, the western business and academic community won’t forgo cooperation with Israel to satisfy a group of Brits. But it goes far beyone simple distaste for Jews into the realm of action.


25 posted on 06/07/2007 3:01:31 PM PDT by SJackson (isolationism never was, never will be acceptable response to[expansionist] tyrannical governments)
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