Does Labour have a problem with Anti-semitism?

IronGiant

Not all mutually exclusive

Member 581642

Possibly because there are no examples of Jewish Extremism "close to home" to relate to.  
When did a Jewish Terrorist last cut off an infidels head?
Or fly a plane into a skyscraper, or bomb a bus, or kill a soldier in Woolwich?
Or go nuts in Paris or Belgium for that matter.

You need to get your priorities right.

Neither Islam nor Judaism is the issue here.  Extremism is.

IronGiant

Though Israel has killed more innocent  people (note lack of saying Jews)

An innocent death is an innocent death whether it be a world event or not

Member 581642

That I get.

IronGiant

You edited your post  , so withdraw some of the insinuations against you IG

Member 581642

Thanks, I probably (obviously) wasn't clear what I meant.  I don't condone what the State of Israel does against it's "foes" any more than what any other Nation does it that region. And it's largely the fault of the "West" for deciding that we could just give the "Holy Land" to all the displaced Jews after WWII.  It's a complete mess out there.

Toko Black

History is what it is and Israel has to be overly defensive in attitude , which leads to an insular view.

It is an odd country and in a situation that shouldnt really be compared with any other developed country . Thats not an excuse for Israeli excesses just an insight

stanga

I am fine with my priorities the way they are.
I don't relate "close to home" or things that happen to "people more like me" as being more important or worse than events or incidents that happen to other human beings at least on the level of ethics and justice.
Of course I have an emotive response like most others to incidents that happen to people who I ethnically, socially and geographically identify with, just like I have an high emotive response to the idea of anything happening to my family.
However, when it comes to justice, fairness and ethics, I try very hard to step back from my emotive responses and attempt to take a more rational and balanced view.

Radical Islamism and Radical Islam is significantly more of a direct threat to Western values I hold and the life and liberties of people in the UK.
However, I can not bring myself to be more prejudiced against Muslims as citizens of the UK than I can against any other faith or ideology that has moral absolutes based on beliefs and faith.
i.e selecting a random UK citizen of Muslim, Jewish, Christian or any other belief, cultural or ethnic identity would result in my at the very least attempting to treat them as an individual person that I believe should have the exact same rights, privileges and freedom from persecution and suspicion as every other citizen including myself.

It is that position I come from on this issue - not Israel is bad and muslims are good or vice versa or even that they are both exactly as bad or as good as each other.
I believe we should be free to criticize and critique culture, religion, politics et al without being branded a racist, anti-semite, misogynist or what ever simply because we are critical rather than the actual basis for our critique.
Going to a pro-Palestinian rally does not make you an anti-semite.
Being Israeli doesn't make you an anti-muslim.
Being a muslim from Bradford does not make you an anti-semite.
Being critical of Islam, Judaism, Iraq or Israel does not make you prejudiced.
What makes you prejudiced is believing individuals that come from or are critical of those people/states are better or worse human beings simply on those grounds based on generalisations or the actions or beliefs of some.

EarthRod

Israel has killed more innocent people than...?

... radical Islam? I'm not so sure of that given Islamic State have been going at it hammer and tongs (literally) for the last couple of years.

Member 581642

I suppose it would be an idea to take into account Arabs are a Semitic people too.

So it follows that the word 'anti-Semitic', if used, applies to all folks of middle East extraction and not just a chosen few.