What is happening in Britain today could all too easily happen here, and that’s why every American should note the rising tide of antisemitism there, and particularly its frankly and unapologetically menacing edge.
GB News reported Wednesday that “leaflets with the writing ‘every Zionist needs to leave Britain or be slaughtered’ were found spread around the streets of Hendon, a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood in north London.” The message itself was bad enough, but the fact that it has gotten so little attention was a disquieting indication of how much antisemitism has already become normalized amidst the left’s relentless propaganda campaign to isolate and demonize Israel after the Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023.
If any other group had been targeted with the threat to leave any country or face mass slaughter, the headlines would have been international and insistent. But this? Hatred of Jews, not just of Zionists, has become a dispiritingly common feature of the contemporary landscape. The German pastor Martin Niemöller’s indelible Holocaust observation has been forgotten, and is worth recalling: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
GB News noted also that “the threatening message was written in Hebrew,” just in case any of its targets might not have understood it in English, and that as if that weren’t enough, the leaflet added, this time in English, “Zionist Free Zone.” It also said: “Ha, made you pick up litter you zianazi [sic] freak.” Clever!
This could have been the handiwork either of leftist ideologues who are determined to destroy the Jewish state because, in its irreducible particularity, it interferes with their collectivist, internationalist vision. It could also have been the work of Muslims, who make up a considerable and growing population in London, and many of whom believe, in accord with the Qur’an, that the Jews are the worst enemies of the Muslims (5:82) and that Muslims have a divine responsibility to drive them out of land that was once ruled by Muslims and therefore must be ruled by Islamic law forever (2:191).
Isaaz Zarfati, the Executive Director of Stand With Us UK, took note of the prevailing winds and said: “We are witnessing a troubling trend of red lines being repeatedly crossed. This is not just another wave that will pass if we remain passive.” Indeed. “We must take those threats and statements seriously,” Zarfati added, “because they will one day turn into actions, and decisive steps are needed to combat this alarming phenomenon.”
That’s right. If the government of London Mayor Sadiq Khan doesn’t take decisive action, and identify and prosecute those who are behind these threats, the perpetrators will only be encouraged and will continue and escalate their activities. This is clear from the fact that just last month, right before the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Hendon Golf Club, which is in the same neighborhood where the mass murder threats were found, was likewise targeted. “Raked into bunkers on the golf course” were National Socialist symbols and messages including “F*** the Jews” and “Heil Hitler.”
At that time, Khan stated: “I’m sickened by the rise in antisemitism in our city. Hate crime is a criminal offence and has no place in London. I’ll continue to work with the police and community representatives to tackle antisemitism and support those affected by such abhorrent abuse.” Those were the right words to say, but actually, little was done. Khan also has a long history of coddling jihadis, going back to the days when he acted as their defense attorney, and demonstrating a notable lack of sympathy for Israel as it defends itself from the jihadi onslaught.
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On Oct. 13, 2023, just six days after Hamas jihadis murdered 1,200 Israelis, Khan said: “I’ve spoken to Londoners who lost family members in Gaza and Londoners who’ve lost family as a consequence of the Hamas terrorist attack last weekend, so we’re feeling the pain here.” Political analyst Hugh Fitzgerald noted that “Khan refers first to the Palestinians who died in Gaza (the family members ‘lost’ by Londoners), and only after that, in a tortuous locution, he refers to ‘Londoners who’ve lost family as a consequence of the Hamas terrorist attack last weekend.’ No. Say it straight, Sadiq: ‘Londoners whose family members were murdered by Hamas.’” But he never did.
And so the Evening Standard reported in March 2024 that “growing numbers of Jewish families are considering leaving London — fleeing, really — in the face of this rising tide of hostility and hatred. Some have already departed. If you are shocked, you’ve not been paying attention. A report last month by the Community Security Trust found there were 4,103 incidents of anti-Jewish hate in the UK last year, a 147 percent rise on 2022. The peak occurred in the week after October 7, suggesting that for many it was a celebration of the Hamas massacre.”
Eight months later, there are open threats in Sadiq Khan’s London to slaughter Jews. Will he act now?
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