"The Future Of Jewish Life In Europe Has Now Become One That Is Questioned" (video)

"Not antisemitism", huh? Stuttgart, Germany, this July

This week marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, and with that in mind Arsen Ostrovsky observes, inter alia, in the Times of Israel:

'When chants of “death to the Jews” or “Jews get out” are common, violent assaults are rising and there are increasing calls for boycotts against Israeli and now kosher products, one cannot but help compare the situation with the 1930’s....

The difference ... is that today’s anti-Semitism is being waged against not only Jews as individuals, but also in the vilification and assault on Israel’s legitimacy, as the Jew among the nations, with false claims and malicious distortions of truth cloaked as acceptable criticism of Zionism and Israel....

In fact, for today’s anti-Semite, the term ‘Jew’ and ‘Israeli’ are interchangeable. They are one and the same. This was demonstrated perhaps most aptly by a recent pro-Palestinian protestor in Geneva, who charged at a Synagogue, with a sign exclaiming “Every Synagogue is an Israeli Embassy.”

Many Jews across Europe are now increasingly being forced to change their way of life, hide their identities and separate from their Judaism out of fear of anti-Semitism. Some are even openly questioning: is there even a future still left for them in Europe? ...'

Consequently, Ostrovsky offers a five-way strategy to counteract the problem (read his article here)

Below is a video regarding antisemitism in Europe.

It shows the American Jewish Committee's Director of International Jewish Affairs, Rabbi Andrew Baker (from whose introduction comes the quotation in my header) moderating a panel discussion featuring the consuls general of Spain (Juan Martinez Salazar), Sweden (David E.R. Dangoor), Hungary (Karoly Dan) and Poland (Ewa Junczyk Ziomecka).

It's a serious discussion and a long one, and probably best listened to in installments, while doing the dishes, the ironing, polishing the car, or soaking in the bath.

And see this disturbing (much shorter) video on antisemitism on American campuses here


Meanwhile, for an intriguing assessment of who came out best from Operation Protective Edge, see Elliott Abrams's substantial article here