“Many Jewish individuals considering leaving the UK due to rising levels of antisemitism, comparing it to the climate of Nazi Germany.”

J

There are British Jews who are thinking about leaving the country because they feel like they are living in Nazi Germany. This feeling has been intensified due to a rise in anti-Semitic occurrences following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7th.

Terrified residents were subject to physical attacks, threats, and accusations of “slaughtering babies,” as indicated by recent data showing over 4,000 occurrences of antisemitism in the past year.

This week, Rishi Sunak promised an additional £54m in funding for the Community Security Trust (CST), an organization that tracks instances of antisemitism and offers protection for the Jewish community in Britain. According to CST data, there were a total of 4,103 antisemitic incidents in the UK last year, exceeding the previous record of 2,261 in 2021.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed strong disapproval of George Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale by-election on Friday, calling it a negative event for the Jewish community in the UK. Despite repeated denials of accusations of antisemitism, Mr. Galloway was able to gain the seat from Labour. This was due to Labour disowning their candidate, Azhar Ali, after he made highly offensive remarks about the attacks on October 7.

Jack Christie, a 25-year-old resident of the UK, shares that he had never experienced any hostility towards his Jewish heritage until recently. During a train ride home after attending a protest against antisemitism in November, Mr. Christie and his group were subjected to verbal abuse and threats of physical violence from a man.

The individual informed The Independent that the conflict was not involved, but rather a small group of individuals holding signs about antisemitism, such as “never again means now.” Several individuals on the train were wearing kippahs and appeared to be Jewish.

“I was conversing with my friend when I overheard someone say ‘pigs’ beside me. The individual beside me was on a FaceTime call and made derogatory remarks about Jews, calling them ‘dirty pigs’, ‘scumbags’, and ‘baby killers’ on the train.”

He proceeded to denounce the other passengers, claiming they were “enabling murderers,” calling them “stupid” and labeling them as “pedophiles.”

According to Mr. Christie, there was no specific incident that triggered his reaction. He feels that it came unexpectedly and now he no longer feels comfortable expressing his Jewish identity while using public transportation. He clarifies that the comment was not related to Israel, but was simply an act of antisemitism.

After posting a video of the incident on a social media platform, the technology expert was bombarded with numerous threats and verbal attacks.

The individual shared that they received numerous negative comments and were even told to personally locate the boy in the orange jumper and that they deserved to be subjected to a lynching. This caused fear, especially since it occurred in their own neighborhood. They constantly felt on edge and stopped wearing their necklace for a few months.

A 47-year-old woman, who identifies as Jewish, has come forward to speak about her encounters with antisemitism. She states that she has faced multiple attacks since 7 October.

Sharon, who preferred not to disclose her last name, reported being confronted by a man who aggressively interrogated her about her religious beliefs and the conflict in Israel while she was posting hostage flyers in east London.

As she started recording the event for her own protection, the individual forcibly pushed her onto the ground and forcibly took her phone, ultimately destroying it by smashing it on the pavement. She continued, stating that the person attempted to strike her while she was attempting to retrieve her phone.

Sharon experienced another act of antisemitism, which was the second incident in a short period of time. During her time in London’s Kensal Rise neighborhood, she confronted a woman and her child who were taking down posters for a missing person. As a result, she was subjected to a continuous stream of antisemitic insults.

The woman hurling insults called her a “child slaughterer” and later claimed she no longer feels guilty for being antisemitic. She was initially told she was guilty of this before.

Sharon explained that each occurrence is reminiscent of having her heart torn out by someone. She no longer feels secure and believes she must add an extra lock on the door due to the current state of Britain feeling like Nazi Germany.

The woman stated that she believes she has been compelled to contemplate departing the nation since she no longer feels accepted in Britain due to her Jewish identity.

“I’m scared to go out,” she explained. “I’m always looking behind me to check if someone’s following me.

Everyone is experiencing this emotion. All individuals are considering the possibility of departing and discussing the decision with their friends.

“I have no intention of remaining, I believe I will have left by the end of the year. London has become a fascist state, where there is no space for individuals like myself.”

Since October 7, the Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported a terrifying number of antisemitic incidents throughout the UK.

Based on our survey, over 60% of British Jews have either personally encountered or witnessed an act of anti-Semitism since October 7th, or know someone who has. A representative stated that the Jewish community is currently on heightened alert and there is no foreseeable resolution in sight.

If you have experienced antisemitism, you can report it by contacting the CST at [email protected] or calling 0800 032 3263.

The source is the website independent.co.uk.