2895 days ago
No! We are attacking a company whose CEO Amit Ben Haim happens to be Jewish because that company has committed securities fraud and lied to its investors. This is a pathetic play the men - because apparently we are all anti-semites here even our writers who happen to be Jewish themselves - not the ball technique. My own writings on matters relating to both anti semitism and the state of Israel should leave you in no doubt where I stand. One of my favourite videos of recent years was recorded in Berlin and is HERE. Another article which moved me greatly was when I visited the synagogue in Corfu. This has a personal link for me.
3830 days ago
On Saturday a gunman shot four people dead at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. This was an overtly anti-Semitic attack. A couple of hours later, two Jewish men were savagely beaten as they left the synagogue in Paris. Again they were targeted as Jews. Throughout Europe violent attacks on Jews and the desecration of Jewish sites, notably cemeteries, have been rising sharply for years. But few seem to care.
For this is the racism that seems almost acceptable in some quarters. How often have you seen the Star of David burned in street protests across Europe? Is anything done? Of course not. A recent survey showed that 35% of those in France held anti-Semitic views, in Greece the number was 67%. In Latvia where last month a school proudly hung the word “JudenFrei” – the term used by the Nazis for an area that had been “cleansed” above its doors - the figure was 28%. Against such a backdrop is it any wonder that physical attacks on Jews as well as less overt discrimination is on the increase.
In part this must be down to feelings in some quarters that Israel has over-stepped the mark. I do not hold that view but I am fully aware that others do and their views on the Jewish State may fuel their views on Jews in general. But in the end even if one abhors Israel that can be no excuse for discriminating or persecuting an entire community who share a faith with most Israelis but are not part of that State.
The increase in anti- Semitism in recent years in part comes from our own silence. Amazingly
4503 days ago
I have written before about Joe Levy, godfather to Olivia and my very good friend. We met when he was the handyman who looked after – among other things – a house in Swiss Cottage converted into six flats where I lived with Olivia’s mother. The two houses I bought/co-bought after that were redesigned by me and Joe put my ideas into practice. He is truly a faultless human being, bar his support for Chelsea. He was born here in Corfu and is, as you may have guessed, Jewish.
Yesterday I followed the sign to the “Jewish Quarter.” There is no real quarter just a synagogue which is in impeccable condition, is fully renovated and was being cared for by a rather fat old lady who was talking animatedly in Hebrew to some Israeli visitors. Needless to say she also spoke perfect English. The building is more than 400 years old. And in 1940 there were around 2000 Jews living on the Island – among them Joe Levy then still wearing nappies.
