Syrian Asylum Seeker Turns Himself in for Attacking Israeli Arab Posing as Jew in Berlin

[OriZ 3,157]

A 19-year-old Syrian asylum seeker turned himself in to police Thursday after his violent attack on a man wearing a kippa in Berlin caused outrage across Germany.

Police spokesman Winfrid Wenzel said the young Syrian showed up with his lawyer at a police precinct. The 21-year-old victim, an Israeli Arab, caught Tuesday's assault on video. It quickly went viral and reopened a debate about growing anti-Semitism in Germany.

The video shows the attacker whipping the Israeli with a belt while shouting "Yehudi!" or Jew, in Arabic. The victim told German media that he wore the traditional Jewish skullcap as an experiment.

"I'm not Jewish, I'm an Israeli, I grew up in Israel in an Arab family," the man told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. 

He was conducting what he termed an "experiment" in response to a warning from a friend that wearing a kippa in Germany was unsafe, saying he refused to believe this.

An interview by Israeli broadcaster Kann identified the 21-year-old as Israeli Adam Armoush and showed that he was slightly injured by the belt.

"They kept cursing us and my friend asked them to stop cursing," Armoush told Kan TV. "They started to get angry and one of them ran to me and I knew it was important to film it because there would be no way to catch him by the time police arrived."

Anti-Semitic incidents have been on the rise across Germany. Several Jewish students have reported anti-Semitic bullying in schools in recent months and Israeli flags were burnt during a recent protest in Berlin.

 

Last week, a rap band that included cynical references about the Nazis' Auschwitz death camp in its lyrics won the country's most important music prize — drawing strong criticism from other artists and government officials. Several past winners said they would return their awards.

 

German rappers Kollegah and Farid Bang won an Echo award for their new album, including a track that contains the line "my body more defined than Auschwitz inmates.'"

Their record company, BMG, defended the rappers Wednesday, citing "artistic freedom." The musicians themselves denied anti-Semitism but apologized for any offense caused.

In a separate incident, German aid group GIZ said Wednesday it has taken action against several employees accused of posting anti-Semitic material on social media. The group, whose biggest client is the German government, said it fired one employee, issued a written warning to another and reprimanded a third.

 

GIZ said last month it was alerted by reports in Israeli media to the posts by staff working in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. One featured the Israel flag with a Nazi swastika beneath the words: "I hate Israel."

 

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/asylum-seeker-who-whipped-jewish-man-in-berlin-turns-himself-in-1.6012615

[OriZ 3,157]

There’s an unsettling debate underway in Britain about whether the right or the left is more anti-Semitic, and videos of Jewish members of Parliament reading out some of the anti-Semitic invective they’ve suffered have gone viral.

J.K. Rowling, the non-Jewish author of the Harry Potter series, decided to weigh in on Wednesday, defining anti-Semitism for her 14.4 million Twitter followers.

She posted a screen grab of a non-Jew gentile-splaining what Judaism is — “Judaism is a religion not a race” — and gently explained why this is hardly relevant to defining anti-Jewish bias.

“Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of #######, so perhaps some of us non-Jews should start shouldering the burden,” she said. “Antisemites think this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star? #antisemitism.”

skip - Tweet by J.K. Rowling: "Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of #######, so perhaps some of us non-Jews should start shouldering the burden. Antisemites thinks this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star?"

Rowling’s head-smacking was almost audible as she sorted through responses to that tweet, including one that said arguing against anti-Semitism was “culturally insensitive” to Muslims.

“When you only understand bigotry in terms of ‘pick a team’ and get a mind-boggling response,” she said.

She also reacted with impatience — attaching a GIF of an exasperated Hugh Laurie — when someone argued that Arabs can’t be anti-Semitic because they are Semites. “The ‘Arabs are semitic too’ hot takes have arrived,” she said.

 “Split hairs. Debate etymology,” she said in a tweet attached to a definition of anti-Semitism as “hostility to or prejudice against Jews.” “Gloss over the abuse of your fellow citizens by attacking the actions of another country’s government. Would your response to any other form of racism or bigotry be to squirm, deflect or justify?”

Rowling got in so deep, she forgot for a moment that her followers mainly want to chat about, well, Harry Potter. “How wonderful that you’re experiencing it for the first time!” one said to another who posted that he had just started reading the series. “Enjoy!!”

Rowling quoted the reply, and said: “For a second there I thought @jessiebacho was telling me it was wonderful that I was experiencing antisemitism for the first time then I realised she was responding to somebody who just finished reading Harry Potter for the first time  #ReadCarefullyBeforeCursing.”

skip - Tweet by J.K. Rowling: "For a second there I thought @jessiebacho was telling me it was wonderful that I was experiencing antisemitism for the first time... then I realised she was responding to somebody who just finished reading Harry Potter for the first time"

Seeing anti-Semitism everywhere? J.K., welcome to our nightmare.

 

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/j-k-rowling-schools-twitter-after-non-jew-explains-anti-semitism-1.6012490

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

1 hour ago, OriZ said:

There’s an unsettling debate underway in Britain about whether the right or the left is more anti-Semitic, and videos of Jewish members of Parliament reading out some of the anti-Semitic invective they’ve suffered have gone viral.

J.K. Rowling, the non-Jewish author of the Harry Potter series, decided to weigh in on Wednesday, defining anti-Semitism for her 14.4 million Twitter followers.

She posted a screen grab of a non-Jew gentile-splaining what Judaism is — “Judaism is a religion not a race” — and gently explained why this is hardly relevant to defining anti-Jewish bias.

“Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of #######, so perhaps some of us non-Jews should start shouldering the burden,” she said. “Antisemites think this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star? #antisemitism.”

skip - Tweet by J.K. Rowling: "Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of #######, so perhaps some of us non-Jews should start shouldering the burden. Antisemites thinks this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star?"

Rowling’s head-smacking was almost audible as she sorted through responses to that tweet, including one that said arguing against anti-Semitism was “culturally insensitive” to Muslims.

“When you only understand bigotry in terms of ‘pick a team’ and get a mind-boggling response,” she said.

She also reacted with impatience — attaching a GIF of an exasperated Hugh Laurie — when someone argued that Arabs can’t be anti-Semitic because they are Semites. “The ‘Arabs are semitic too’ hot takes have arrived,” she said.

 “Split hairs. Debate etymology,” she said in a tweet attached to a definition of anti-Semitism as “hostility to or prejudice against Jews.” “Gloss over the abuse of your fellow citizens by attacking the actions of another country’s government. Would your response to any other form of racism or bigotry be to squirm, deflect or justify?”

Rowling got in so deep, she forgot for a moment that her followers mainly want to chat about, well, Harry Potter. “How wonderful that you’re experiencing it for the first time!” one said to another who posted that he had just started reading the series. “Enjoy!!”

Rowling quoted the reply, and said: “For a second there I thought @jessiebacho was telling me it was wonderful that I was experiencing antisemitism for the first time then I realised she was responding to somebody who just finished reading Harry Potter for the first time  #ReadCarefullyBeforeCursing.”

skip - Tweet by J.K. Rowling: "For a second there I thought @jessiebacho was telling me it was wonderful that I was experiencing antisemitism for the first time... then I realised she was responding to somebody who just finished reading Harry Potter for the first time"

Seeing anti-Semitism everywhere? J.K., welcome to our nightmare.

 

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/j-k-rowling-schools-twitter-after-non-jew-explains-anti-semitism-1.6012490

The woman is brilliant, but I think arguing on Twitter is a waste of effort. Kudos to her for spending some capital to educate.

[Boiler 45,761]

Crowd descends on Labour HQ to protest over antisemitism

Shouts of ‘shame’ ring out at rally in Westminster at mention of party leader, Jeremy Corbyn

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/08/crowd-descends-on-labour-hq-to-protest-over-antisemitism

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

6 hours ago, Boiler said:

Crowd descends on Labour HQ to protest over antisemitism

Shouts of ‘shame’ ring out at rally in Westminster at mention of party leader, Jeremy Corbyn

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/08/crowd-descends-on-labour-hq-to-protest-over-antisemitism

What is happening to the Labour party now is directly analogous to a the split in the Republican party. Corbyn is Trump.

[Póg mo 1,749]

5 minutes ago, Amica Nostra said:

What is happening to the Labour party now is directly analogous to a the split in the Republican party. Corbyn is Trump.

Well the fact that Jeremy Corbyn was recently called anti-Semitic for attending a left leaning Jewish Sedar should tell all you need to know about how the shockingly biased the British media is, and why some people might be fooled into believing think Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump could possibly be cut from the same cloth. 

[Boiler 45,761]

1 hour ago, Póg mo said:

Well the fact that Jeremy Corbyn was recently called anti-Semitic for attending a left leaning Jewish Sedar should tell all you need to know about how the shockingly biased the British media is, and why some people might be fooled into believing think Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump could possibly be cut from the same cloth. 

You may have missed the source, Guardian, plenty of similar articles.

[OriZ 3,157]

LONDON — A protest against anti-Semitism in the U.K.'s Labour party got heated before it even began on Monday evening as protesters shouted "shame on you" and "you are the anti-Semites" at supporters of party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Hundreds filled London's Parliament Square on an unusually sunny Monday evening. Just ahead of the 5:30 P.M. start of the protest, Jewish Voice for Labour, a pro-Corbyn group, slammed protesters, saying "we can oppose anti-Semitism and support Corbyn." They said that the Labour leader was committed to fighting racism.

They were met with cries of "shame on you" and "you are anti-Semites." They were soon moved a little away from the square and tensions died down.

Members of the Jewish community, members of Parliament and other supporters who gathered at the square were responding to "a call to action" issued Sunday by the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews. "#EnoughIsEnough," tweeted the Jewish Leadership Council. "We call on members of our community and all those who oppose antisemitism to join us in Parliament Square at 5:30pm to show solidarity." U.K. Communities Secretary Sajid Javid also attended the event.

Corbyn issued an open letter ahead of the protest on Monday. "I recognise that anti-Semitism has surfaced within the Labour Party, and has too often been dismissed as simply a matter of a few bad apples," he said.

"This has caused pain and hurt to Jewish members of our party and to the wider Jewish community in Britain. I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused, and pledge to redouble my efforts to bring this anxiety to an end."

Jonathan Goldstein, the chairman of the Jewish Leadership Council, confirmed to Haaretz Monday that Jewish groups would be meeting with the Labour leader after receiving an invitation from him, “but not before Passover.”

He said he was proud that some 1,200 people had turned up with less with less than 36 hours notice. "The distress has been coming for a long, long time," he said, adding that "hopefully today would be a watershed." Corbyn needs to show zero tolerance and end demonization of Israel, among a number of other steps, he said.

Protesters expressed real fear and anger at what they say is lack of action by the Labour leader on anti-Semitism on the left. Raymond Randall from London said he was “mortified and disgusted by the amount of anti-Semitism in society and in the Labour Party. It has been slowly festering since Corbyn became leader.” He added, “In my 82 years, I don’t remember such overt anti-Semitism in this country.”

Rina Wolfson, a writer whose Facebook post on the issue went viral this week, said the unhappiness of the Jewish community “has been building.”

“I was a member of the of party, I always voted Labour. Now I feel disenfranchised as a supporter and deflated and concerned as a Jewish person in the U.K.” Wolfson said that for those like her in their late 30s and 40s, there was “a mood in the air they have never experienced."

While most of those attending were Jewish, some solidarity was shown by those people the community as well. Satnam Singh, a representative of the Sikh Council of Great Britain, said he had come to "support the Jews." Jeremy Corbyn “is an anti-Semite and he needs to apologize,” he said.

At the protest, Goldstein told the crowd that "Anti-Semitism has no place whatsoever in a mainstream political party. The time for words is over ... the time for action has begun. Enough is enough."

"This is Corbyn's chance, if he can take it," said Jonathan Arkush, president of the Jewish Board of Deputies. "We are asking him to lead a cultural shift in the Labour Party." He added: "Our community is not seeking special treatment [but] respect and firm action when there is prejudice. ... Finally, finally, Jeremy, take some responsibility."

 
A number of Labour MPs, including Wes Streeting, John Mann and Luciana Berger, attended the protest. Streeting pledged that the gathered Parliamentarians would bring up the issues angering the Jewish community at the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting taking place immediately after the protest. Berger, who is Jewish, told the crowd: "Let me tell you, the anti-Semitism issue is real. ... I want to be able to address Jewish audiences with my head held high. The time for action is now." She urged people to join the Labour movement to push change.

U.K. Jewish groups say Corbyn has shown a "repeated institutional failure" to address anti-Jewish prejudice. They say that "again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with anti-Semites rather than Jews."

Some Labour supporters say Corbyn, a longtime critic of Israeli actions against the Palestinians, has allowed abuse to go unchecked.

The latest furor erupted last week over a six-year-old Facebook post by Corbyn supporting the artist behind a street mural that included anti-Semitic stereotypes.

Jewish leadership groups published an open letter in response to the post on Sunday night. The groups planned to hand the letter to MPs ahead of the Parliamentary Labour Party's weekly meeting. It was not confirmed whether Jeremy Corbyn would be in attendance. 

 
Corbyn apologized Friday for supporting the mural, saying he sincerely regretted "that I did not look more closely at the image I was commenting on" and claimed he was focused on defending the artist's creative freedom in 2012. The statement also acknowledged the contents of the mural are deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic, and said Corbin "wholeheartedly" supports its removal.

Corbyn said in another statement Sunday that Labour must show "total commitment to excising pockets of anti-Semitism that exist in and around our party," adding he would seek a meeting with Jewish leaders in the coming days.

Corbyn has described himself in 2009 as a "friend" of Hamas and Hezbollah. He later regretted the statement amid scrutiny in the media, when claims arose that his election as party leader in 2015 encouraged a proliferation of anti-Semitism in the party’s ranks

 

https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/shame-on-you-rally-against-anti-semitism-in-u-k-labour-gets-heated-1.5949527

[Póg mo 1,749]

2 hours ago, Boiler said:

You may have missed the source, Guardian, plenty of similar articles.

I think you have been Hoodwinked if you think that just because something is written in a newspaper, automatically makes it true. I love that you have suddenly decided to take what you read in the guardian at face value. 

[Póg mo 1,749]

A lot of people seem to confuse a refusal to grovel for Israel, as a sign of anti semitism. Seriously, it's getting old, and probably making it more likely that actual anti-semitism will go unchecked, because the Zionist agenda has debased the term so much.

[OriZ 3,157]

3 hours ago, Póg mo said:

A lot of people seem to confuse a refusal to grovel for Israel, as a sign of anti semitism. Seriously, it's getting old, and probably making it more likely that actual anti-semitism will go unchecked, because the Zionist agenda has debased the term so much.

 I completely agree that all of the above being used as an excuse for anti-Semitism by anti-Semites is getting very old. Nothing but a convenient bandwagon to jump on since nobody ever accuses anyone with legitimate criticism of Israel as being anti-Semitic. Key though is legitimate 

Edited April 20, 2018 by OriZ

[Boiler 45,761]

30 minutes ago, OriZ said:

 I completely agree that all of the above being used as an excuse for anti-Semitism by anti-Semites is getting very old. Nothing but a convenient bandwagon to jump on since nobody ever accuses anyone with legitimate criticism of Israel as being anti-Semitic. Key though is legitimate 

Labour did not used to be like this, but has been for some time, seems to have coincided to when it moved away from its traditional base  - 40 years or so ago.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

7 hours ago, Póg mo said:

Well the fact that Jeremy Corbyn was recently called anti-Semitic for attending a left leaning Jewish Sedar should tell all you need to know about how the shockingly biased the British media is, and why some people might be fooled into believing think Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump could possibly be cut from the same cloth. 

I am not basing my comparison of Trump and Corbyn on his alleged anti-Semitism. There are other details that point there.

[Póg mo 1,749]

6 hours ago, Amica Nostra said:

I am not basing my comparison of Trump and Corbyn on his alleged anti-Semitism. There are other details that point there.

Sorry but that's rather vague. I don't really see how Trump and Corbyn have very much of anything in common. Corbyn has much more in common with Bernie Sanders, except of course, Bernie Sanders has not been vilified in same way, Sanders has, or maybe he has this in common with Trump. Trump obviously deserves what is thrown at him, as it's not like he isn't capable of dishing out much worse himself.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

3 hours ago, Póg mo said:

Sorry but that's rather vague. I don't really see how Trump and Corbyn have very much of anything in common. Corbyn has much more in common with Bernie Sanders, except of course, Bernie Sanders has not been vilified in same way, Sanders has, or maybe he has this in common with Trump. Trump obviously deserves what is thrown at him, as it's not like he isn't capable of dishing out much worse himself.

 I see that point and I am really not that up on UK politics. ,but I do see similarities with how they expolit populism, favors Russia over NATO and promote nationalism. Corby does not strike me as mean though and he is not about to put the wealthy and elite over working people.