Ari is correct, life is not nearly so bad for Jews in the UK as this article would suggest. None of my relatives in the UK complain about life there. Though I currently live in the US, I spent a good part of my childhood in the UK and am still a UK citizen -- and proud of it! Given the opportunity, I wouldn't hesitate to return to the UK. Ari is correct, too in pointing out that these boycotts are the work of a small number of people -- and a bunch of self-righteous loonies at that. What bothers me the most about these types of articles is the reaction they provoke is that the zealots on both sides. The extremists never offer real solutions, other than the elimination of the other side. It seems to me that there are still majorities on both sides of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that would like to just get on with their lives and live in peace with each other. So how about we cordon off an area (say 10 kilometers, square), relocate all the zealots from both sides, and let them fight it out while the rest get on with creating a real peace, with two countries side by side. Last person standing gets to live in the country of his/her choice. The people who organize these boycotts are a bunch of loonies who don't realize that their own actions are counter-productive to solving the real issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians. Let the people who have real solutions come forward, and let's consign the "boycotters" to the dustbins of history.

18; It is simply ridiculous to say that Britons are profoundly anti-Semitic. We have had a thriving Jewish community for centuries. In fact, we've even had a Jewish Prime Minister. And until recently, the leader of Britain's Conservative Party was a Jew. I honestly do not hate Israel, I think it is an amazing country (considering its size) but I can't understand why the separation wall is not being built on the green line, and why Israel feels the need to occupy the West Bank in such a brutal manner. 19; I am very concerned with the human rights abuses in those regions. China's denial of human rights, and Russia's indiscriminate bombing of Chechnyan communities. However, because there are other injustices in the world, it does not make Israel immune. I think it's a terrible 'low-blow' to brand me as a anti-Semite, when I clearly am not. 22; Actually, an independent study conducted recently found that the British media's reporting was substantially pro-Israel. I disagree, I think that our media is as balanced as possible.

Shai, yes there were arabs living in the area before the first aliyah in modern times in the 1880:s but let us note the following: 1) the area was very sparsly populated which has been confirmed by travellers passing the area in the late 19th century like Mark Twain. Jerusalem was the biggest "city" with a population of less then 10.000. 2) There has been a continous JEWISH presence in Israel for 3000 years long before arabs came here. 3) The vast majority of the arabs came at the same time of the Jewish aliyot in the late 19th century and in the 20th century. 4) Living in an area does not give you automatically national rights to the land. Jews have lived in Europe for more than 1000 years and longer in what today is the Arab world then the arabs, but no one would suggest that the arab world and europe belongs to the Jewish people.

Some of the pro-Palis are simply motivated by sympathy for communism, that G-dless religion in whose name "only" 100 million people have died. (When they have the gall to preach morality to Israelis I spit in their face.) Others, well? Ever heard of "Lawrence of Arabia complex"? I don't care as such if some English journalists have homo-erotic fantasies about Arabs, but I do care when it affects their writing.... But the most revolting kind is nominally Jewish people who think (or know) they can only gain acceptance in certain circles by doing Stalinist "Great Purges"-style denunciations of their own. Those are the only people that can make antisemitic swine look decent by comparison. "Ulamalshinim ulaminim lo tihye tiqva"...

18. Yes Britain did have a Jewish Prime Minister who had to convert to become Prime Minister. If you look at the history you will see that everytime he was criticised, his Jewish origins were raked up. Well, he bested his 'english' counterparts when he retorted "While your ancestors were living on some obscure island, mine were priests in the Temple of Solomon" The civilised British have never got over being reminded that there are a people with a far more civilised history. And Jews have not been thriving in Britain for centuries, as a descendant of the first Jewish family to be 'allowed' in Britian I can tell you it wasnt so easy. And as for Michael Howard, do you remember "theres something of the night about him" or the fagin labour party posters. Do you ever remember Howard coming out and saying he was Jewish? His son was a Christian Missionary for goodness sake. 19. So the question is do you still but Chinese, Russian, American,etc goods...all who occupy anothers land?? 22. When the BBC can not bear to call a thing by its name because of political considerations, it ceases to be impartial. Walking into a bar in Tel Aviv and blowing oneself up is terrorism!! According to the BBC, these people are "activists". Like the cubs scouts really!! My final point is simple and historic. Many major anti-Semitic theories came out of Britain. Britain was the first place to claim a blood-libel on Jews, the first place which claimed that Jews desecrated the Host. The first place that Jews had to wear different clothing. This is the nation whre it is permissible to say at dinner parties that "Israel is a shitty country" where a woman can say "thank goodness we can now say what we ant about the Jews again". I could go on all night. I am 17th generation English, more English than any other Jew, perhaps more than many English. But i have decided, if I can not walk around with a kippa on my head, if my friends have to hide their star of david necklaces and have to change their name to be accepted....then enough is enough. I will leave behind a Britain soaked in my peoples blood and still braying for more like the savages of some obscure isle.

Ellen, what you say about Israel "occupying" and "oppressing" the Palestinians is at best ignorant, but I don't have time to go into that now. But let's say, for the sake of argument, that it's true. So, let's say there are five stores on your street, and they're all oppressing their workers and breaking the labor laws. The stores are owned by a Jew, a Russian, a Chinese, an American, and a Sudanese. You boycott only the Jew's store and cheerfully do business with all the others. Why is that? Explain.

for the UK folks that claim they are doing this simply due to their humanitarian feelings to the 'poor oppressed palestinians', let me ask you this. why out of 150+ nations, with over 30 conflicts (the majority of which are far far worse than what is happening between Israelis and Palestinians) do you support to boycott this particular nation? Why not boycott products from Sudan, or Sri Lanka or India, since if you listen to the Kasmiri muslims, the indians are killers and rapist, oh my! why Israel?

The English like the rest of the Europeans are pansy cowards who will do anything to make the Arab terrorists happy. The fact is that the English are not just anti-semites but Arab Muslim appeasers. They think that the Arabs won't kill them if they go against Israel. Of course July 7th proved that theory wrong. Israelis are a brave courageous people and that is why the English hate them.

According to a comment I saw in the Jerusalem Post many years ago, the British definition of anti-semitism is "having more hatred for Jews that is absolutely necessary".

yes, you are right. I am convinced you are not anti-semite, first you buy Jaffa orange, and second you have had a president who has been jewish ( irrelevant he had to convert) by same token Ahmadinejad president of Iran is not anti-semite, we have had a jewish prime ministe in Gaznavy dynesty ( almost thousand years ago ) , and also Israeli oranges have been purchased for years in iran! do not beleive me, come and ask my friends!

Why Israel, so many ask? Simply because they can, Simply because it's small. Simply because it remains easy to target Jews. Simply because if they boycotted China or Russia, the Chinese and Russian governments have the power to hurt Britain back economically. Siimply because if they boycotted Sudan or Syria, their homegrown British Islamic radicals would blow things and people up. Simply because they can get away with it.

ok, there are antisemites in the UK. some anti-zionists are antisemites, some are not. Most brits are neither. I have managed to gain a first class education, go to a top university, pursue the career I wanted to and never had any problems doing so despite being and out and proud jew. I've had a couple of comments that aren't pleasant concerning the fact that I'm Jewish. But I've had a couple of comments over the fact I'm northern, that I went to independent school and that I like cricket. The UK has skeletons in the closet, but so does every county (including the US and Israel). life is complicated! there are nasty people everywhere and most are decent! get over it!. One thing I will say about being a native brit - it's taught me not to take myself so damn seriously

I work for one of the worlds most prestigious institutions and my boss is an out and out racist. Let me explain - Its a manual role. Fact is, he is failed police officer applicant who because of a case being thrown out of court on his racism and self denial on the subject he now harbours aggressive and physically threatening sentiments towards all "auslander" people, Jewish or not. he has been bullying me and bullying me and bullying me and his sidekick has been joining in with outbursts like "a black bloke in a wheel chair has more chance of getting a job than me" . I of course, immediatley remind him that no-one fitting that description works in our institution, not only that, the cleaner who left today was Nigerian and a Vet in Nigeria but a cleaner here. "GO FIGURE F**K WIT!" in fact he, "the bosses sidekick", said that he left working for government on "principles" that were guided by racial motive. His own, in isolation to anyone of any ethnic minority. There is so much more about British racism i could tell you about, its subtle ways, its deflections and diversion, but the truth is, its there. Anti-semitism is just one part of a large evil. anyway, ive been loggin everything theyve said with some journbalists and lawyers and such and im gonna screw them into the ground so far they will be more bitter and more racist than before but insecure in the knowledge that it was BECAUSE OF THEIR BULLYING about timekeping, phone use, computer use and cotradictory statements and by example of codes of conduct. read about british racism http://timesonline.typepad.com/david_aaronovitch and lots, lots, lots more besides. I hate racism and the BNP with equal measure.

Who cares what you eat you moron! You are a nobody anyways - get a life for christ's sake!

I was most heartened to hear of the growing anti Israeli feeling in England reported by Professor Gilboa. I wish it every success.

37. To glibly dismiss Ellen's arguement and then not qualify your statement due to lack of time seems to me to perfectly illustrate my perception of Israel as sticking its fingers in its ears and shouting "we're not listening" anytime ANY other country dares critcize it. 44. Why Israel? - Take a look at : http://www.action-for-un-renewal.org.uk/pages/isreal_un_resolutions.htm This is an appalling record! and if this web site is to be believed, a worse record than say; China, India, North Korea or even the USA. And put simply - you still occupy land which is (by international agreement) NOT yours. I cannot understand how this can ever be justified. British Media - Biased? Off course it is. We live in a free country where freedom of speech is recognised. As such, if you go looking for it, you can find anti-semitic articles. You can also find pro-semitic articles. My guess is that media in the UK (not just England) is generally more open/free/balanced than ANY in Israel, and as such most Britons have more focused/balanced views.

Assuming there is atleast ONE KKK member in the USA, I can now use your formula to deduce that ALL AMERICANS are racist. Assuming ONE arab israeli is a jew-hating racist, I can now deduce ALL israelis (jewish and non-jewish) are racist ....PUH-LEASE!!!!!!!!

I agree completely that the university boycott in the UK is both unproductive and unacceptable. However, saying that "the underlying motor driving these efforts is a rejection of Israel's fundamental right to exist" is both naive and puts forward a similarly simplistic view of a highly complex issue. This crisis will continue so long as so-called intellectuals on both sides of the argument (such as the boycotting-lectures and Eitan Gilboa) portray the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians in black and white terms.

what that we have been claiming since the begining of the intifadah. BBC is biased towards the Palestinians and should work to balance its news. That was the conclusion of a British report about the BBC's 'professional journalism'.

Israel’s government practices no apartheid, nor does anything like it exist in the Jewish state. This is something I should know. For half my adult life, apartheid South Africa was my home. For the second half, my home has been Israel. Read here: http://www.stangoodenough.com/2006/05/31/ignorant-intellectuals/

What he's saying, basically, is that it's ok to boycott Israel because it's the most immoral country in the world. Worse than Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, North Korea, Myanmar, et al.--Israel beats them all. Here's what I'd like to ask him and others like him--does it trouble you that this is not very original?--that Jew-hatred goes back a long, long way and is not exactly an innovation? What is its appeal to you? What is it in you that needs, and thrives on, hatred of a group that's already been hated so much? I would like to try to find a little speck of shame in these people, although of course it is not there.

The real skinny of it is that there is alot of this "david vs goliath" portray of Israel in UK. I will agree with Ari of Manchester that anti-semitism is not as full blown as some believe BUT it is substantive. Where does it come from? Well Jews have ALWAYS been dispised wherever they went (with few exceptions). Before the apologists start - YES there have been times and places where Jews and the local people have gotten along, sometimes even weaving themselves into the social fabric of a place (but always at arms distance and with distrust). Remember, the UK does wan tto distance itself from the US in alot of regards, and Anti-"Zionism" (read Antisemitism) is their ticket out. PLUS, if you see how much Arab money Britian takes and how many of their newspapers are owned (or have significant donations) by Gulf Arabs. The Universities get loads of cash too..you do the math...there isnt a wolrd wide Jewish conspiracy but there seems to be an emerging Arab one. To end a loooong post (sorry guys) the left have found compatriots in the arabs in their hatred for all things western. Israel, which is a phenominal country (VISIT!) isnt on their agenda. Here you have the "big bad oppressor" and the romantic "freedom fighter " (terrorists) using words like human rights, freedom and oppresion to describe a situation. The left cannot help but jump on this bandwagon. In their mind it IS pure evil and are vindicated in their hatred for Jews and Israel (i like how people qualify themselves by saying - oh i have loads of jewish/israeli friends - as if that makes it better..or even if they are jewish - simply absurd) Thanks for reading

Its a sad day when the British prefer to silence freedom and righteousness and instead embrace rampant anti-semitism, revisionism, and terrorism. Its just shows, Eurabia is doomed because they never learn from their past. Instead of going after evil, they appease it. Look at the London bombings. Classic example of how Islamist have started WWIII and it wont end until they are killed, incarcerated, or educated.

They have more right. Unlike what many of you are saying. All are equal in Israel under the law. There is discrimation, but thats everywhere. It is against secular in some religious communities, against sephadic in some Ashkenazi communities. Christian Arabs are persecuted by Muslim Arabs. You know what? Life isnt fair, but Israel tries to make it fair for all. The majority of the people in Israel make it fair for all. Better than the British.

I don't understand how you can interpret what I wrote as being Jew-Hatred. I do not hate Jews (nor anyone else for that matter). You seem to assume that just because I have a contrary opinion to yours, (and since you are a Jew?) that i must therefore hate your kind. Your bigotted reasoning is suspect and illogical. I never suggested that Israel is the most immoral country in the world - RobertK just made that up! - you'd make a great spin-doctor. I simply feel a great sadness that people who have been oppressed for such a long time can so easily find themselves the oppressors. I feel that this is a widely held view and has done much to harm the reputation of Israel abroad. Either the rest of the world is being lied to by the media, or perhaps there is truth in what we read/hear. Let me state again - I do NOT hate Jews. I find all forms of racism/persecution vile and disgusting - hence my previous opinions.

Out from under your rock, eh, John? You exemplify the British anti-Semitism that we are talking about. Really proud, aren't you? And you wonder why most Israeli's hate the Brits!

Didnt he do.. Mustang Sally.. Yup Better Sloow yer Mustang Down