CNN poll findings on anti-Semitism in Europe are no surprise
Op-ed: In the UK, we were not shocked to learn that an increasing number of people think there is truth in classic anti-Semitic tropes, as all of the anti-Jewish stereotypes have surfaced in recent years as part of the Labour Party anti-Semitism crisis.
The findings of the CNN survey on anti-Semitism in Europe will surprise few of us in the UK.
We have for several generations led a happy and fulfilled Jewish life in the UK, so it comes as no surprise to us that many more people in our country hold positive attitudes towards Jews than negative ones.
Sadly, though, we are also not shocked that a substantially larger number in this country and across the continent think there is truth in classic anti-Semitic tropes: that the Jews are too rich; that we have too much power and that we control the media. All these stereotypes have surfaced in the past couple of years as part of the anti-Semitism crisis in the British Labour Party.
Too many times, we have been attacked on social media by people who argue that the anti-Semitism in the Labour Party has somehow been engineered by a rich and powerful Jewish community in order to discredit Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn—an anti-Semitic slur if ever there was one.
Although the number of people who are openly anti-Semitic is low, and the Jewish community here fares better than some others—particularly our Roma and Muslim counterparts—the figures for anti-Semitic attacks, both physical and online, have risen alarmingly over the past few years.
British Jews are probably more anxious about anti-Semitism now than at any point in my lifetime. Whether it be from the extreme left, the far-right, or Islamist fringe, anti-Semitism impinges on our lives in many ways—a quick look at the Board of Deputies' Twitter feed will confirm that prejudice against us is alive, well and living on social media.
My community remains vigilant against this ancient hatred. But we will call out anti-Semitism when we see it and call for demonstrations if required, as we did earlier this year. We are loud and we are proud about our heritage and we will not let the racists win.
Marie van der Zyl is President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the representative organisation of the UK Jewish Community.
