OPINION: The faux-philosemitism of racist thugs

It would be an act of extreme chutzpah to witness the horrifying racist violence that has besieged several British cities this week and ask, ‘how can I make this issue to be about Jews?’  But as we know, extremists – of all persuasions – are hardly averse to acts of chutzpah. Nor, more specifically, are they known to shy away from linking Jews to whatever grievances they may hold.

I was in Nottingham on Saturday for a wedding which took place in that city’s beautiful Council House. Anyone planning a wedding hopes that the big day will be memorable. But spare a thought for my friends Steve and Andrea – two longstanding antifascist campaigners – whose wedding ceremony in that venue risked being drowned out by the shouts of racist far-Right thugs assembled directly outside the building.

With an hour to spare between the ceremony and the reception, my wife and I decided it would only be appropriate to stand in solidarity with the counter-protesters, who, to the great credit of the East Midlands, outnumbered the anti-migrant hooligans. They chanted “We are Nottingham” and “Whose streets? Our streets!” to emphasise that xenophobia and hatred were not welcome there.

But then… Out came the Palestinian flags and the accompanying “free Palestine” chants. Silly me, I had forgotten: anti-racism these days comes with a very significant asterisk in regards to Jews. For some activists, there is no cause, no movement, no protest, demonstration or march which they aren’t willing to co-opt by lazily invoking Israel-Palestine. In their binary mindset, informed by centuries-old antisemitic tropes, it serves as a convenient shorthand. When you hear ‘Palestine’, think: righteous victims of oppression. When you hear ‘Israel’ – the Jew of Nations – think: greedy, controlling oppressors.

I was dismayed but not shocked. Jews, especially those in progressive spaces, have become used to this. What did shock me, however, was what happened next.

In response to a counter-protester brandishing a Palestinian flag as though it were some sort of a taunt, one of the far-Right lot had seemingly come prepared for exactly this eventuality, for he had brought a piece of fabric of his own. He held aloft a tallit.

Now, I have no way of knowing whether this person was actually Jewish, though some important context clues would suggest he probably wasn’t. (First, this took place on Shabbat; and second, he was protesting amongst a group of – I think it’s fair to call them – neo-Nazis. Draw whatever conclusions you will.)

So, what exactly was the point this person was trying to make? The most simplistic explanation – and considering the crowd we are dealing with here, the simplistic explanation is likely to be the most apt one – was the tired old cliche ‘an enemy of my enemy is my friend’. To which I say, ‘thanks, but no thanks’.

This display and the logic behind it were offensive on more levels than I can enumerate. But I will try.

First, it’s just immensely disrespectful to appropriate a piece of attire from a religion that is not your own for any reason, but especially for a cheap political stunt. Observant Jews who wear tallitim adhere to specific rules about how and when to wear them. That garment does not exist for your inane cosplay.

Second, displaying a Jewish religious item as a response to a point being made about Palestine conflates Jews with Israel. Do these people really need to be reminded that not all Jews are Israelis and not all Israelis are Jews? Yes, apparently they do.

Third, even if the implied premise of displaying a Jewish symbol in this context – that a lot of anti-Israel rhetoric crosses a line into antisemitism – is correct, it wilfully distorts the nature of that antisemitism. Anti-Israel zealots, and indeed most other modern antisemites, care very little about Jewish religious belief or practices. Their prejudice is based on conspiracy myths about money, power and control, aimed at Jews as a people, not as a religion.

Finally, the so-called friendship towards Jews that these fascists are trying to project is false. It is, at best, conditional friendship. They will ally themselves with the Jewish community only under very specific, self-serving, circumstances. But let’s be honest, at the end of the day, they hate Jews too. They always have and always will. Just because the far-Right grievance of this particular week doesn’t happen to be with the Jews doesn’t mean that it won’t be in due course. It almost certainly will.

So my conclusion is a controversial one. I am more comfortable with old-fashioned antisemitism than I am with this faux-philosemitism.

Jewish people have felt a tremendous amount of pain in recent months as a result of the global surge in antisemitism, but this pain is ours and ours alone. We have no desire for it to be leveraged or manipulated or weaponised, and certainly not by racists.

For any anti-migrant thugs who think that Jews might be gullible enough to be drawn into your cause, think again. Look no further than the countless Jewish organisations who have condemned these racist riots. As Phil Rosenberg, Chair of the Board of Deputies of British Jews put it, ‘Attacks on Muslims, black people, members of other minorities, and our brave police officers, are totally unacceptable, and we stand in solidarity with everyone affected.’ I challenge anyone to find a reputable Jewish institution that is standing in solidarity with these hateful perpetrators.

Ultimately, there is no benefit to be gained from creating some sort of hierarchy of antisemitism – Left wing versus Right wing versus Islamist – especially when everyone’s primary concern during this terrible period is rightly with the marginalised and vulnerable communities who are living in fear as a result of this wave of racist violence.

So to those who are seeking to use this moment to make a point about something else – Israel, Palestine, Jews, Muslims – whatever that point may be, I say: shame on you. Jewish people are not here to be your convenient proxy.

• Alex Maws, Head of Education and Heritage, the Association of Jewish Refugees