Monday, February 1, 2010

Anthony Julius on English anti-Semitism

Attorney and author Anthony Julius has written an excellent column on the subtleties and not-so-subtleties of English anti-Semitism. Read it here: The outsiders - Times Online. It's difficult to excerpt, so click the link and read it in its entirety.

The hostile comments that the column has attracted are instructive. Here they are:

john papi wrote:
Good publicity for Mr. Julius, but what about confidentiality and professional ettiquete ? Just another low life self publicist who sickens me.
January 31, 2010 8:00 PM GMT
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George Watson wrote:
Mr Julius seems strangely unaware of his own mind-set. He refers to the non-Jewish world into which his parents were plunged during their evacuation in the Second World War. That is the root of anti-Semitism, the self electing separation from their host community of Jews themselves. In order to maintian their religion which is rooted in the idea of being a chosen people, Jews have a distinctly domestic set of rituals and a culture which emphasises difference. This marks them as being a people who go out of their way to be different. Centuries of Diaspora experience in Europe, with the constant threat of pogroms have meant a concentration of Jews in particular activities such as banking and dealing in precious metals and jewels. This makes them even more of a terget and a perceived threat as parasites upon their neighbours.
This very obvious social phenomenon is apparently unrecognised by those who claim that anti-Semitism is some kind of unnatural event.
Orthodox Jews extravagantly parade their Judaism in communities accross London such as Stamford Hill yet they complain that they are somehow perceived to be different. To then seek to defend the Jewish State against any criticism merely compounds the suspicion by the larger community that Jews are not quite loyal to the interests of their host nations. We should not be silenced by this anti-Semitic name calling.
January 31, 2010 12:47 PM GMT
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Steve H wrote:
I am very sorry that Mr Julius, and members of his family, have experienced anti-Semitism. Those unpleasant experiences do NOT excuse Mr Julius exposing very publicly information given to him by a (now-deceased) client. Mr Julius must be subject to appropriate Law Society disciplinary proceedings, and, please, let there be no whinging about anti-Semitism when those proceedings are started. Disciplinary proceedings are appropriate because Mr Julius has behaved badly qua solicitor, not because of his race or religion.
January 31, 2010 10:01 AM GMT
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Adam Gardiner wrote:
Anti-Jewish sentiment is obviously as unacceptable as for example anti-Armenian or anti-German as innocent individuals are cruelly hurt by the ignorant abuse involved.
January 31, 2010 6:15 AM GMT
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