Today sees the publication of CST’s Antisemitic Incidents Report 2014
(see full PDF here). This is CST final report of the year. It examines the use
of antisemitic language and images in mainstream politics and media, including
social media. The report also covers public discussion and debate about
antisemitism, including condemnations of antisemitism by mainstream figures.
The Executive Summary is shown below:
EXPLICIT antisemitism against Jews per se, simply for their being
Jewish, remains rare in British public life and within mainstream political
media discourse.
In 2014, CST received an unprecedented number of reports of antisemitic
incidents. This was due to levels of antisemitism during the relatively lengthy
conflict in July and August, between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and southern
Israel.
Levels of antisemitic discourse are far harder to consistently observe
and measure, than quantitative antisemitic incidents and hate crimes.
Nevertheless, many people contacted CST (and other Jewish organisations),
expressing their feelings that the conflict was creating a climate of unusually
heightened antipathy and hostility to British Jews. Numerous newspaper
columnists and other public commentators voiced the same concerns, stating that
the public mood against Jews had never before felt as it did.
This was the first conflict involving Israel at a time when social media
is all pervading, more so (especially Twitter) than during the last major
conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2009. This resulted in a quicker spread of
antisemitic discourse, threats and themes than previously seen during any such
conflict: visible to witnesses, perpetrators and victims. For example, the
hashtag #Hitlerwasright trended on Twitter, was portrayed on placards and was
shouted in verbal abuse against Jews.
In Britain, the use of Nazism to attack Israel, Zionists and Jews was
the dominant antisemitic theme during the conflict, in both discourse and
incidents reported to CST. Calling British Jews child or baby killers was the
second most common theme in antisemitic incidents. It is impossible to prove
what role – if any – this old antisemitic theme of Jews as child killers played
in mainstream media coverage of the conflict, or in widespread political
activism during it.
Numerous leading politicians strongly condemned the antisemitism of July
and August 2014.
Two opinion polls in May 2014 (before the summer conflict) found that 8%
and 7% of British people are unfavourable towards Jews. Findings about Jews
having power or control suggest this core feature of antisemitism still
resonates with millions of British people.
2014 reinforced the importance of social media to the spread and
visibility of antisemitism today. The concerted hatred directed via Twitter at
Luciana Berger, a Jewish Labour MP, was an extreme example of how one person
can suffer repeated and targeted abuse: facilitated by the instantaneous public
free speech nature of social media.
The Parliamentary vote for Palestinian statehood in October 2014 sparked
reactions that explicitly or implicitly evoked antisemitic conspiracy charges,
against either British or American Jewish and pro-Israel lobbies. This echoed
accusations commonly heard during the July-August conflict, that some form of
conspiracy or fear was determining Government and mainstream media reactions to
the conflict.
There were five cases concerning antisemitism at the highest levels of
English football (not including the ongoing use of “Yid” around Tottenham
Hotspur FC). These were: the disciplining of player Nicolas Anelka for his
“quenelle” salute; linked controversies involving manager Malky Mackay and
chairman Dave Whelan; the disciplining of player Mario Balotelli, for
unwittingly posting an antisemitic cartoon; and Liverpool FC removing a Jewish
New Year message from social media due to the level of antisemitic abuse it
attracted.
The British National Party returned to being openly antisemitic, evoking
Nazi antisemitic charges within contemporary anti-globalisation and
anti-capitalist rhetoric.
