Manchester Yom Kippur attack

The attack on the Manchester synagogue was a horrific antisemitic atrocity, targeting innocent Jewish worshippers. Hatred of Jews for being Jews or blaming all Jews for the crimes of Israel, is vile racism. The criminal who perpetrated it, is responsible for his own reprehensible actions. My condolences for all those affected. Manchester suffered the Arena bombing and refused to be divided, we will do the same again and maintain community cohesion between multi-faiths and ethnic groups.    

Of course there is no contradiction in my being a pro-palestine activist, opposing the Israeli genocide, the apartheid colonial racism inherent in zionism and my condemnation of this dreadful act. Thats because, as many Jews worldwide shout loudly; -Judaism is NOT zionism’, zionism is NOT Judaism! 

 

This is why we work so hard to counter the Zionist narrative that Israel acts on behalf of global Jewry. On every Pro-Palestine peace protest are the ‘Jewish bloc’, anti-zionist Jews who refuse to let Israel claim to speak for, or represent them. A poll of Jewish opinion in the UK, a number of years ago, showed roughly 40% of British Jews were either ‘anti-zionist’ or didn’t ‘identify themselves with Israel’. This includes the Haredim, an ultra-orthodox sect of Judaism who attend every single national protest march. They never wanted the establishment of Israel, especially at the expense of their Palestinian neighbours. They wished to remain ‘Palestinian Jews’ and wanted to be left alone to live a religious life alongside their Christian and Muslim brothers and sisters. In Israel, they often protest the secular and militaristic State, refusing to be forced into serving in the IDF, usually violently put down by Israeli security forces. 

So, many Jews in the diaspora, refuse to let zionism speak for, or act in their name. After two years of genocide in the name of all Jews, Israel and its propagandists are the greatest driver of rising antisemitism in the world right now.

Listening to media coverage of this attack, there is a stark difference between the words of local worshipers and representatives of community faith groups-and those of zionist politicians and zionist organisations who pretend they speak for all Jews. Locals predominantly spoke of, yes longstanding fear of attacks, but emphasised community cohesion and the good relations with their Muslim neighbours, despite tension rising with the obscenities carried out in Gaza which Israel seeks to carry out in the name of all Jews. Zionist politicians and zionist groups, on the other hand, emphasise blaming all opponents of Israel for this attack. They attempt to manipulate the anger and sadness in Manchester to shut down Pro-Palestine protests, to urge for silencing criticism and disgust with Israel’s genocide and distract the media from reporting on the crimes against humanity happening every single day in Gaza. Yet again the media willingly comply with the zionist narrative and the controversial definition of ‘antisemitism’ that conflates Israel with the Jewish diaspora. Thus, questioning the validity of the zionist state is regarded as antisemitic. Yet the colonial racism of stealing the Palestinians land and expelling them to create Israel, is deemed not legitimate to debate. ‘From the river to the sea’ is routinely implied to be ‘anti-Jewish’ and decried, yet the constant Israeli use of the same term, in conjunction with ‘Judea and Samaria’, actually IS genocidal for Palestinians as it deny’s them their self determination forever, as a ‘greater Israel’ would annexe the West Bank, parts of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. British zionists who repeat these desires for the elimination of Palestinians as a nation, are never quoted as examples of zionist racism. And support for Israel’s brutal apartheid occupation or denial of genocide are never reported as it would be if someone expressed  ‘holocaust denial’ in the Jewish context. 

I’ll continue to separate Zionism and Judaism, but to all the genocide cheerleaders, you’re inflaming this. Stop conflating Israel with the Jewish diaspora. Israel is a rogue state, like Assad’s Syria, Jews are a people and Judaism a religion. 

I’ll also continue to advocate for the Palestinians. I will not be silenced in the face of genocide, child slaughter, starvation as a weapon of war, the dehumanisation of an entire population, apartheid, West Bank annexation, illegal occupation and settlement colonial land-grabbing. You will not shut down my voice, my disgust with the depravity of the ‘Gazan holocaust’, with calling for isolation of Israel, militarily, economically, culturally. We will stand up to zionist racism and supremacism.   

Back in the UK, Jewish communities must be protected and should feel safe and not be targeted for the crimes of a foreign pariah regime. My thoughts and solidarity with Jewish people who might feel unsafe at this time. That also goes towards our Muslim population who have also suffered big rises in ‘hate incidents’ over the last couple of years. We must stand together and root out hate everywhere. In Manchester, this country, in the middle-east and across the world.  

Love Not Hate❤️