Difference between revisions of "Campaign Against Antisemitism"

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The Campaign Against Antisemitism UK (CAA) was established in early August 2014. Its stated mission is to '[empower] individuals to counter antisemitism in all its forms, including both classical antisemitism as well as antisemitism which masquerades as political opposition to Israel'.<ref name="About">'[http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com/about-us/ About Us]', <i>CampainAgainstAntisemitism.com</i>; accessed: 16 September, 2014 at 7.49am.</ref>
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#REDIRECT [[Campaign Against Antisemitism UK]]
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==Establishment==
 
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The CAA was established 'by half-a-dozen activists and funded by private donations', presenting itself as a response to the alleged increase in the presence of anti-Israel and antisemitic behaviour and sentiment in the UK.<ref name="Peled">Daniella Peled, '[http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/.premium-1.615871 Shaken by post-Gaza war hostility, U.K. Jews push back]', <i>Ha'aretz</i> (15 September, 2014).</ref> It was set up in early August 2014, during Israel's '[[Operation Protective Edge]]' operation in Gaza.
 
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==Activities==
 
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Says the CAA:
 
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<blockquote>Alongside the traditional channels (reporting antisemitism to the police and community security trust). We believe the community must also take direct action to combat the increasing hostility Anglo-Jewry is experiencing.
 
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We counter antisemitic protests, seek out antisemites online and apply direct pressure to organisations and institutions that enable antisemitism in the UK.<ref name="About" /></blockquote>
 
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On 31 August 2014 the group reportedly organised a march against antisemitism of 4,000 people in Central London, backed by the [[United Synagogue]] and the [[Office of the Chief Rabbi]]. CAA spokesperson Sacerdoti urged a 'zero tolerance' approach to 'turn the tide' of antisemitism, and claimed British Jews 'feel overlooked and not protected enough'.<ref>Anil Dawar, '[http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/504090/Rallying-call-to-halt-anti-Semitic-attacks Police must do more to tackle the rise of anti-Semitism, campaigners say]', <i>Daily Express</i> (28 August, 2014).</ref>
 
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On the evening of 4 September 2014 CAA members staged a counter-protest against a demo by the 'increasingly hostile BDS movement' outside Marks & Spencer's in Marble Arch. They report being 'subjected to a range of antisemitic abuse', including 'Nazi salutes', and that 'a number of arrests followed'.<ref>CAA, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/campaignagainstantisemitism/posts/1472388299706774">Facebook post</a>, (5 September, 13:05).</ref>
 
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As of mid-September 2014, the most recent post on the CAA [http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com website] was dated 25 August. Its [https://www.facebook.com/campaignagainstantisemitism Facebook group], which as of 16 September 2014 has 5,742 likes, is more active.
 
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==Anglo-Jewish politics==
 
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As noted, the CAA's 31 August, 2014 rally against antisemitism in London was supported by the United Synagogue and Board of Deputies. Said CAA spokesperson Jonathan Sacerdoti of this backing: 'The establishment was very supportive; some might say they didn’t want to get left behind'.<ref name="Peled" /> On the day of the protest, he told a reporter,
 
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<blockquote>It is great that the communal organisations who have been criticised for not doing enough have come on board and have supported us in organising an important day.<ref>Rosa Doherty, '[http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/122055/thousands-turn-out-london-rally-against-antisemitism Thousands turn out for London rally against antisemitism]', <i>Jewish Chronicle</i> (31 August, 2014).</ref></blockquote>
 
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As Sacerdoti's comment suggests, and as <i>Ha'aretz</i> reports, the Campaign Against Antisemitism is an intervention in Anglo-Jewish politics.<ref name="Peled" /> Its context appears to be one of increasing grassroots discontent among Jewish and pro-Israel activists with the performance of communal bodies on Israel and antisemitism. As one newspaper reported:
 
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<blockquote>At the rally, there was audible booing when the representatives of the [[Board of Deputies]] – President [[Vivian Wineman]] and Senior Vice President [[Laura Marks]] – ascended the podium to speak. The [[Jewish Chronicle]]’s [[Marcus Dysch]] tweeted that people were shouting things like 'you need to do more', 'resign', and 'shame'.<ref>Liam Hoare, '[http://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-rally-in-london-against-rising-anti-semitism/ Thousands rally in London against rising anti-Semitism]', <i>Times of Israel</i> (1 September, 2014).</ref></blockquote>
 
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The [[Community Security Trust]] (CST), the most important UK Jewish organisation concerned with (inter alia) monitoring antisemitism, reacted coolly to the CAA. CST deputy director of communication [[Dave Rich]] observed that, while the frequency of antisemitic incidents spiked during Israel's 'Operation Protective Edge', 'a lot of anti-Israel language and activism isn’t anti-Semitic or illegal'.<ref name="Peled" /> Of the two grievances that CAA has concentrated on<ref>As of 16 September, 2014, they were the only specific issues to be granted their own Categories on the CAA website: [http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com/category/sainsburys-holborn/ Sainsbury's Holborn] and [http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com/category/tricycle-theatre/ Tricycle Theatre].</ref> - the Tricycle Theatre's dropping of the Israeli state-funded UK Jewish Film Festival and a reported decision by a Sainsbury's supermarket in Holborn to remove kosher food from display lest it provoke pro-Palestinian protestors - Rich stressed that these were 'very much isolated incidents... bad decisions quickly overturned'.<ref name="Peled" /> Rich also played down suggestions that antisemitism was a significant motor of popular protest against Israel's attack on Gaza: 'Examples of anti-Semitism at the demos did exist, on the fringes, with home-made banners – it didn’t characterize the demos as a whole'. He added that protests against 'Protective Edge' were much better than those against 'Operation Cast Lead' in 2008-9.<ref name="Peled" />
 
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==People==
 
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The CAA's website lists nine organisers.
 
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<i>Campaign Committee</i>
 
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* [[Mandy Blumenthal]]
 
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* [[Darren Borg]]
 
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* [[Justin Chorn]]
 
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* [[Joseph Cohen]]
 
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* [[Gideon Falter]]
 
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* [[Nussi Hopstein]]
 
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* [[Jordan Jay]]
 
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* [[Rupert Nathan]]
 
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<i>Spokesman</i>
 
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* [[Jonathan Sacerdoti]]
 
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==Contact==
 
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:Website: http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com/
 
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:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignagainstantisemitism
 
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==Notes==
 
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<references/>
 
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[[category:Israel Lobby]]
 

Latest revision as of 07:39, 16 September 2014

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