Campaign Against Antisemitism UK
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'.[1]
Establishment
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.[2] It was set up in early August 2014, during Israel's 'Operation Protective Edge' operation in Gaza.
Activities
Says the CAA:
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. We counter antisemitic protests, seek out antisemites online and apply direct pressure to organisations and institutions that enable antisemitism in the UK.[1]
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'.[3]
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'.[4]
As of mid-September 2014, the most recent post on the CAA website was dated 25 August. Its Facebook group, which as of 16 September 2014 has 5,742 likes, is more active.
Anglo-Jewish politics
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'.[2] On the day of the protest, he told a reporter,
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.[5]
As Sacerdoti's comment suggests, and as Ha'aretz reports, the Campaign Against Antisemitism is an intervention in Anglo-Jewish politics.[2] 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:
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'.[6]
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'.[2] Of the two grievances that CAA has concentrated on[7] - 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'.[2] 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.[2]
People
The CAA's website lists nine organisers.[8]
Campaign Committee
- Mandy Blumenthal
- Darren Borg
- Justin Chorn
- Joseph Cohen
- Gideon Falter
- Nussi Hopstein
- Jordan Jay
- Rupert Nathan
Spokesman
Contact
- Website: http://www.campaignagainstantisemitism.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignagainstantisemitism
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 'About Us', CampainAgainstAntisemitism.com; accessed: 16 September, 2014 at 7.49am.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Daniella Peled, 'Shaken by post-Gaza war hostility, U.K. Jews push back', Ha'aretz (15 September, 2014).
- ↑ Anil Dawar, 'Police must do more to tackle the rise of anti-Semitism, campaigners say', Daily Express (28 August, 2014).
- ↑ CAA, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/campaignagainstantisemitism/posts/1472388299706774">Facebook post</a>, (5 September, 13:05).
- ↑ Rosa Doherty, 'Thousands turn out for London rally against antisemitism', Jewish Chronicle (31 August, 2014).
- ↑ Liam Hoare, 'Thousands rally in London against rising anti-Semitism', Times of Israel (1 September, 2014).
- ↑ As of 16 September, 2014, they were the only specific issues to be granted their own Categories on the CAA website: Sainsbury's Holborn and Tricycle Theatre.
- ↑ 'Who we are', CampaignAgainstAntisemitism.com; accessed: 16 September, 2014.
