UK Jewish Community Feels Under Siege Amid Rising Anti-Semitism Post-October 7

The aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks has ignited a palpable sense of fear and isolation within Britain's Jewish community, with many feeling increasingly under siege. Alex Brummer, writing for the Daily Mail, draws a stark comparison between the current atmosphere and the pre-war rise of Nazism, recounting his own family's history of escaping persecution.

Brummer's personal narrative begins with his visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza and the site of the Nova music festival in the wake of the attacks, describing the graphic evidence of violence and the profound trauma etched into the Israeli collective memory. He notes that even the United Nations has documented instances of rape and sexual torture by Hamas.

However, Brummer contends that these realities have been starkly inverted in public discourse, with Hamas and allied factions being embraced by parts of the political Left. This sentiment, he argues, has manifested globally, including in Britain, where the Jewish community feels increasingly vulnerable.

The author cites the Green Party's conference resolution labeling "Zionism is Racism" as an "abomination" and a sign of profound ignorance. He refutes the notion of Israel as a racist state, highlighting the significant presence of Arab citizens, including a substantial portion of its healthcare workers. Brummer also criticizes Manchester's Mayor, Andy Burnham, for implementing sanctions on Israel for what he describes as "shameless political advantage" aimed at securing Muslim votes.

He reflects on the fragility of Jewish existence in Britain today, contrasting it with the past, when his Aunt Sussie, a Holocaust survivor, viewed the UK as a bastion of tolerance. Brummer expresses concern that the lessons of the Holocaust, encapsulated in the phrase "never again," are being forgotten.

Brummer's family history illustrates this point. His father, Michael, fled Hungary in 1938 after being attacked by fascist thugs, finding refuge and kindness in Britain, facilitated by a chance encounter at London's Victoria station. His grandparents, however, were rounded up by Hungarian Arrow Cross militias in 1944 and sent to Auschwitz. His grandmother's act of telling her daughters, Sussie and Sheindy, to claim they were 16 saved them from immediate gassing, as younger children were sent to the gas chambers. Brummer's grandparents were murdered upon arrival at Auschwitz.

Sussie, along with her sister Sheindy and cousin Rosie, endured multiple concentration camps, including Stutthof and Bergen-Belsen. They were eventually liberated by Allied troops and, after a train journey to Copenhagen, were cared for by the Swedish Red Cross. The period in Sweden, despite the lasting physical and psychological scars, was recalled as some of the best days of their lives, marked by recovery and a chance to learn. They eventually reunited with surviving family in Britain, where they found compassion and built new lives.

Brummer concludes with a somber question: Would his family find the same welcome and safety in today's Britain? He fears the answer is no, given the current climate of what he perceives as escalating anti-Jewish sentiment.