Nineteen now arrested over disorder with house targeted in arson
Nineteen people arrested, including a teen, after violence in Northern Ireland and an arson attack.
BBC News1 min read
‘What’s our red line?’ British Jews question their safety
TL;DR
British Jews are increasingly questioning their safety in the UK, with some considering relocating to Israel due to rising violence and threats. Recent incidents, including stabbings and arson attacks on Jewish sites, have intensified these fears.
Key points
- British Jews are questioning their safety in the UK.
- Recent violence includes stabbings and arson attacks on Jewish sites.
- Some families are considering relocating to Israel.
- The concept of a 'red line' reflects their safety concerns.
Mentioned in this story
IsraelGolders Green
For many Jews sitting down with family and friends for Friday night dinner, the conversation is now turning to their “red line”. “What do we do? Do we have to leave?” asked Barry Frankfurt.
Israel had once been a place some might have considered retiring to, to live by the sea. “Never in our lifetime has it been considered we need to run away, we need to seek refuge … and that place might have to be Israel,” said Frankfurt, a brand consultant in north London. “We might have to do that because we don’t feel safe in the country we call home.
“Every couple of weeks you’ll hear of another couple or family in the community who have moved or will be moving soon to Israel,” he said. “And that should be the thing that shocks us as a country.”
The Jewish community feels that life in the UK is not safe, he said. Before Wednesday’s stabbings in Golders Green, there had been a series of attempted arson attacks at Jewish sites, including one in the same road where the stabbings began: when four Jewish community ambulances were set on fire in the early hours of 23 March.
Frankfurt, a British-born father of four, and chair of his local synagogue, is now considering his red line. “If the things that are part of day-to-day life become physically unsafe for you and your family to the point of risk of life, you’d be crazy not to consider alternatives. And that is where we are now.”
“Human instinct tells you, ‘it’s actually not going to be that bad,’” he said. Hearing verbal abuse shouted from a passing car, or seeing a swastika daubed on a tombstone, “You can say: ‘It could be worse.’ You can rationalise it as a random idiot or moronic youth.
“At the point at which [there are] physical threats, threats to life – and I’m not being hyperbolic, I’m not trying to dramatise – but we’ve seen in the past few weeks, we’ve seen this week in Golders Green, it is an actual threat to life. I think most people say: ‘OK, well if a threat to life isn’t your red line, then actually what is?’”
His daughter, Libby, 16, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday that she had been verbally abused at a Sabrina Carpenter concert while talking to Israeli concert-goers. She said a man nearby began screaming: “You’ve committed genocide, you’re killing babies.” It was her first direct experience of antisemitism.
She said she now doesn’t want to bring her own family up in the UK when she’s older. “Someone who isn’t Jewish is not scared to live their life. But I’m petrified just because I’m Jewish.”
Q&A
What recent incidents have increased fears among British Jews?
Recent stabbings in Golders Green and a series of attempted arson attacks on Jewish sites have heightened concerns for safety within the Jewish community in the UK.
Why are some British Jews considering moving to Israel?
Many British Jews feel unsafe in the UK due to rising violence and are contemplating moving to Israel as a refuge.
What does the term 'red line' mean for British Jews?
The 'red line' refers to the point at which British Jews feel their safety is compromised, prompting them to consider leaving the UK for Israel.
How has the Jewish community in the UK responded to safety concerns?
The Jewish community is increasingly discussing their safety, with reports of families moving to Israel and a growing sentiment that life in the UK is no longer safe.
