A British Jewish writer has criticised the home secretary's description of pro-Palestine protests as 'un-British' following the recent terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue. Tomilyn Rupert, in a letter to the Guardian, argued that conflating Zionism with Judaism is wrong and contributes to antisemitism. She expressed pride in her British and Jewish identity but stressed that mourning the attack does not prevent her from criticising the Israeli government's actions.
Rupert highlighted the diversity of opinion within the UK's Jewish community, noting that not all Jews are Zionists. She pointed to the presence of Jewish voices at protests declaring 'not in our name' and urged the government to listen to them. 'We must not allow the acts of a deranged few silence the calls for humanity of many,' she wrote.
Another letter from Gabriele Hodgson questioned the Metropolitan police's approach to protests, asking why participants have been arrested in the past if the activities are considered protests, and why organisers were asked to postpone rather than being treated as criminals. She also raised concerns about the value placed on lives lost in Gaza compared to British lives.
Selina Osman, a Black Muslim, admitted to previously conflating Israel with Jewish identity and thanked Jonathan Freedland for helping her recognise this. She expressed regret for not questioning the security around Jewish institutions and stated that no community should have to live in fear.
Deirdre Burrell echoed Freedland's point that 'anti-Israel' is not necessarily 'anti-Jewish', but noted that confusion arises when the Israeli prime minister himself conflates the two positions and accuses critics of antisemitism.
