Page 11 - TORCH #1 - Autumn 2015

Jews stabbed
in France and Italy
A Jewish teacher has been stabbed on a street in Marseille, France, by three men who professed their support for Islamic State. The attack took place five days after the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris on 13 November, which were claimed by Islamic State. Tziyon Saadon, wearing a kippa, was walking from his home towards the synagogue when the men, one wearing an ISIS T-shirt, spewed anti-Semitic abuse before stabbing him in the leg and arm causing serious, but not life-threatening, injuries.
The attack is not an isolated incident. It comes at a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe, yet many incidents go largely unreported in mainstream media.
Arrests made as Met Police confirm Hezbollah flag is ILLEGAL
Two pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested for flying a Hezbollah flag in central London in October as police finally confirmed that to do so was illegal.
There had been confusion earlier this month when the Metropolitan Police said flying the flags of groups such as Hezbollah was not against the law because they were also political parties. But following the arrest the force finally confirmed that while the two men were initially arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace, they were later “further arrested for offences under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000”.
In October, also in Marseille, a Jewish rabbi was attacked outside a synagogue along with his 19-year old son and a friend, who was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen. According to the rabbi, the attacker shouted anti-Semitic abuse and murmured “Allahu Akbar” upon lunging at his victims.
In Italy on 12 November, a 40-year- old ultra-Orthodox Jewish man was stabbed multiple times in an anti-Semitic attack in front of a kosher restaurant in Milan. Nathan Graff, who holds Israeli citizenship, sustained light to moderate injuries including to his face. His attacker fled the scene.
These incidents have led some to question whether recent incitement against Jews in Israel is possibly inspiring copy-cat attacks in Europe.
Oxford Union votes to oppose Israel boycott after Dershowitz debate victory
Renowned Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz proved victorious on 29 October in a debate at Oxford University’s Student Union, which centred around the BDS boycott movement that targets the Jewish state of Israel in an economic attack.
Dershowitz won the debate 137 votes to 101, soundly defeating Peter Tatchell, a member of the UK’s Green Party and a self-described human rights advocate.
During the debate, the Harvard professor argued, “BDS is anti-peace, anti- negotiation and anti-Israel. I am pro- peace, pro-negotiation, pro-Israel and pro-Palestine...BDS is based on bigotry. If Israel was not the nation state of the Jewish People, then this debate wouldn’t be happening today.”
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