Posted on 04/13/2002 2:01:44 PM PDT by LarryLied
Lord Goldsmith QC, the Attorney General, is promising a crackdown on race-hate crimes amid increasing fears in Britain's Jewish community of an anti-semitic backlash.
The move comes as the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which represents the UK's 300,000 Jews, considers a complaint to police over alleged comments made by Tom Paulin, the poet and television pundit, in an interview with an Egyptian newspaper.
Mr Paulin, a lecturer at Oxford University, is quoted in Al-Ahram as saying American-born settlers in Israel "should be shot dead. I think they are Nazis, racists, I feel nothing but hatred for them".
Earlier in the interview he is quoted as saying: "I never believed that Israel had the right to exist at all."
He was not available for comment yesterday but has, in the past, vehemently denied accusations of anti-semitism.
The Board met Lord Goldsmith, himself Jewish, only last month to complain that race-hate crimes were not being prosecuted. They presented a dossier of crimes which they believed should be taken through the courts, including the handing out by Muslims of leaflets entitled "Kill the Jews" in Birmingham, Manchester and London.
The meeting has prompted Lord Goldsmith to write to both David Calvert-Smith QC, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, and Sir David Phillips, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, to formulate a strategy to ensure more race-hate crimes get prosecuted.
A spokeswoman for the Attorney General said: "The Board's delegation highlighted the concerns of the Jewish community about the rise in anti-semitic activities, particularly the distribution of racially inflammatory material.
"The Attorney General takes extremely seriously allegations of incitement to racial hatred against any group or community."
Andrew Dismore, MP for Hendon, which contains a large number of Jewish constituents, welcomed the Attorney General's move.
Mr Dismore, who has campaigned for stricter race-hate laws and for a clampdown by police, said: "I don't think the prosecuting authorities have taken this seriously enough. There have been high-profile cases that should have been prosecuted and have not.
"Particularly since 11 September, there has been a lot of very anti-semitic activity going on."
Mike Whine, spokesman for the Board of Deputies on security matters, said Mr Paulin's comments were "technically illegal" under the terms of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act. He welcomed the Attorney General's promise to ensure more prosecutions for incitement to violence.
"Now I get the sense the authorities will prosecute, provided that the evidential demands are met," said Mr Whine, "In the past files have been lost and statements not taken."
Britain has seen a rise in anti-semitic attacks in the wake of increasing violence in the West Bank and Gaza and coinciding with Ariel Sharon's rise to power. But the level of the attacks remains largely low-key.
This compares with alarming attacks on the Jewish community in France, where in the past two weeks five synagogues have been set alight, a Jewish schoolbus was stoned and a Jewish football team attacked by a gang wielding iron bars.
This is just media hype!
Do you disagree with what I wrote? Is it not true that much antisemitism stems from the actions of Kaganovitch and others? Do I have to list every commie thug when I comment on a few lest someone be offended?
I notice there was a lot of handwringing over protecting our islamic citizens and nothing but silence from our so called leaders about the virulent anti-semitism from some in congress and the media.
And the French were worried about American "hate sites" on the net, and their people buying nazi memorabilia.
Although I find your 'You certainly are the final authority on this matter' comment sarcastic (maybe you didn't mean it in this way. You tell me!) I live in the UK and you obviously don't. So, yes I am qualified to comment on this subject, although maybe not an authority, as I can't speak for every Man, Woman and child. I, for one, am not anti-semitic. I have Jewish friends, and I have Muslim friends, and I condemn anyone that is anti-semitic.
Den.
These are the people that will sell Israel to the Muslims "on principle".
They are secular jews with no thought but their own enrichment at the expense of all others.
And they hide behind thier "jewishness" as a shield to excuse them for their misdeeds.
Conservative jews should renoucee them but won't.
Catholics and protestants should say something but don't.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.