To: Les H who wrote (48004 ) 9/26/2025 11:05:16 AM From: Les H Respond to Global Outrage at Israel Is About Gaza, Not AntisemitismIsrael's official stance is that European leaders threatening sanctions over Gaza are just an antisemitic mob, too blinded by Jew-hatred and Muslim minorities to see they are siding with evil. Reality, and opinion polls around the world, suggest otherwise Dahlia Scheindlin , HaaretzAs Israel invaded Gaza City on Monday night, razing high-rise buildings wholesale in a place that is already a mass graveyard, tens of thousands of Palestinians raced through the night for their lives, dozens died and children starved. Meanwhile, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, tweeted. But not about Gaza. Sa'ar is mad. Mad at the European Commission for proposing to reinstate taxes on Israeli imports and mad again that the Commission plans to suspend parts of its trade agreement with Israel; mad about the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that shut down the final stage of a bicycle race in Spain; mad about the August report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declaring famine in Gaza; and mad about the special UN committee report on genocide in Gaza. His posts are repetitive. The authors of the UN report are " notorious for their antisemitic positions ," while Spain's prime minister is an "antisemite and a liar." Others are Hamas proxies, targeting Israel is unprecedented and sometimes "outargues," (when feelings count more than proofreading the word "outrageous"). European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen's policy of suspending trade concessions with Israel is " vicious "; reports of starvation, genocide or anything Israel doesn't like are "fake" and " fabrications "; the UN General Assembly is "disgraceful" and a "circus." Israeli diplomacy today can be summed up in a tweet-length sentence: Other countries have a pathological, exceptional and virulent loathing of Israel and Jews. The world hates us for who we are, not what we do. Nobody else would be criticized for these things; the Holocaust and October 7 mean we are blameless. Any deflection away from the total destruction Israel is wreaking on Gaza is unconscionable. Haaretz . Reporting organizations note that the surge has occurred both in the United States and globally and is the worst wave of anti-Muslim bias since the aftermath of 9/11. United States: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported a record-breaking 8,061 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents in 2023, with almost half of them occurring in the final three months of the year, after October 7. CAIR noted that 2022 had seen a rare drop in anti-Muslim bias, making the post-October 7 resurgence particularly striking.Canada: In August 2025, Anadolu Agency reported an "1,800% surge in Islamophobic hate crimes" in Canada after October 7.United Kingdom: The monitoring group Tell Mama reported a record number of anti-Muslim abuse cases in the UK following the October 7 attacks.New Zealand: In November 2023, reports indicated a significant rise in both Islamophobia and antisemitism. Online platforms, including gaming sites, showed a surge in Islamophobic content, with researchers noting the conflation of Muslims and Palestinians with Hamas. Hate crimes: In the US, a high-profile hate crime occurred in October 2023, when a six-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was fatally stabbed by his family's landlord in Illinois. A man was also convicted of a hate crime for a fatal stabbing in Texas.Employment discrimination: CAIR's 2023 report indicated that employment discrimination was a leading category of complaints. This included reports of employers stating they would not hire individuals who participated in pro-Palestinian rallies.Rhetoric and harassment: Advocates point to the normalization of rhetoric that conflates Arab Americans with terrorism, similar to the post-9/11 period. Harassment includes threats and acts of vandalism.School and campus incidents: Discrimination and harassment have also increased in educational settings, from K-12 to universities, contributing to an atmosphere of fear among Muslim students. The Israel-Gaza conflict: CAIR explicitly stated that the "escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine in October 2023" was the primary force behind the heightened Islamophobia.Conflation of groups: Researchers and advocates have highlighted how extremists often conflate Muslims and Palestinians with Hamas, misrepresenting the broader Muslim community and feeding anti-Muslim sentiment.Political discourse: The political environment, both domestically and internationally, has contributed to a rise in highly emotional and polarized sentiments. This provides a fertile environment for hatred, including both Islamophobia and antisemitism, to grow.History of anti-Muslim bias: Activists note that the underlying currents of anti-Muslim hate did not begin after October 7 but were exacerbated by the events. The spike demonstrated how easily the "Islamophobia switch" can be turned back on.
