The point of view of a diaspora Jew

Jun 04, 2025

Once again, this may sound controversial, I don’t care. I just hope I don’t lose too many subscribers, it would mean I did not explain myself clearly.

In Boulder, Colorado, on June 2nd, 2025, somebody used a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails against Jews demonstrating for the release of the Israeli hostages, injuring twelve people, the oldest an 80-year-old woman. He shouted ‘Free Palestine’. Nothing remotely similar has ever happened during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.

In Washington, DC, a man shot and killed a young couple working at the Israeli embassy as they were leaving an event held at the Jewish Museum. Once again, the murderer is on video shouting ‘Free Palestine’ before shooting them.

It is not clear to me how those two events would help bring about ‘a free Palestine’, whatever that means. However, the verbal violence against Jews outside Israel contributed to those events.

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I am an Anglo-Italian Jew living in London. I have family in Israel, among other places. I have no agency in the state of Israel because I am not an Israeli citizen. This opening statement is not a disclaimer; it is an introduction that I hope will put what follows in the proper perspective.

Jewish history is full of episodes of violence against the Jews (pogroms, farhuds, and the Holocaust, to quote a few). Jews were ‘the others’ living among the majority, and they could hardly be distinguished from the majority. In the past, in Europe, local rulers asked (i.e., forced) Jews to wear a sign. Hitler’s yellow Star of David with ‘Juden’ written in black letters was nothing new.

Anyway, my parents went through racial laws and World War II in Europe. As a Jewish Italian teenager born after World War II, I could be described as ‘Loud and Proud’. One battle with my parents had a lot to do with how ‘open’ my shirt collar was in the summer; I used to keep two buttons open, with a Magen David (the star of David) for everybody to see. My parents would do one button up before I could go out, hiding the Magen David. My mother used to tell me, “Do you have to advertise you are Jewish?”. I did not understand. In the late sixties, it was fashionable to keep two buttons undone; most young men would show the crucifix. Nobody made any comments to me because I showed the star of David, beyond asking me if I was Israeli. My answer was “I am Jewish, I am Italian, not Israeli”. I meant it as a statement of fact, not as a political statement.

Overall, I can’t say I have been exposed to antisemitism beyond the odd unfortunate joke, or the stereotype (Jews are wealthy, they rule the banks, etc) until recently.

Now I understand my parents. I am still loud and proud, but often I give vague answers because I don’t want ‘the conversation’. I am not ashamed. I have become weary since October 7th, 2023, because:

People almost demand that I attack Israel. I don’t like the current Israeli government, which I did not contribute to elect (contrary to what many people think, I do not vote in Israel), but I never question Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. Attacking the country rather than the government (especially by those who expect me to differentiate between Hamas and the Palestinian people) makes me raise the drawbridge and defend Jews wherever they are. Even those I don’t like!
I would be more willing to debate if those who shout ‘Ceasefire now’ would also shout ‘Free the hostages now’. Those who are still left in Gaza (dead or alive) were not soldiers captured in battle. Therefore, they are not prisoners. They were people who had gone to a music festival, people who were at home getting ready for Shabbat, or people walking (or driving) along the streets. They were kidnapped rather than killed on October 7th; some lost their lives since then.
The children in this photos were killed on October 7th. Lizel was shot, the three siublings died woth their parents when terrorists set fire to their home
I am the father of daughters (who live in London), many Israeli women were raped and killed (some raped then killed), and those savages (I have no other words for rapists), not only did they video the event, but proudly called home to brag about it. Women crying rape are usually believed, not if they are Israeli and the rapist is possibly from Hamas or from one of the other groups who followed Hamas. It took months before somebody admitted that there was a possibility that it happened. I understand acts of resistance or acts of defiance. Rape is neither, it is a vile crime.
I feel for all the non-combatants who lost their lives, but Israeli children were killed. Maybe not as many as Gazan children, but do numbers matter? One child who died during a war is one too many! Also, Israeli children live under constant attack by rockets launched at Israel from the four corners of the world (Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran). Nobody thinks of the psychological damage they suffered. Try to think of a child who is walking on the street with a parent. Suddenly, the siren goes and the parent crouches over the child to protect her (or him) from debris, shrapnel, etc. The Iron Dome works, and the vast majority of rockets are intercepted, but that does not change the trauma. Everybody talks about what Israel inflicts on innocent civilians. The silence about what Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and the Houthis inflict on Israeli civilians makes me think Jews don’t count.
Let’s come closer to (my) home. Have you ever been called ‘a child killer’? Have you ever been weary of going to places (specifically, in my case, Golders Green or Marble Arch and Trafalgar Square during the weekend) because you can’t run? Have you ever tried to conceal what you read? Or avoided reading something in public? Have you ever wondered whether going out wearing a baseball cap makes you too obvious (but still wear one)? Did you ever have police carrying weapons watching your place of worship during a significant religious holiday? When you fell asleep, have you ever wondered whether your sons would be alive the following morning? Have you ever received messages from Israel, the US, or Italy that tell you to hide who you are (Jewish)? My answer is the same for all of those questions: Yes, I have.

Going back to what happened in the US. I feel sad and angry that the reaction was not overall condemnation. It looks as if some people think that if you kill Jews somewhere in the world shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ you do not commit murder. I am not encouraged by the thought that it hasn’t happened here in London; we had pro-Israel demonstrations where pro-Palestinians were shouting, trying to obliterate the speakers, but that was it. No physical violence so far, but it doesn’t fill me with hope. I love where I live, and I don’t want to leave to survive.

I wish we could have a debate on facts, rather than soundbites and propaganda. Modern warfare is not just fought with weapons. Fighting also takes place on social media and in the press. A battle fought with spin, distorted news, and emotional statements that are not always substantiated by facts (from both sides). The current media world is under a lot of time pressure and doesn't always fact-check, or doesn’t want to fact-check, or can’t be bothered to fact-check because sensational headlines attract viewers or clicks. A peaceful debate is not encouraged by politicians at every level who posture to ingratiate themselves with a specific electorate.

Recently, an Italian city council has made a big song and dance of “cutting political ties with Israel”. What political ties does an Italian city council have with another state? It is posturing, nothing else, the ultimate resource of mediocre politicians with few ideas.

I am not worried about my future. Whatever happens, my future is limited. I worry about my children and their peers; they have many years ahead of them. Like the children killed on October 7th (the youngest victim was 14 days, an Arab-Israeli baby), or those who died in Gaza (however many). The couple shot outside the Jewish museum in Washington had a whole life ahead of them. He had already bought the ring to propose. He died before being able to do it.

Last but not least, Jews and Muslims outside the Middle East should understand that we are all pawns in a political game. Those who don’t like Muslims love Jews, those who don’t love Jews like Muslims. In reality, we are more similar than we think, and we are all the target of those who do not tolerate ‘others’, whoever they may be.

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I have decided to keep my Substack free. However, if you decide to support my work, you can ‘buy me a coffee’ a one-off tip by clicking on this link, or you could buy one of my books (the link is in the caption of the last image below) or keep reading my posts, it is entirely up to you.

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