BBC – British, Jewish Is Anti-Semitism on the Rise (2021)

BBC – British, Jewish: Is Anti-Semitism on the Rise (2021)
English | Size: 373 MB
Category: Documentary

From controversy around the Middle East to the resurgence of anti-semitic conspiracy theories and the toxicity of social media, many Jewish people are questioning how safe it is to express who they are. Tom Brada, a BBC journalist who happens to be British and Jewish, investigates what’s going on.

In the first six months of 2021, there was a record spike in anti-semitism. The Community Security Trust, the charity which monitors anti-Jewish incidents in the UK, now estimates that 2021 will likely be ‘the worst year on record.’

Sometimes anti-semitism is easy to recognise. It is conspiracy theories about world domination or somebody getting beaten up simply for who they are. But it can also be subtle, and this film explores how that can be just as damaging.

Nadine Batchelor-Hunt, a black, Jewish woman who confronted the racism of the ‘godfather of grime’ Wiley, speaks about the complexity of her identity. Does society take anti-semitism as seriously as other forms of prejudice?

There is also the shocking testimony of a man who converted to Judaism, and was beaten up because of his beliefs, as well as the neo-natal nurse who is accused of being a ‘baby-killer’, simply because she is Jewish.

The film also hears from an activist who is part of a movement of British Jews who are outspoken in their criticism of the Israeli government, and finds out what impact that stance has on her relationship with the Jewish community.

Where is the line between legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and outright anti-semitism? And is anyone willing to accept when their activism crosses the line?