Some staunchly defend Israel. Others are so alarmed at the fate of Gaza they have joined pro-Palestine protests. In between lie a range of views … but all feel the chill of rising antisemitism
“I’ve always felt very, very secure in Britain,” says the Jewish writer David Winner, “but now, while I don’t feel immediately under threat, that sense of unthinking security has gone.”
The atmosphere has changed, he says, since the 7 October Hamas-led massacre in Israel, in which about 1,200 Jews were slaughtered, and then the bombing of Gaza that is said to have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians. Although the war is more than 2,000 miles away, the effect of the pro-Palestinian marches and postings on social media have left him feeling as if he is on the frontline of blame. “I’m not bombing Gaza,” he says, “but once again Jews are being held responsible for what Israel does. It’s bizarre.”
