20 OPINION
11 FEBRUARY 2021
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OPINION
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Covid Conspiracy Conversations Continue OPINION PIECE BY JAMES J MARLOW I received my first Covid vaccination earlier this week and I have to tell you that the effects were immediate. They began with visions of Bill Gates instructing me to follow the rules. At that point I noticed I was being followed down the road by what can only be described as a large 5G metal antenna. This device began to pick up its pace and eventually chased me down an alleyway, where a drone hovered above, as if it was tracking me and I ended up at a dead end. Shortly after, I could feel I was turning into a tomato??? But it doesn’t matter because at least I’m protected against Covid 19 :) Before anyone quotes me, as there is always one, let me say, except for the part about having a jab, the rest did not happen.
But it’s quite extraordinary how some people within our community, still believe in these ridicules conspiracy theories. Even if they accept that there is a virus called Covid, “But many more people die from the flu”, a neighbour opined to me last week. I replied, “But that’s not true” and proceeded to point out the facts. According to the World Health Organisation, around 450,000 – 500,000 people die each year from the flu. In a really bad exceptional year, that figure jumps to 650,000, but that is extremely rare. So far, more than four times as many people worldwide have died from Covid. Those that survive, well some of them, have all sorts of long term health issues, including body pain, chronic fatigue and sometimes, difficulty in breathing normally. In addition, almost every single country in the world does NOT lock down for flu. So why do we prefer to listen to the “bloke”
in the shul down the road, instead of the overwhelming medical experts across the world? Another neighbour remarked on how it was a “chillul Hashem” for a Jewish newspaper, (not the Jewish Weekly) to print a story of the regular illegal weddings taking place in Stamford Hill. This person went on to say, “We cannot stop weddings. Young people need to get married – it’s our way of life.” I replied, “A wedding needs a chupah, mesadeh kiddushin and two witnesses – You don’t need 200 people to sit down at a 5-course meal with dazzling dancing in between courses and music that makes your ears pop.” My response didn’t go down too well because the reply was, many of the guests are family members in any case. I happen to be in one of the safest shuls in town, where the windows and back
doors are open, ushering in a whiff of cold fresh air, circulating the Beis Hamedrash. Everyone wears masks over their mouth and nose and we exercise the one metre ruling. We do it to protect each other as we have lost several members of our shul, to this dreadful plague. The official figures of Jewish burials related to Covid in the UK today, has reached just under 850. I recall older folk calling one of the phone-in shows on LBC Radio last month, saying during the blitz, the rule was clear – when you hear the sirens at night, you turn out your lights. But one gentleman explained there were some who refused to adhere to the rules because, “It infringed on my personal freedom and right to choose.” The problem was in keeping his lights on, he put everyone else in danger, as the German bombers didn’t care which civilians they killed. Ve’Nishmartem Meod Lenafshoseichem (The mitzvah of self preservation) is what comes to mind when we ignore the danger and come into contact with people, outside our immediate circle. Someone who erroneously believes, “If I’m alright Jack, it’s OK” is foolish. Just for the record, I believe in going to shul and learning, if the environment can be made safe. I believe in getting our kids back to school and ourselves back to work again, if we can do so safely. The vaccine distribution is making excellent progress in the UK and we have a clear path ahead. But to ignore the rules completely, hold illegal weddings and create hatred against our community has got to be wrong on all levels. We should be setting the example, not causing people to loath and hate us. James Marlow is a broadcast commentator and communications trainer Facebook: James Jeremy Marlow Twitter: @James_J_Marlow
Zoombombing and Covid conspiracy theories make CST annual report OPINION PIECE BY DR DAVE RICH , DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT THE COMMUNITY SECURITY TRUST This year’s Antisemitic Incident Report from CST shows how adaptable antisemitism can be, always changing to find the best fit with whatever is going on in our society. In 2020 the restrictions imposed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic affected daily life and the Jewish community in many ways, and antisemitism changed as a result. For example, CST recorded fewer antisemitic hate incidents affecting Jewish schools, students and staff than in previous years, because for much of the year many of our schools were either closed or ran a reduced operation. The same goes for abuse shouted at congregants walking
to or from synagogue services, which also fell in number because during last year’s lockdowns there were fewer synagogues open, and those that were open often had fewer people attending services. This doesn’t mean the antisemitism went away. As so much of Jewish community life moved online, with religious, educational and social events taking place on zoom, so the antisemitic abuse followed them online. CST recorded several incidents of Jewish community events being targeted with ‘zoombombing’, where groups of people would gain illicit access to a community event and then shout or post antisemitic abuse until they were thrown out. It seems that hate will always find a way through, and CST had to develop new guidance for online security to shut down this avenue. We all spent much more time at home last year than is normally the case, and
many people have felt increased stress and anxiety during the pandemic. It is easy to see how this combination of tension and opportunity can lead to conflict, and consequently CST recorded an increase in antisemitic incidents at people’s homes last year. Perhaps the most telling aspect of this adaptation of antisemitism is in the way conspiracy theories about Coronavirus kept popping up in the incidents reported to CST last year. Some antisemites claimed that the virus was all a hoax, invented by Jews for some malevolent purpose; others said it was a real virus but Jews either invented it or were deliberately spreading it. Either way, they sought to blame Jews for the latest terrible and frightening development in the world – just as antisemites always have done. Most sickeningly, when the virus ripped through our Jewish communities
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in March and April last year and so many people sadly died as a result, there were antisemites on social media celebrating this fact. While antisemitism will always adapt to new circumstances, it is vital that CST does the same. CST kept working throughout the year, with remote working and new Covid-secure operating procedures for volunteers and staff. This ensured that we were always able to respond to antisemitic incidents and give our community the support and protection they need, via our dedicated Incidents Team and our 24/7 emergency national security centre, which has remained operational throughout the pandemic. Even if the patterns of antisemitism change from year to year, the threat it poses to our community does not, and CST will always find new ways to respond to it.
