Kaufman

It is a common assumption with a certain kind of person - one who favours boycotting Israel (and no other country), for example - that if there are Jews supporting or even just saying something, then the something must be free of anti-Semitic import. For a counter-example that disproves this naïve assumption, I refer you to the remarks of Gerald Kaufman MP. 'Here we are, the Jews again', he says as Louise Ellman stands up to speak in the House of Commons. OK, proportion in all things. Kaufman has not been out and about beating up Jewish children on their way to school. The remark is anti-Semitic nonetheless: it carries the suggestion that Jews are always piping up needlessly; and the suggestion that they complain when they have nothing to complain about - both standard anti-Semitic tropes. As for Kaufman's proferred apology, it's worthless. It is proferred if what he said 'caused offence'. And if it didn't? The comment was disgraceful anyway.