Off Topic Politics Thread

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tomw24 said:
National threat level for terrorism raised to severe. Ian will be furious.
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But it wasn't terrorism, it was mental health remember. Just like the Nottingham killings - despite pretty much every shred of evidence and every actual expert in this stuff saying that this was clearly directed at a group of people, and the fact he was referred to Prevent etc etc. Anything to not say the thing that's glaring Ian in the face and shouting at him, because then he might actually have to consider that he's wrong.
 
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StJabbo1 said:
That's a well over the top generalisation the which ignores right wing anti-semitism, the BNP and EDL other white supremacists, and neo-Nazis. It reads as a C&P from the Mail comments section or a spiked article.

This from Sage Journals which may not suit your narrative and, although from the US, pretty well matches UK and European attitudes.
"It's mooted that antisemitism is not exclusive to one side of the political spectrum, but rather it acts as a "horseshoe" where the far-left and far-right converge. However, while antisemitic tropes are found across the political divide, studies have indicated that it is currently more prevalent among the far-right, particularly among young white men, and often links to white nationalist ideologies."
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"In the past 20 years, Islamic extremists have killed 95 (over 900 injured, from google) people in the UK. The ‘far right’ that we endlessly hear of has killed three. In 2020, it was reported that of the 43,000 extremists monitored by MI5, more than 90 per cent were Islamists.

Recent events bear this out. Who attacked the Heaton Park synagogue in October? Who allegedly set fire to four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green last month? Who was recently convicted for planning to gun down as many Jews as their ammunition allowed at a march against anti-Semitism in Manchester in 2024? It wasn’t the far right. It wasn’t someone who had been ‘radicalised’ by watching Tommy Robinson videos. It was Islamists or suspected Islamists in every case."


"The United Arab Emirates now discourages students from studying in Britain because of the pervasive influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. That a Muslim country can identify a threat that the British authorities can’t, or won’t, hardly inspires optimism."


Another Spiked article for you to froth over. The reason you regularly slag off Spiked is because you've got no answer to the articles about terrorists and their friends. Below is an article from the Guardian which must be true.

www.theguardian.com

The shame of antisemitism on the left has a long, malign history | Philip Spencer

The origins of today’s crisis in Labour date back to the 19th century, and ever since Jews have been seen as a problem by a strain of socialist thought
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
HIGNFY
It'sOnlyAGame said:
"In the past 20 years, Islamic extremists have killed 95 (over 900 injured, from google) people in the UK. The ‘far right’ that we endlessly hear of has killed three. In 2020, it was reported that of the 43,000 extremists monitored by MI5, more than 90 per cent were Islamists.

Recent events bear this out. Who attacked the Heaton Park synagogue in October? Who allegedly set fire to four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green last month? Who was recently convicted for planning to gun down as many Jews as their ammunition allowed at a march against anti-Semitism in Manchester in 2024? It wasn’t the far right. It wasn’t someone who had been ‘radicalised’ by watching Tommy Robinson videos. It was Islamists or suspected Islamists in every case."


"The United Arab Emirates now discourages students from studying in Britain because of the pervasive influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. That a Muslim country can identify a threat that the British authorities can’t, or won’t, hardly inspires optimism."


Another Spiked article for you to froth over. The reason you regularly slag off Spiked is because you've got no answer to the articles about terrorists and their friends. Below is an article from the Guardian which must be true.

www.theguardian.com

The shame of antisemitism on the left has a long, malign history | Philip Spencer

The origins of today’s crisis in Labour date back to the 19th century, and ever since Jews have been seen as a problem by a strain of socialist thought
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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I take your point on recent events. My point was not so much the religious divide but the political. I don't deny the left has a poor record as does the right, NF in the past more recently BNP and EDL Usually the extremes of each but sadly not only confined to the fringes. I was intending to counter the left only impression given by some posters. The frothing and foaming is more often found in the spiked articles rhetoric.
 
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IOAG

Thanks for your posts.

I understand your comments and some of your comments about Islamic extremism are unfortunately correct.

However, I would be interested to read what your solution is. I think that the safety in the UK is being jeopardised by world events but do not have an idea as to how this can be countered. It is very much a fact of life these days where opinions can be circulated quite so quickly.

As I expect that there are quite a few of us in here would would be keen to understand how you would deal with this because I think anti-Israel views are now very much part of the mainstream. I do not see any improvement after the next general election where many independent Muslim MPs are anticipated to be elected on a Pro-Palestine ticket. We are not going to be in a better place after the election and I would predict that parliament will be even less inclined to support Israel after the general election.

I am not sure that there is a solution. If anything, the pro-Palestine movement will have a greater voice as a consequence of the actions of Israel. Allowing the Americans to use our air bases should have been denied from the start and I really wish we had done everything possible to divorce ourselves from the actions of America and Israel. Unfortunately, the Iranians will take advantage of this as they are aware that Muslims in Europe are aghast that Trump has unleashed the might of his military on the pretext of the spoofy argument that Iran could use nuclear weapons against Europe.

In my opinion, the West is now in a position where it is in the wrong. There is no case to support Israel and I do think that mainstream opinion is against what they are doing yet our governments either go along with Trump or are not demonstrably opposed to him.

I do not see the situation improving and expect that the increased representation of Muslims in the British parliament will ultimately render the position of currently taken by Starmer to be very much against the mainstream.
 
Ian Thumwood said:
IOAG

Thanks for your posts.

I understand your comments and some of your comments about Islamic extremism are unfortunately correct.

However, I would be interested to read what your solution is. I think that the safety in the UK is being jeopardised by world events but do not have an idea as to how this can be countered. It is very much a fact of life these days where opinions can be circulated quite so quickly.

As I expect that there are quite a few of us in here would would be keen to understand how you would deal with this because I think anti-Israel views are now very much part of the mainstream. I do not see any improvement after the next general election where many independent Muslim MPs are anticipated to be elected on a Pro-Palestine ticket. We are not going to be in a better place after the election and I would predict that parliament will be even less inclined to support Israel after the general election.

I am not sure that there is a solution. If anything, the pro-Palestine movement will have a greater voice as a consequence of the actions of Israel. Allowing the Americans to use our air bases should have been denied from the start and I really wish we had done everything possible to divorce ourselves from the actions of America and Israel. Unfortunately, the Iranians will take advantage of this as they are aware that Muslims in Europe are aghast that Trump has unleashed the might of his military on the pretext of the spoofy argument that Iran could use nuclear weapons against Europe.

In my opinion, the West is now in a position where it is in the wrong. There is no case to support Israel and I do think that mainstream opinion is against what they are doing yet our governments either go along with Trump or are not demonstrably opposed to him.

I do not see the situation improving and expect that the increased representation of Muslims in the British parliament will ultimately render the position of currently taken by Starmer to be very much against the mainstream.
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Okay, going to take this post seriously, as at least there's some vague level of reasonableness to it, Ian.

First off - "there is no case to support Israel" - that's actually the only part I take issue with. There's plenty of case to support Israel in a general sense. I don't mean in the ferocity and continuation of their action - that's harder to completely justify. But in their quest to survive as a nation whilst surrounded by (governing elements of) nations that espouse their absolute destruction, I think there's a case that even the most fervent opponent can understand, unless they're being that...well...y'know...that thing that you love to deny or at best, not face.

Regardless of that, I agree/disagree with IOAG on many things, but it's not for him to come up with a solution for you to chew on. If the problem in the UK is coming from the Muslim diaspora, or those that are pro-Palestine. That's your guys, Ian. So it's actually for you to come up with the proposed solution if we're "not going to be on a better ticket" when independent, pro-Palestine candidates come into positions of power. If the issue is that, and "instances of Islamic extremism", then the solution is not incumbent on the Jewish people, but on those that are the problem, and those that tacitly support the protagonists of this problem.

I'm sure you'll come back on me now to say "well if Israel something something didn't do something" - but no. Not acceptable. The Jewish people in the UK aren't the Israeli government (much as you'll fervently argue that the people of Palestine aren't Hamas, or the people of Lebanon aren't Hezbollah - see the similarity?). If a cohort of swans rose up against a group of geese because there was a Canada goose, based in Toronto, that was a dick - you'd rightly say that it was up to the swans to sort their **** out, not the British geese.
 
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In the interest of balance. A google search 'the rise in anti-semitism and islamophobia in UK and Europe in 2026' got the response below. There are numerous links to diverse verifiable sources in the search result. I also note references in the thread to terrorist attacks such as Manchester and London not specifically Jewish or Islamic targets.

"By early 2026, antisemitism and Islamophobia in the UK and Europe have reached critical levels, described as a "national emergency" in the UK and a "wave" of hostility across Europe. Driven by ongoing Middle East conflicts, political tension, and the weaponization of social media, both forms of hatred have become institutionalized challenges, impacting daily life, safety, and community relations.

Antisemitism in 2026
  • Surge in Incidents: Following the October 7, 2023, attacks, antisemitic incidents in the UK have remained at historically high levels, with 3,700 incidents recorded in 2025, the second-highest annual total after 2023.
  • Violence in UK: In April 2026, UK authorities declared a "national emergency" after a series of arson attacks on synagogues in London and a terror stabbing of two Jewish men in North London.
  • European Trends: In Europe, 55% of citizens perceive antisemitism as a problem, with 47% believing it has increased in their country, citing graffiti, vandalism, and online hate. Reports show that in 2024, four in five European Jews reported concealing their identity.
  • Drivers: The rise is often linked to ideological extremism, including far-left anti-Zionism and far-right activity, with 69% of Europeans agreeing that Middle East conflicts affect the perception of Jewish people locally.
Islamophobia in 2026
  • Unprecedented Rise: In the UK, Islamophobic incidents surged by 377% between 2023 and 2024. Reports show that anti-Muslim hate reached record levels in 2024, with over 6,000 cases verified.
  • Targeting of Visible Muslims: Hate incidents are increasingly targeting visibly Muslim individuals, particularly women wearing religious attire, with a 73% increase in assault cases in 2024.
  • Institutional & Social Impact: The UK has seen widespread misinformation, such as during the summer 2024 riots, which targeted hotels housing asylum seekers.
  • European Situation: Similar to the UK, European countries have reported a "manifold" increase in hate incidents against Muslims. Germany, for example, reported a 140% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes since October 2023.
Common Trends and Drivers
  • Middle East Spillover: Both forms of prejudice spike in response to escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  • Digital Hate & Polarization: Social media platforms (such as X/Twitter) act as catalysts for the spread of misinformation and hate, often turning online abuse into offline violence.
  • Political Response: In response, the UK government has announced initiatives to tackle anti-Muslim hatred and has pledged enhanced security funding for Jewish communities.
  • Safety Concerns: A significant proportion of both communities report avoiding public spaces or events due to safety fears.
 
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SaintsForTheWin said:
The bottom line is. There are far too many horrifically ignorant / hateful people on this planet.
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Yep this is it. Sadly society seems to make excuses for those people nowadays compared to 20 years ago. Social media has a lot to do with it I feel. Or maybe it come in cycles similar to the abhorrent racism rampant in the 80s for example
 
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Libby said:
Don't think anyone would argue that mate. Why do you describe it as so called out of interest?
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Because I don't believe that criticising the Israeli government equates to hating Jewish people per se.
I strongly disagree with a lot of the actions of Netanyahu but would be horrified to be described a some sort of racial or religious bigot.
 
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