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Nicholas Bird's avatar

I felt very sad reading this article.

I have a small anecdote that gives me some hope. I had to come into the city today (I also live in Melbourne) and the tram stopped at the Arts Centre. A woman from Yarra Trams calmly explained that the trams had to stop outside the city because of the anti-Israel rallies.

At that point, I got angry. I snapped and said something like, "these people are sick - they're lowlife anti-Semites." The woman from Yarra Trams responded, "hallelujah - someone agrees with me."

It reminded me that there are plenty of sensible people out there. But the sensible people aren't the vocal ones.

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David's avatar

Wowzers. Even as a non-Jewish atheist, I found that a bruising read, like being gut punched and copping blows to the head as I attempted to understand and absorb the obvious pain and despair being communicated. I can only imagine how Jewish people are feeling as one year on the long, long fight continues.

I'm a subscriber to the excellent History of the Crusades podcast series. As a patron, I have access to some extra episodes, including some on the Jewish experience in the Middle Ages. The massacres in the Rhineland preceding the Second Crusade and the birth of the blood libel in Norwich are particularly illuminating on the failure of those in charge to prevent them and the readiness of the masses to believe anything negative about Jews. It's pretty clear to me that after nearly 1,000 years, nothing much has changed except the Jews ability to defend themselves. So they must fight, and more power to their arms.

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