Perspectives on antisemitism

A new CST publication, Perspectives on antisemitism (pdf), brings together the thoughts and ideas of some of the members of CST's Advisory Board about antisemitism, racism, society and CST's work.

Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks:

Antisemitism may begin with Jews, but it never ends with them. The reason is that, in essence, it is hatred of difference – of those who, like Jews, do not fit the stereotypes of normality, whose faith or colour or culture or history is not that of the majority. Yet difference is the essence of our humanity. It is what makes each person, each group, unique and therefore irreplaceable. So an assault on Jews is an assault on our shared humanity, and a danger to us all.

Chief Constable Peter Fahy:

Hate crime is a complex policing issue, not least because its root causes are often more complex than a simple theft or assault. Reducing hate crime demands education and a change of attitude; things which sometimes take generations to achieve.

Sir Walter Bodmer:

...there is no biological justification for racial categorisation, and so for racial discrimination at the individual level simply according to a person’s origins. We should all be treated as individuals, whatever our particular origins or genetic make-up. Racism and antisemitism, or any other discrimination based on a person’s origins, simply have no objective rationale.

Baroness Verma:

Communities can change considerably when the message of peace starts early and remains a thread by which we all are tied. Impacts of what happens in other places will always play a role in our lives, but to what extent we use it as a lever for progress or destruction lies in our hands.

Sir Martin Gilbert:

Churchill was once asked to say what he thought the future had in store. He answered, wisely: ‘The future, though imminent, is obscure.’

CST has to penetrate that obscurity with a bright light. We are all of us the safer as a result of its efforts.