British Jews Express Increased Fear, Call for Dialogue

July 8, 2005

Source: Haaretz

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/597720.html

On July 8, 2005 Haaretz reported, "London's Jewish community responded to Thursday's terror attacks with shock and pain. While some saw the bombings as a sign of an increased threat to the lives of Jews in the city, others stressed the indiscriminate nature of the attacks and called for unity and more dialogue between the various population and ethnic groups... Mike Whine of Community Security Trust, an organization involved in security for the Jewish community, said the CST had published a statement urging 'extra vigilance' on the part of the community... 'Based on our experience, when terror attacks occur or when there is tension on the Israeli issue, there is also a rise in anti-Semitism,' he said. Jason Pearlman, media officer for the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the issue was not one that directly involved the Jewish community at all. 'Of course, we feel these things, but in no way was the action aimed at us,' he said. 'It has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. It isn't specific. It's a totally different level of threat that affects us all. The important thing now... is the role the community will play together with other communities to construct and move on from these atrocities.'"