Three Things Every Jew Needs to Hear at the Seder This Year
4 min read
4 min read
The dangerous mainstreaming of words as weapons of war.
The Glastonbury Festival in the UK, one of the world’s largest music events, draws more than 200,000 attendees and reaches millions more via BBC livestream.
This year, that global stage was hijacked.
“Death to the IDF!” chanted the British punk-rap duo Bob Vylan. The festival crowd – many waving Palestinian flags and wearing keffiyehs – enthusiastically repeated the brazen call for violence against Jews.
Rather than intervene, BBC continued to broadcast the entire tirade – live and uninterrupted.
Next on stage was Irish band Kneecap, who peppered their set with cries of “Up Hamas! Up Hezbollah!”
This pro-terrorist hatred – under the guise of cultural expression, and normalized by mainstream media – reveals a troubling trend of antisemitism being laundered through art and activism.
“Globalize the Intifada” and “Death to the IDF” are not mere political slogans. They are calls for the murder of Jews.
As such, BBC – the largest broadcast organization in the world, reaching 450 million listeners weekly – is complicit in amplifying and mainstreaming Jew-hatred in the cultural bloodstream.
As George Orwell warned: “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful – and murder respectable.”
We’ve seen this scourge before. The heinous attacks on October 7, 2023 triggered a rapid and intense surge in global hatred of Jews.
In the United States, antisemitic acts tripled compared to the year before. In Europe, the spike was even more dramatic.
Radical groups on both the far-left and far-right seized on Israeli self-defense as a rallying cry to escalate hatred, harassment, and violence, helping to set the stage for deadly attacks on the streets of Washington DC and Boulder, Colorado.
It is a 21st century manifestation of King Solomon’s caution: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Unlike physical weapons, hateful words are often underestimated – with catastrophic consequences.
Now comes a new trigger: the 12-day Israel-Iran war.
A report by Fighting Online Antisemitism (FOA) analyzed the content of major social media platforms during the Iran war, compared to pre-war levels. Their conclusion: a doubling of support for terrorism and violence against Jews.
Sadly, the Jewish people have learned the hard way about the direct line between hate speech and violence.
Weaponizing speech to incite genocide was central to Nazi propaganda. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,” warned Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, “people will eventually come to believe it.”
These same propaganda tactics are embedded in the operational blueprints of terrorist sympathizers today. “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” the Glastonbury crowd sang in unison, as BBC streamed it to millions.
This was no isolated lapse. BBC has a longstanding institutional pattern of tolerating – even encouraging – anti-Israel sentiment.
British government records confirm that during World War II, BBC deliberately and systematically refused to report on the Holocaust. With Nazi atrocities kept under wraps, many European Jews remained tragically unaware of the genocide as it was unfolding.
As Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal observed: “Hate begins with words. But it never ends with words.”
Fortunately, this time there is some accountability. After intense backlash, BBC admitted it was a mistake not to cut the Glastonbury broadcast. Meanwhile, British police have launched a criminal investigation into Bob Vylan and Kneecap for violating public order.
And on Monday, the U.S. government revoked Bob Vylan’s visas. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred," said Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, "are not welcome visitors to our country.”
Bob Vylan had scheduled a 26-city U.S. concert tour for later this year. That tour is now cancelled.
Kneecap lost their U.S. visa under similar circumstances.
At least some people recognize that truth that throughout history has been perilously ignored: First the slogans, then the pogroms.
How ironic anti Jewish anti Israel vile charcters say " Death to the IDF" the most moral and upstanding army is the IDF sometimes even harming their own safety, if it would be another country not Israel, nobody would so anything, the nerve of the world where was the world when 6 million Jews got murdered in the Holocaust, after the Holocaust the world has no right to say anything about Jews and Israel, so it looks like the world sounds like Psalms 83 all countries are united against Jews and Israel, and King David wrote the Psalms a long time ago, it never ends good for haters of Jews/ Israel
It seems a lot of countries are hostile to Jews and Israel, even in Israel there is Muslim Arab terrorists that kill/ murder civilians and soldiers and also kidnap them, only Eichmann( may his name be erased) got the death penalty but usually don't get the death penalty and then they get freed in deals, that is very dangerous for Jews and Israel
Why doesn't anyone call out Putin for getting someone to do away with his enemies, it is pretty ironic when the IDF carries about the enemies instead of caring for their own , whoever says death to the IDF the curse should be on them, like it says the Bible whoever blesses Israel and the Jews will be blessed whoever curses the Jews and Israel they will be cursed, it looks the whole world is cursed there is a inv a sion of Muslims in countries bringing chaos and destruction to civilization, and the more hate the Jews will make aliyah to Israel it happened in France where Muslims run amok and have Shira Law( Muslim law) already, the BBC beyond stupid and obsessed with Jews and Israel, this action will cause very bad consequences for them in the long run
The BBC is anti Jewish and anti Israel even Ozzy Osborne from the Black Sabbath called out the BBC about it, also a Rabbi from Scotland that used to work on BBC quit because of the hatred of Jews and Israel, and this same rabbi from Scotland made Aliyah to Israel recently, it looks like Britain are sore lovers that Israel became a Jewish state and are upset they can't control the Jews any more, and when Britain ruled Israel they seemed to favor the Arab Muslims and not the Jews, what else is new a lot of Europe and the world have a problem with Jews and Israel, and the world eats up the lies and propaganda the the so called " Palestinans" say which are all lies and in Gaza they got the material from the Nazi( play book) make the world and Israel " Judenrein"
Not sorry, but your genocide card was truthfully DOA because of its chutzpadik reversal of the truth!
BBC has become an antisemitic terrorist mouth piece!
At this point we need to collectively stop pulling the antisemitism card. People are desensitized to it to the point it will never ever work again - The Boy Who Cried Wolf situation. People are starting to hate Israel and they know Israel is not Judaism.
Pardon me, but that's nonsense!
First of all, mentioning antisemitism has never been effective because Jew-haters and Israel-bashers say we're exhibiting paranoia (never mind that it's with good reason!).
But now that you mention it, why should anyone hate a country that's just seeking to live peacefully within its legal borders, and coming up with all sorts of innovations that benefit people everywhere on the globe?
You can call it jealousy, but then why aren't they equally or even more envious (for example) of China, the manufacturing capital of the world?
No sir, Israel is the Jewish homeland, so that's enough reason for antisemites to distort the truth and blame the real victims when they're attacked!
Hypocrits must justify their hatred, after all.
"why should anyone hate a country that's just seeking to live peacefully within its legal borders"? Then why do its own official maps clearly show that the entire region from the river to the sea is part of the "one-state reality," to use a term employed by many political scientists now that the two-state solution is dead? Why did Netanyahu stand in 2017 in "Samaria" to celebrate 50 years of settlement (yes, he was counting right from the Six Day War) and vowed: "We are here to stay forever"? Why did the Knesset officially resolve last July 18 there will never be a Palestinian state -- a fact the US now also acknowledges?
Now there are only two possible scenarios for the future -- either Israel grants citizenship to the five million stateless human beings living with zero rights within the borders shown on Israel's maps, becoming a democracy, or it continues the current ethnic cleansing and genocide to remove all five million (and likely the two million Arab citizens as well)? Israel has chosen the second option, dropping a 500-lb bomb on a crowded Gaza beachfront cafe on Monday.
Yup, keeping talking to yourself and others like you, and don't forget to totally ignore ALL the facts!
You'd make a prize-winning journalist for the leftist media, who go as far as distorting the truth to report their slanted side of the story.
Hard to believe you honestly think that anyone except for self-hating Jews, antisemites and the "Palestinian" terrorists you support are swayed by the rot you spew.
Most of those 5 million live under the PA. If they wanted to build a real working state they have every opportunity and every resource required.
Furthermore there is not the least evidence for ethnic-cleansing, certainly not of the Arab citizens in Israel! Who, by the way, are in as much danger from Hamas as the other Israelis.
The Arab Muslim in Gaza and maybe in Israel want the ethnic cleansing of Jews G _ d forbid like the Nazis ( may their name be erased) that wanted the world and now Israel to be " Judenrein" ( free of Jews) ( the word is in German) I should know history my mother( obm) was in Auschwitz-Birneau
When they took over Kush Katif in 2005 they destroyed everything that was used to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers and build tunnels for terrorism not for trains going through, but to kidnap soldiers and civilians to do terrorist acts, and the Kush Katif residents predicted it before the government kicked them out,
Your totally skewed version of both history and current events is utterly ridiculous but also expected from an Israel basher like you!
Sit down for this one Phillip.
There should never be a Palestinian state because that IS NOT in HaShems' plan.
He gave the old Canaan to His people - forever - to be divided solely between the Original ten Tribes.
As a great number of Egyptians and others joined in the Exodus and came later, He did allow for 'the stranger who lives within you'. But NO mention of their own state!
He is coming back to install His 1,000 year reign and to restore His Kingdom and its' borders.
And still no mention of a Palestinian state. Yup, sounds like forever to me. Baruch HaShem
Actually, Jordan is a so called because tec " Palestinan" state getting divided in the 1948 partition Israel got 20% and the Arab Muslims got 80% of ancient biblical Israel the East Bank of the so called West Bank( Judea and Samaria) which was all and much more of ancient biblical Israel, also the Jewish people are the real Palestinans because of Roman changing the name of "Judea" to " Palestine" because the Jews kept revolting against the Romans, this is in Jewish history, and the so called " Palestinans" are imposters trying to steal the Jewish people's identity
It's England. Expect nothing more. This is not a knock against England. I'm ashamed to say that we have the same 'hijacking' of the young mind here in America.
It looks like the Muslim Arab terrorists got the playbook from the Nazis ( may their name be erased) and their propaganda minister called Joseph Gobbels( may his name be erased) and the Arab Muslim countries have the book " Mein Kenif( my fight or my struggle) by Adolf Hitler( may his name be erased) in Arabic the original was written in German a hate manifesto, and just like the Nazis( may their name be erased) the Arab Muslims want the world and Israel " Judenrein" ( free of Jews), I am a child of a Holocaust Survivor( obm)
The real problem is that all left-wing governments and left-wing institutions are funded by the governments of Iran and Qatar (and probably other Muslim governments) to promote anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. These Muslim governments (I don't believe in Muslim extremism because all Muslims learn to hate Jews in the Quran) introduced Woke culture to weaken society and thus be able to spread the evil cult of Islam.
Sounds quite probable, unfortunately.
YES
The British leadership and their propaganda machine The BBC are anti-semitic, pure and simple. On another level, if Germany hadn't committed the Shoah, they'd probabably join forces with the European Jew-haters. By virtue of allowing pro-Hamas demon-strations to occur they pepetuate hate towards Israel and the IDF.
We as Jews are aware of you pathetic losers and we say "NEVER AGAIN"!
I really have no words. I am so beyond upset, sad and angry. I just still cannot believe what is happening. For the Jews in NY who voted for that Muslim mayor , Mondani. Which they said that Jews did. I don’t know what to say about our people. Seems like we’re still not standing together. It breaks my heart. I truly don’t understand it. Knowing what’s going on and how many Jews are getting killed just for being Jewish, how do you vote for a man who says that Israel is not a state. And is for Palestine. 🤬
The Erev Rav - he mixed multitude - of the biblical era that kept our people wandering in the desert for 40 years - these are the self-hating Jews of today. If you're waiting for Mashiach to come, I wouldn't hold my breath.
You may well be right about the first part of your statement but the latter part sounds "off": No one knows when or how Moshiach will come (which is a basic tenet of our faith), so perhaps Jews feeling hurt or bewildered by our lack of unity (or worse!) will evoke Hashem's mercy to send the Geulah sooner.
True, not all Jews will merit to experience it, just as the majority didn't witness the liberation from Egypt. But no one can deny that feeling brotherhood for Jews who identify as such, while being distressed about the alienated ones (some of whom are our worst enemies), is perfectly understandable.
Every generation or so some of the herd, including our herd, has to be culled of its detritus and shore up it's boundaries a bit in the process. When outsiders do it we call it anti-semitism, but it serves its evolutionary function. Bigger is not better, just look at the Zoroastrians, few as they are, and the Baha'i.
What a horrible thing to believe, and even worse to say!
We needn't look at any other religion—especially not the idolatrous ones—and neither those with a great number of adherents nor those who have few, because we have the Truth.
Why don't you instead consider how much other belief systems have adapted many of their core beliefs from us, the originators!
The bigger story to me is the number of Jews who consistently vote for the politicians who promote these voices. Politicians who never call for punishment of these people. Jews in Congress were among the first to throw their support behind the Jew hater who may be New York city’s next mayor.
Great job reporting, Rav Shraga. We are getting closer and closer to the grand finale.
What is that supposed to mean?
Bravo to the States for taking a stand against hate, and shame on the Brits for tolerating it!
BBC's apology is clearly worthless because of its insincerity: first they commit the moral crime of broadcasting hatred of Israel—i.e., Jews—globally (probably gleefully so, based on their despicable record), then they cry crocodile tears about it, all the while congratulating themselves for a job well done.
They think their acronym stands for British Broadcasting Corp., but they don't even realize it's actually Big Bad Corpse; however, they eventually surely will!
I'm British. I am deeply ashamed of BBC. I don't own television because its illegal to have one without paying the BBC. My apologies for the behaviour on my nation.
I didn't mean to imply that [the majority of] British Jews are at fault!
I actually feel badly that they live in a country that's so hostile to Jews.
BBC is now the analog for what has happened to the British Nation overall, they are just ticked off they started last century with the largest empire of the world had seen and by this time last year not only have they lost all of it, becoming no more than a rump state for the truncated EU, now not even that. Having lost most of the world for cause, when your choice is to hate yourself or to hate someone else, you generally choose the latter. But socialism generally hates traditions, genuine culture, anything that proves socialism doesn't work. And there are the Jews proving the point over and over and over again with each successive generation. It's the beam in their eye that irks the British people, and the BBC. The only power now for them are their foreign criminal oligarchs.
Wonderful assessment!
The UK is very ineffective at addressing the problem. The Police have already said that Kneecap will not be prosecuted. As for the BBC, it's always a case of wrongful conduct followed by an apology, but they never learn from the previous apology, as with that documentary which turned out to be a public broadcast on behalf of Hamas. As for Bob Vylan, nobody should hold their breath in expectation of anything. A lot of talk from politicians here, but zero action. At least the US government actually did something. The future for UK Jews looks bleak, you sense the problem festering below the surface, but all the politicians are too afraid to tackle it head on. Nobody wants to publicly ask why are mosques allowed to preach hatred of Jews and Israel. Heads in the sand. Until its too late.
The Irony:
The country which led the battle to defeat Naziism
is now leading Global Jew-Hatred
Free Palestine - from terror and tyranny: we’re working on it!
Historically the region was call "Palestine" by the Romans and this name was transmitted wherever Christianity spread. So it can be used in that context. That said, you are correct in that there was never a Palestinian State or Kingdom as claimed by the haters.
There is no such place as Palestine, now it is called Israel , in ancient biblical times it was called Judea until the Roman's changed the name to Palestine, in Judges Samson fought the Philestines which now they call Palestine both mean invaders, the real Palestinians are the Jews and what are you retaking about