Is it cos Levy is a Jew?

Now. Lord Levy.

Yesterday The Times ran this:

Lord Levy’s rabbi, Yitzchak Schochet, said Jews were scared that the inquiry would lead to “one Jew being hung out to dry”.

Firstly, is this true? Yes, I think it is. Michael Levy is respected in the Jewish community for his work for charity and his success in business and politics. And Jews (including me) are saddened that he is in trouble. There is also a feeling of community embarrassment that a prominent and successful Jew should end up as the one in the firing line.

Second, has there been anti-Semitism in coverage of Lord Levy's plight? Well, from time to time, there have been careless headlines (e.g. You've got to pick a pocket or two) and descriptions (bouffant hairdo and so on) that Jews are sensitive about and might have been better avoided.

But, third, is Lord Levy in the spotlight because he is a Jew? Has he been "hung out to dry" because he is the only Jew involved? Is anti-Semitism the cause of the position he finds himself in?

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Rabbi Schochet is making a terrible error. If you start hinting at anti-Semitism whenever a Jew is in trouble you undermine the very idea. You make people wary of real claims, ones justified by the evidence.

There's enough genuine anti-Semitism about. And it is difficult enough to make people take it seriously.

Comments

[Alex R]

can you explain what is offensive about commenting about Levy's "bouffant hairdo"?

[Sunny]

Well said.

[michael]

I completely agree. Quite recently I recall lots of unpleasant comment about Ruth Kelly's Catholicism and Opus Dei - nasty but par for the course I'm afraid. I am concerned about a lot of the unpleasantness directed at the Jewish community, which seems to be on the increase. However, in this case the community may be in danger of crying wolf - making others less sympathetic to real anti-semitism when it occurs.

[James Kennett]

Yes, the "bouffant hairdo" remark puzzled me too. Why is that offensive?

[adam]

Good points.

I guess that, on the one hand, there is the fear that a high-profile legal evisceration of a corrupt man that is jewish will reinforce the anti-semitism of some and on the other, there is the question of whether that man is being picked out because he's a Jew. It may be that the rabbi is confusing the two.

[Freya]

I had absolutely no idea that Levy was a jew, until now. Why does it matter either way? He's been accused of doing something wrong, I don't get why his being a jew means he is less likely to have actually done something wrong.
Being German, I guess the idea of antisemitism horrifies me and I find it hard to believe it still happens at all - i'm obviously naive.

[Jeremy Jacobs]

I've posted something at "Corporate Presenter" Daniel.

Schochet is a fool.

[James White]

I hardly think being a jew changes the fact of this "sleezy" mess.
It just goes on and on...
Just last week we hear that a certain young American Woman " Courtney Coventry"
( Mail on sunday 25th March and upteen news and blog sites) is entertained at the house of Lords and Downing Street for Donations and it would seem "Cash for honours" was in the air !
It will I think be a very damming statement that she gives to the police.

[Michael Woods]

I was amazed to read the article on Lord Levy relating to “cash for honors” and it is so strange as to why this whole degrading scandal has taken so long, before the police act ,we do not yet know if they are going to charge anyone. A lot of talk, but no action…. As yet !

In my openion, Lord Levy is a very nasty piece of work, who seems, from what the story and this girl Courtney Coventry says, controls Blair! What a surprise! Puppet on a string!

There really is no honour these days, I can remember when members of the Government Lord,Knights,Prime Ministers and Ministers would Never lie to Parliament or the public and would resign instantly if such a scandal like this broke. Today, things seem very different, today they all hang on to power at any cost!

The press and media are just as bad, anything for a good headline and story, regardless of the truth, For example, this American girl, Courtney Coventry rather stupidly goes to Newspaper to tell a story of how Lord levy offers “Cash for honours“, she then goes to the Police, which she should have done in the first place. The newspaper, takes her story, “Lord Levy cash for honors” and then proceeds to rubbish her, by achieving in there eyes a much better headline.” Bogus Count and Porn star” neither of which was relevant to the story, her husband was NOT Bogus and she certainly was NOT a Porn star. But didn’t the headline sound better!! Interestingly, the majority of Internet Blog sites got the Truth and corrected the story!

Michael Woods.