The "Blame Game" - Why just blaming Muslims or Leftists for the rise in antisemitism is dangerous

A cursory glance at social media posts from pro-Jewish/ Israeli pages will soon reveal how contributors are understating or oversimplifying the root causes of modern day antisemitism. Many blame modern hate against Jews as being the fault of  "the Left", without ever clearly defining who they really mean. For some it refers to those on the hard left (Communists, anarchists etc), while for others it includes liberals, social democrats or those who associate their ideas with the Democratic Party.

But there is another sizable group joining the "Blame Game" and these are those who broadly support the Radical Right and point a grubby racist finger at Muslims, despite evidence showing most hate crime against Jews has led to the arrest of White British or American citizens. This is not to say that some Muslims are not antisemitic, or that a disturbing number of incidents have occurred where some Muslims have used various techniques to threaten or intimidate Jews, but, I would argue they are a minority amongst the larger Islamic population who wish to live peaceably. For those Muslims perpetrating threatening behaviour I would argue our judicial system is capable of inflicting harsh custodial sentencing and I would urge this to be put into action.

In the UK there are currently approximately 4m Muslims accounting for roughly 6.5% of the overall  population. Of these, it is believed about 200,000 could be described as 'radical', though not necessarily criminal. Unquestionably this is entirely unacceptable and no society can, or should accept rule by a minority desiring the implementation of Sharia Law. Indeed, this writer would argue if you do not like the rules of a country the solution is very simple - leave or we should help you. But all this is an entirely different argument and for another time.

In the UK last year there were roughly 4,000 reported hate crimes perpetrated against Jewish people and there are signs this may be on the increase, BUT there is no evidence Muslims are the key perpetrators, suggesting accusations of Muslim created antisemitic violence against Jews is both fallacious and dangerous.

As for arguing the fault lies with the "Left" this is also problematic. In the UK there is sound evidence of antisemitism in the history of the Labour party, the trade union movement, as well as other socialist movements. Indeed, it was Marx he myself, one of the founders of modern socialism who said: "What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money". He added, "The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew".

                                             Karl Marx

Now we do know in the last few years the Labour Party in the UK has had a significant problem with internal antisemitism. We also know the far Left have consistently pilloried Israel and pushed many lies to further the 'Palestinian' cause, arguing anti-Zionism is not antisemitism despite this they have  continually pushed a range of anti-Jewish tropes to justify their actions.

It is clear these opinion are not universal across the entire Left. In the UK there are number of sizeable Leftist groups and individuals who work hard to eliminate antisemitism (eg Stop the Hate, Runnymede Trust, Antisemitism Policy Trust), while in the US groups like Combat Against Antisemitism, Shine a Light, and the Philos Project do they part to eradicate hatred.

So while acknowledging there is evidence of Leftist Antisemitism, it would be wrong to argue this is universal, or that all left wing politicians are, by definition antisemitic.

On the opposite side of the political spectrum both the UK and US have long and deep roots in both fascism and Nazism. In the UK early signs were visible with the British Fascisti in the 1920's then, from this grew  the antisemitic British Union of Fascists under the leadership of Oswald Mosley who achieved an active membership of 50,000; statistics that obscure a far larger public support that could have taken the party to government had there not been a war and/or Defence Regulation 18b.

Similarly in the US, the violent and virulently antisemitic Ku Klux Klan attained an estimated 8m members and secured a strong influence within the US government. Admittedly, in both countries the membership of fascist groups declined but, this writer would argue their ideological roots have persisted and are fundamentally embedded in the culture and social mores of both countries.

                           .   Ku Klux Klan parade in Washington D.C., 1926.

Even postwar we can see evidence of active far-right antisemitic engagement in the political system of both nations (in the UK there is an early postwar lineage going back to Mosley's Union Movement moving through to the BNP and NF and more recent Patriotic Alternative, New British Union and Britain First; and similarly in the US we see the far right continuation of antisemitism within large sections of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, as well as countless far right groups present in every state. Add to that a more violent and dangerous type of antisemitic hate group in the terrorist organisation, Atomwaffen.Division).

Quite clearly, we see how postwar fascist or Nazi groups were forced out from the traditional political ingroup to a seemingly unwelcome outgroup - it became no longer politically acceptable to espouse race hate, but let us also never forget that previous members of these far right groups did not lose their sympathy for virulent antisemitism, they simply learned to remain silent, or find a way to sanitise it. Indeed, we have seen how a number of extremist far right politicians sanitised their past by later appearing moderate and mainstream.

The first action these 'hidden' fascists chose was to show how the US and Europe had learned from the Nazis and become civilised continents where hatred of Jews was in the past.

One effect of this pastification of antisemitism is that if people say that there is antisemitism in the air today or that they themselves are victims of antisemitism, they must either be mistaken, over-sensitive, delusionary or worst of all dishonest. Those who complain about antisemitism, or fight against antisemitism, or even wish peacefully to study antisemitism, cannot be right since it is already established that antisemitism no longer exists except on the fringes of right-wing extremism. The secret agenda some people see behind the ‘charge’ of antisemitism is that of defending Israel against its critics. We are told that the charge of antisemitism is abused in order to defend the indefensible. In this way, antisemitism appears as a ploy designed by Zionists to let Israel get away with murder. 

One dodgy presumption behind this argument is that Israel cannot be defended openly, so that its defenders have to resort to underhand tactics.  Another is that criticism of Israel is not ‘as such’ antisemitic or more strongly that no criticism of Israel can under any circumstance ever be antisemitic. A moment’s thought should disabuse us of this prejudice. It’s a bit like saying that no criticism of, say, India or Zimbabwe can ever be racist. If we criticise governments in India and Zimbabwe for being authoritarian or for abusing human rights, there might indeed be nothing racist about such criticism. But if we were to say that Indians and Africans are incapable of ruling themselves, we would be right back at ingrained notions of the superiority of the white race or of European civilisation.  

We must therefore come to the dangerous conclusion these 'hidden modern-day fascists', both left and right, have a vested interest in denying any existence of  antisemitism, for to do so would assume some kind of personal responsibility. When the data showed a rise in violence against Jews they were forced (as we saw being done by Leftist Jew-haters) to obscure their hate agenda by redefining antisemitism and their first port of call to achieve this is always Israel. They do it by arguing anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Put quite simply, the circle is then complete and both Left and Right are united in their hate.

What makes this disturbing in my mind is how elements within "our side" (ie Jews and our supporters) water down, or use sophistry or obfuscation to identify the genuine causes of antisemitism to suit their own political ends - and so,  the "right" blame the "left", or the "left" blame the *right", while, racists can blame it all on Muslims, thus preventing anything being done, so nothing changes, scapegoats keep being found and, as has happened for two thousand Jews continue to live in fear waiting with heads bowed for the next pogrom.

Political comment

If anything has become clear in the last two thousand years it is that an understanding of the 'oldest hate' will not come from a single explanation. Social scientists have worked for many years to do that and without success beyond a final realisation - there are many possible reasons.

When dealing with such a critical issue as the hatred of the Jewish people, there can be nothing more dangerous, more cruel and more heartless than to encourage reductionism. It excuses some of the offenders and people who perpetrate this reductionism protects those who are guilty, ignored or remain unidentified. 

It was Aristotle who said: “Not being of the same tribe is a cause of strife until they “breathe in sync” for just as a state does not develop from an accidental mob, so too it does not come together at an accidental time.”

Transparently antisemitism is one of the biggest 'strifes' society  has ever seen compounded by reductionists refusing to see the big picture and taking a deeply flawed 'blame a single bad guy' approach. In doing so they excuse hatred and harm those who fight to end antisemitism - and to those reductionists both left and right, I can only say one thing - for obscuring, justifying and minimising the hatred of the Jewish people, a plague on all your houses.

An Iranian spy-ring on the heart of London?

According to reports, an Iranian spy recruitment ring is operating openly in London and the Islamic Republic is exploiting Britain’s “permissive environment” as a base for its Western intelligence-gathering and propaganda campaigns, according to the newspaper.

It seems the UK's permissive environment is common knowledge at this point, with charitable organisations linked to the antisemitic regime operating freely here, repeated glorification of the terrorist IRGC and regime leadership on our streets, propagandistic events on campuses and vigils for assassinated terrorist figures that run absolutely counter to our values. Iranian state television still operates in the UK, and the regime itself continues to enjoy a diplomatic foothold.

British authorities have been warned that an Iranian spy recruitment network is operating openly in London, with the country’s state broadcaster, Press TV, reportedly serving as a front to identify and cultivate intelligence assets, according to reporting by The Telegraph. The network is said to exploit Britain’s permissive environment to gather information on Western targets and propagate Tehran’s interests.

Press TV, the English-language channel of Iran’s state broadcaster, maintains a studio in London and is alleged to have produced programming that effectively created a “target list for terrorists” by highlighting Jewish charities, schools, and community organisations, officials told The Telegraph. Concerns have risen following a recent anti-Semitic arson attack in north London, where two men were arrested after ambulances owned by a Jewish charity were set alight outside a synagogue. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, amid fears the incident could be linked to Iran.

Earlier this month, two Iranian nationals were charged with spying for Tehran after allegedly conducting surveillance of the Israeli embassy in London and Britain’s oldest synagogue, the Westminster magistrates’ court was told. Experts have long cautioned that Iranian intelligence services routinely target Jewish communities, Israelis, and Iranian dissidents, often using criminal intermediaries.

Police stand outside the scene of an antisemitic arson attack in the Golders Green Bneighbourhood of north London, on March 24, 2026. (AFP)

“From an Iranian perspective, London is a permissive environment,” Jonathan Hackett, a former American intelligence officer with two decades of experience in Marine Corps intelligence, told The Telegraph. He said some Press TV journalists were tasked with spotting and assessing potential recruits, using their professional credentials to gain access to both private and governmental circles. Hackett explained that the journalists would develop assets before transferring them to more experienced Tehran-based handlers.

Hackett noted that Press TV’s London office has assumed a “more significant” role in recruitment efforts as the broadcaster has been sanctioned in other Western countries. In recent years, Press TV has faced restrictions in the European Union, Australia, Canada, and the United States, with the latter citing the airing of forced confessions and the channel’s use by Iranian intelligence to recruit sensitive assets, including U.S. nationals, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The recruitment of Monica Witt, a former U.S. Air Force counter-intelligence specialist with access to top-secret defense files, was highlighted as a high-profile example. Witt was allegedly groomed by Press TV presenter Marzieh Hashemi, initially “spotting, assessing and handling” her before transferring the case to a Tehran-based officer, Hackett said. Witt defected to Iran in 2013, a development described by Hackett as a major intelligence victory for Tehran.

Press TV has also faced scrutiny for broadcasting content considered anti-Semitic. The Community Security Trust (CST), a U.K.-based Jewish charity, has criticized the channel’s programme Palestine Declassified for depicting numerous Jewish organisations and individuals as “genocidal Zionist extremists.” The CST spokesman said the programming raises safety concerns for the targeted individuals and organisations, requiring extensive monitoring and security measures. Episodes reportedly named 14 Jewish charities and criticized Jewish schools and leaders for alleged pro-Zionist activities.

Two prominent U.K. presenters of the programme include Chris Williamson, a former Labour MP now deputy leader of the Workers Party, and academic David Miller, who was dismissed from Bristol University over anti-Zionist claims but later won a workplace discrimination case. Both are noted for presenting Palestine Declassified and contributing to Press TV’s English-language output.

In response to the growing concerns, a group of Members of Parliament urged the U.K. security minister to impose financial sanctions on Press TV. David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, called the broadcaster the “international mouthpiece for Iran’s murderous regime,” highlighting its alleged role in targeting Jewish communities and propagating anti-Western narratives. Discussions at Downing Street and among officials at the Foreign Office, Home Office, and Treasury have reportedly considered measures to further restrict the channel’s operations in the U.K.

Press TV’s broadcast licence in Britain was revoked by Ofcom in 2012, and it has been banned from YouTube, yet it continues to operate via social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and X, with over one million followers. Roger Macmillan, a former director of security at independent Farsi-language broadcaster Iran International, described Press TV as operating in a “grey zone,” noting that while it may not violate broadcasting regulations, it continues to disseminate pro-regime content and anti-Semitic material.

                                                 Marzieh Hashemi, a Press TV presenter, is accused of recruiting spies for Iran 

A U.K. government spokesperson said, “We are clear-eyed about the threats posed by Iran, and our first priority is protecting British interests and British lives both in the U.K. and overseas. We have introduced a comprehensive set of additional measures aimed at countering threats posed by the Iranian regime.”

The network’s activities in London, including the alleged use of Press TV to recruit intelligence assets, remain under scrutiny amid broader security and counter-terrorism efforts.

At a time when Jewish institutions, synagogues, schools and individuals are being targeted by Iranian assets and extremist cells, we are in desperate need of a crackdown, however Starmer and his pseudo-liberal buddies seem reluctant to tackle issues that not only affect the Jewish community, but the UK as a whole,

The possibility of an Iranian spy ring will be no great surprise to most of us, but the fact it is to Starmer is a matter of deep concern.