The trailer for a new BBC programme about British Jews has been swamped with antisemitic comments on YouTube, with people anonymously accusing participants of being part of the “Synagogue of Satan” and claiming that “you can’t really be both British and Jewish simultaneously.”
We are British Jews is a two-part show which focuses on eight people, who hold a wide range of political opinions, travelling to Israel together. The first episode is due to air on Tuesday night, while the second part will airing on Wednesday.
Sources close to the show told the JC that the abuse had been raised with the participants, who insisted that it not be deleted because it showed the strength of feeling against Jews in Britain.
The BBC published a 20-second trailer for the show last Thursday. In the following days, numerous antisemitic comments appeared below the video.
“At best these people have split loyalties. At worst they are loyal to Israel first, or entirely”, one post said.
Another quoted a verse from the New Testament which is closely associated with Christian antisemitism: "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie."
Another commenter said: “You can't really be both Jewish and British simultaneously. It's one or the other, choose your tribe.”
In response to one commenter asking “If you love Israel so much why don't you move there?”, another person responded “because the embassy pays them to infiltrate the labour party and create a pro-Israel lobby in the UK, and around the world. Al-jazeera made a documentary on it.” However, a third antisemitic account then claimed that Al Jazeera itself “is a Zionist psyop like RT.”
The first episode of We Are British Jews airs at 9pm on Tuesday on BBC 2.