A ThinkIn with David Baddiel on Jews Don't Count

David Baddiel’s new book, Jews Don’t Count, has been described by Caitlin Moran as a “delicious, and occasionally sobering, truth bomb.” In it, he makes the case that progressive identity politics – which works to eliminate homophobia, sexism, ableism and especially racism – has a blind spot with anti-Semitism. The history of anti-Semitism, he argues, is not well understood by people who self-define as being ‘on the right side of history’, and as a consequence, this particularly insidious and persistent form of discrimination is being allowed to thrive.

David Baddiel is an author, comedian and screenwriter. He has written and performed in a series of highly successful TV comedy shows, including The Mary Whitehouse Experience and Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned. He is the author of four novels as well as six books for children which have sold over 1 million copies. He lives in London.

Editor:
James Harding
Co-founder and Editor, Tortoise

Wednesday 17th February 2021

[maltesetony]

Given the horrendous genocidal onslaught by Israel in Gaza since October 2023, I do hope that the boy Baddiel is planning a follow-up to his book, "Jews Don't Count" - "Palestinians Don't Count", perhaps?

[splinterbyrd]

When was the last time in the UK that someone was murdered similarly to Stephen Lawrence, but because he's Jewish?

[andrewwhyte]

Read the 2-volume (separated by decades) To Eliminate the Opiate, by the Rabbi Marvin Antelmann.

[DerekNewtonKeswick]

I’m surprised at the low view count for this video considering the guest & topic. YouTube’s algorithms at work?

[upendasana]

Whats disturbing about that example that the social worker gave is that this woman's Jewish identity was being used to exclude her potentially from accessing services and the help that she needed, how sad

[bredbox]

Important topic. Cheers to David for sticking his neck out and speaking about it

[paulbougie]

I'm eagerly awaiting his sequel ..."Palestinians Count Even

[StratsRUs]

Took him 25 years to apologise for repeated blackface.
Just because of his own interest.
Appalling

[Narcjus]

2014. Tricycle Theatre. Antisemitism in action. Mayor of London B**** Waiting for the condemnation that never came. He was so popular at the time, just a few words could have stopped it in its tracks.

[twombley]

How does Baddiel feel about the attacks on Jeremy Corbyn, who could, in no way way be descrtibed as anti -Semitic? It contributed to at least six years of Tory 'government' which has made everything worse for everybody.,

[comedychannels]

Baddiel is a virtue signalling " I'm a victim, I'm a victim " a sad, weak character .indeed.

[siobhanstrauss]

David Baddiel is like a decent bottle of wine 🍷 🍶

[andyjay]

David Baddiel should acknowledge that Spurs fans started the Yid army stuff to try and dilute and nullify the toxic nastiness of the opposing fans
hatefulness .
In a way they were copying the actions of the Danish Royal family and Danish people when they started to wear a yellow Star of David on their clothing after the Nazis had ordered the Jews to that, in order to make the Jews, different and apart from, the Danish people.
Understandably, Jewish people find the word itself offensive, however well intentioned the motive of the
Spurs fans was.

[charliemctruth]

I lasted 40 seconds...I escaped ..it was a miracle//
Only kvetching

[twombley]

Or his own attack on Ken Livingstone, who stated some historical, but inconvenient (for Israel) facts about the Nazis and their views of Zionism. So 'A Think-In' with DB is a bit of a misnomer becasue there's abviously not much thinking going on.

[techhie]

Get something straight David Baddiel and others. Jews are not a "race". They are followers of a religion. When the Black man Sammy Davis Jr adopted Judaism, his race did not suddenly change. It is discrimination, NOT racism. Like hating Muslims. Or hating Huguenots. Ask the French how that hatred worked out.

[thundertick]

Jews certainly count ... but, sadly, David doesn't. He's not informed about his subject, and hopes that his celebrity and personal opinions will make up for that. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

[zapre]

No group in history has cried about opression so much, yet faced so little of it in comparission to everyone else.

[lightningtwostrikes]

I don’t believe David Baddiel is sincere for a second. He is highly selective when it comes to antisemitism and dips in and out of it when he feels it’s best his narrative. Basically he’s Jewish when he thinks there’s some moral or financial benefit.

He conveniently refuses for the flimsiest reason to engage with the debate on apartheid in Israel and the awful atrocities still taking place to this day.

He was a clumsy racist in the past, then chose to publicly apologise when he realised it was best for his career. But not to the person he racially targeted.