I’m not sure why you bothered engaging with this man. I’ve travelled all over the world and if I wound up with an Arab immigrant driver who knew nothing about the city I was visiting, I’d ignore him. Even in the US, I profile which Uber/Lyft drivers I’ll accept. My husband walked off a taxi line at O’Hare when a driver in full Islamic garb and scruffy beard pulled up.
We’re traveling to an Eastern European country next month and flying from there to Tel Aviv. I’ve already reviewed the airport map so that I can tell the driver the name of a different airline in the same terminal to avoid possibly hearing an antisemitic rant.
Hello, I live and work in Italy and have had similar experiences in taxis, restaurants and hotels. The family is fortunate that all that happened was an angry antisemitic exchange, We Jews in Italy do not wear kipot or Magen David jewelry in public. We certainly do not identify as Jewish especially in isolated settings. The story is important. I have lived and worked in Italy for 22 years. My only disagreement with this piece is the use of the word "new," as in the "new face" of Europe. This is Europe today and it has been growing in this direction for more than 20 years,
Jonny, a chilling story. What stands out most is the confidence with which that hatred was expressed. It shows that antisemitism hasn’t disappeared—it has simply migrated and adapted. And until Western societies learn to distinguish between people who truly want to live within the values of open democratic cultures and those who openly reject them, we really do have to think twice about immigration policies from places where those hostile ideologies are widespread.
Ant-semitism has a long and sordid history in Europe now exacerbated by the Islamic hordes that have been allowed free access to the various EU countries. As I've said before, Islam IS the problem because it guarantees a stunted sense of just being human by sub-dividing everyone into Koranic categories leading to internal and external barbarism. Morality police, anyone?
Appreciate you sharing this story, and your unashamed owning of your Judaism and willingness to engage with a hater, despite the stress this no doubt caused you. Hashem sees all and denying your heritage would show you feared this man more than you feared G-d.
You should be recording your conversation. It may not make a difference to a taxi company but might get a driver kicked off Uber or Lyft
In Spain that conversation might have resulted in a bonus from Uber or Lyft.
All the more reason to boycott that garbage place
Your first mistake was being in Spain to begin with.
Or anywhere in Europe for that matter
I’m not sure why you bothered engaging with this man. I’ve travelled all over the world and if I wound up with an Arab immigrant driver who knew nothing about the city I was visiting, I’d ignore him. Even in the US, I profile which Uber/Lyft drivers I’ll accept. My husband walked off a taxi line at O’Hare when a driver in full Islamic garb and scruffy beard pulled up.
We’re traveling to an Eastern European country next month and flying from there to Tel Aviv. I’ve already reviewed the airport map so that I can tell the driver the name of a different airline in the same terminal to avoid possibly hearing an antisemitic rant.
I certainly hope you didn't give him a tip but the problem of course is the European's attitudes about all this. They simply don't care.
At least you were ferried by a working immigrant.
Imagine the costs incurred by European countries to sustain illegal aliens. Below is just one example:
https://fullfact.org/immigration/asylum-seeker-net-contributions/
Hello, I live and work in Italy and have had similar experiences in taxis, restaurants and hotels. The family is fortunate that all that happened was an angry antisemitic exchange, We Jews in Italy do not wear kipot or Magen David jewelry in public. We certainly do not identify as Jewish especially in isolated settings. The story is important. I have lived and worked in Italy for 22 years. My only disagreement with this piece is the use of the word "new," as in the "new face" of Europe. This is Europe today and it has been growing in this direction for more than 20 years,
Jonny, a chilling story. What stands out most is the confidence with which that hatred was expressed. It shows that antisemitism hasn’t disappeared—it has simply migrated and adapted. And until Western societies learn to distinguish between people who truly want to live within the values of open democratic cultures and those who openly reject them, we really do have to think twice about immigration policies from places where those hostile ideologies are widespread.
Zero surprise. It always starts at the top, Pedro Sánchez is a vile Antisemite, on the side of the Jihadis, this emboldens the rest of his population.
Vacation is East Asia where you won’t have to deal with this
Eastern Europe too.
🙏🙏🙏🫂💪🇮🇱💙💙💙🙏🌹
Another example of how Western Europe has sold its soul; these countries are on their bed.
Why are Jews still going to Spain? This doesn’t surprise me at all.
Ant-semitism has a long and sordid history in Europe now exacerbated by the Islamic hordes that have been allowed free access to the various EU countries. As I've said before, Islam IS the problem because it guarantees a stunted sense of just being human by sub-dividing everyone into Koranic categories leading to internal and external barbarism. Morality police, anyone?
Appreciate you sharing this story, and your unashamed owning of your Judaism and willingness to engage with a hater, despite the stress this no doubt caused you. Hashem sees all and denying your heritage would show you feared this man more than you feared G-d.