J.K Rowling Spars with Simon Nolan on Twitter Over anti-Semitism

British Jews have applauded Rowling’s actions.

J.K. Rowling, the celebrated author best known for her Harry Potter novel series, head-butted another author over the latter’s criticism of complaints made by Jews concerning anti-Semitism pervading the Labour Party. A tweet by Simon Maginn, who writes under the name Simon Nolan, referenced Jewish outrage over Jeremy Corbyn’s 2013 comments where the Labour Party leader indicated that “Zionists” are incapable of comprehending British culture. Maginn termed the Jewish response as “patently synthetic outrage.” He then asked a Jewish Twitter user to explain that individual’s deep sense of injury.

J.K Rowling Spars with Simon Nolan on Twitter over anti-Semitism

Rowling responded to Maginn’s tweet, writing that how can the latter pontificate to a Jew and describe their outrage as “patently synthetic.” She also demanded that how can he expect the Jews to show their fear and pain when asked to prove it, simply to satisfy Maginn’s evaluation? She also asked Maginn, who authored a few thrillers on whether he has the guts to speak like this to any other community. Maginn quickly responded, saying that Corbyn had already said that his comments were not directed towards Jews, but was a rather complicated dig concerning the lack of English speaking skills of the Palestinian Ambassador. Tweets flew fast back and forth from then on. It continued the whole day of August 26.

How dare you tell a Jew that their outrage is ‘patently synthetic’? How dare you demand that they lay bare their pain and fear on demand, for your personal evaluation? What other minority would you speak to this way?

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 26, 2018

Rowling, in her multiple responses, tweeted multiple quotes from the famous essay “Anti Semite and Jew,” written by Jean-Paul Sartre, the noted philosopher. She lambasted Maginn on his demand that Jews holding UK citizenship should explain how they feel if they are attacked solely on anti-Semitic grounds. She pointed out that Maginn could satisfy that curiosity by reading hundreds of online accounts elaborating on the issue.

Hurray for @jk_rowling for her compassion and bravery in standing up to the Jew-haters. https://t.co/ufbre79TqL

— Lee Green (@leegreennc) August 28, 2018

Jewish Twitter users have praised Rowling on her response. She is a known Corbyn critic, under whose leadership the Labour Party have been pushed from one crisis point to another. The party has also found disfavor among the British Jewish community. This social media exchange between two warring writers is not new to Rowling, who has earlier tweeted about the increasing fervor of anti-Semitism within the Labor Party.

Resources

• Jewish Telecgraphic Agency
• The Algemeiner

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