Shomrim, a symptom of a disintegrating state

Western societies have been subjected to cultural and ethnic diversification which, as its advocates proclaim, was to enrich the indigenous populations and boost their development. Contrary to the stated goals, members of different ethnic groups tend to stick together, displace the locals, and rather than morph into the culture of the host population they preserve their own,¹⁾How Labour turned London into a foreign city: Fewer than half the capital’s population are white British, gangsters from Somalia terrorise the suburbs and even the tramps are immigrants, reveals astonishing new book, Daily Mail 2016-01-24.all the more so since their numbers are doubling and trebling and since they regard their recipient societies as weaklings without moral backbone.²⁾“It is not as wrong raping a Swedish girl as raping an Arab girl,” says Hamid. “The Swedish girl gets a lot of help afterwards, and she had probably fucked before, anyway. But the Arab girl will get problems with her family. For her, being raped is a source of shame. It is important that she retains her virginity until she marries.” “It is far too easy to get a Swedish whore… girl, I mean;” says Hamid, and laughs over his own choice of words. “I don’t have too much respect for Swedish girls. I guess you can say they get fucked to pieces.” Immigrant Rape Wave in Sweden, fjordman 2005-12-12.Under such circumstances separate communities form, large cities turn into mosaics whose particular religious and cultural elements are but loosely connected. Differences in worldviews, beliefs, traditions spark off mutual suspicion, aversion, animosity or an all-out enmity. Social cohesion is only make-believe with all the attendant problems which include (ethnically or racially-driven) crime.³⁾Rotherham child abuse: Eight jailed for rape and sexual abuse of three girls, BBC 2016-11-04; Rotherham: eight men jailed for sexually exploiting teenage girls, The Guardian 2016-11-04; Calderdale gang jailed for grooming and abusing girls, BBC 2016-06-17.

When the sense of security is lost, when “the break-ins and muggings [are] beyond control”,⁴⁾Rotherham child abuse: Eight jailed for rape and sexual abuse of three girls, BBC 2016-11-04; Rotherham: eight men jailed for sexually exploiting teenage girls, The Guardian 2016-11-04; Calderdale gang jailed for grooming and abusing girls, BBC 2016-06-17.and people cannot rely on the police, and such is the case in many large cities across Western Europe, with their no-go zones,⁵⁾European ‘No-Go’ Zones: Fact or Fiction? Part 2: Britain, Gatestone Institute 2015-02-03; the following is vehemently denied by the British side, hence especially revealing: Britain protests to Hungary over claims of ‘no-go’ zones in UK, Daily Mail 2016-09-22.members of a community start setting up their own policing units in self-defence. The London-based Shomrim is a prime example.

Shomrim, which in Hebrew means guardians, custodians or watchers, is officially registered as a charity⁶⁾Shomrim – Stamford Hill, North and Easst London.though it performs all the tasks that are normally assigned to the police, such as patrolling the streets, responding to calls (it runs a hot-line) and apprehending criminals or suspects who they hand over to the Met because they style themselves to be “an extension to the Police’s eyes”, and hands, one might add. It was set up in 2008 and operates on the well-established New York model in North-West and North East London i.e. areas densely populated by Jews, featuring a large number of synagogues, orthodox Jewish schools and kosher supermarkets, butchers and bakers. Shomrim, whose president is Rabbi Herschel Gluck, “has almost as many people on the ground”, equipped with cars, uniforms, radios, knife-proof vests, “in the area at any one time as the Met”.⁷⁾On Patrol with North London’s Crime-Fighting Orthodox Jews, Vice 2014-06-03.The organization’s members are also trained by the police and claim to be able to arrive on the scene of a crime or disorder much faster than the police. They are efficient, respond to several calls a day and, if need be, are assisted by a sister Hatzola organization, which is an ambulance service run by Jewish volunteers.⁸⁾What is Shomrim? The ‘custodians’ who act as London’s Jewish neighbourhood watch group, Evening Standard.

Is Shomrim a specifically ethnic organization in an officially otherwise ethnicity-blind London? It looks as though it is. Allegedly there is “no rule saying you must be Jewish to be a member, though I’m not aware of any applications from the non-Jewish community,” says Shulem Stern, a member of Stamford Hill Shomrim.⁹⁾On Patrol with North London’s Crime-Fighting Orthodox Jews, Vice 2014-06-03.Apart from clamping down on crime they also protect British Jews from anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic, as they call it, hate crimes.¹⁰⁾Jewish patrol cars out in force in London amid fears of copycat attack in wake of kosher store siege in Paris, Daily Mail 2015-01-11.Of the 146 arrests made last year, 22 were for anti-Semitic (not further defined) offences.¹¹⁾What is Shomrim? The ‘custodians’ who act as London’s Jewish neighbourhood watch group, Evening Standard.Do other ethnic or religious groups enjoy such protection? What sentiments does that exclusivity evoke?

While Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, “pledged to organise ‘urgently’ a meeting between the Metropolitan Police and the Stamford Hill Shomrim volunteer security group in response to data showing a spate of antisemitic incidents”,¹²⁾Sadiq Khan to organise urgent police talks with Shomrim over antisemitic attacks, The Jewish Chronicle 2016-11-22.Chief Superintendent Steve Bending, Hackney’s borough commander, said: “I do not support the concept of any community having its own form of patrol service. There is a risk of other communities feeling intimidated by this course of action.” The Jewish community justifies the existence of such organizations, saying that “there are a number of barriers which sometimes make it difficult for Jewish victims of crime to contact the police. [These are] a language barrier and a culture barrier”,¹³⁾Justice On London’s Streets, The Jewish Way, matzav.com 2016-01-05.which brings us back to the opening paragraph about the blessings of diversity.

Shomrim raises a few questions. Is it proof that the British state is malfunctioning if it cannot provide its citizens with such basic services like maintenance of law and order? Does it not mean that, despite the claims to the contrary, diversity means disintegration not only into different communities that live separately but also separate police and health and other services? Will other ethnic or religious groups be allowed to follow in the footsteps of the Jewish minority? Sharia law in the United Kingdom is already a fact.¹⁴⁾Sharia in the UK: The courts in the shadow of British law offering rough justice for Muslim women, Independent 2016; Sharia Law is alive and well in the UK as investigation uncovers shocking details, Mirror 2015-12-05.What will be next? Can a small European country be home to parallel societies complete with their own law-enforcement and juridical organs without any harm to its integrity? Will particular citizens then identify with the state or their local leaders?

The answers appear to be glaringly obvious. If anyone can see what course of action is being taken, surely the powers that be can see it as well. If they do not counteract, then they are complicit. One or the other.