Zweig commented on why most Jews in Hong Kong are not involved with the protests
Since early June, protesters in Hong Kong have been gathering multiple times a week to fight what they see as Chinese attempts to encroach on their freedoms. Hong Kong, a one-time British colony now controlled by China and given limited autonomy, is home to some 5,000 Jews and a number of Jewish institutions. But none of the organizations are located in the areas where protests are happening and business is operating largely as usual. Though some in the Jewish community may support the protesters’ efforts, they tend to stay away like other expats. David Zweig, a professor emeritus of Chinese politics at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, has participated in two protests but he believes he is the exception rather than the rule. “The safest general statement is the expats don’t get involved at all,” said he “Some Jewish expats may be sympathetic to the young people — those would be people who pay attention to politics and who realize that Beijing is tightening up — but there’s a lot of people who simply will look at this from their business perspective and this hurts business.”
Read his opinion piece on Jewish Telegraphic Agency published on 27 Aug.
