Antisemitism in contemporary Europe - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 15
About This Presentation
Title:

Antisemitism in contemporary Europe

Description:

Using symbols and images associated with classical antisemitism to characterise ... American and Jews stereotyped as money-driven etc. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:135
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 16
Provided by: tpe5
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Antisemitism in contemporary Europe


1
Antisemitism in contemporary Europe
2
History of antisemitism as a terminology
  • Term coined by the German Wilhelm Marr who
    founded the Antisemiten-Liga (League of
    Antisemites) in 1879.
  • Soon adopted by other antisemites e.g. Edouard
    Drumont, author of La France Juive (1886) and
    founder of the Ligue antisémitique de France,
    created in the midst of the Dreyfus affair.
  • Competing terms include Judeophobia or
    anti-Judaism
  • UNESCO conference in 1992 established the
    convention of the spelling antisemitism and not
    anti-semitism

3
Defining antisemitism
  • EUMC working definition
  • Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews,
    which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews.
    Rhetorical and physical manifestations of
    antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or
    non-Jewish individuals and/or their property,
    toward Jewish community institutions and
    religious facilities
  • Such manifestations could also target the state
    of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.
    Examples include
  • Using symbols and images associated with
    classical antisemitism to characterise Israel or
    Israelis
  • Holding Jews collectively responsible for the
    actions of the state of Israel
  • Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli
    policy to that of the Nazis.
  • However, criticism of Israel cannot be regarded
    as antisemitic.

4
Why new antisemitism ?
  • Massive increase in antisemitic attacks in
    Europe since the year 2000, often coinciding with
    events in the Middle East.
  • Increase in public manifestations of
    antisemitism in politics, the media,
    demonstrations etc.
  • Changes in the profile of the perpetrators of
    antisemitic acts, no longer just extreme right
    groups.
  • Vilification of Israel using antisemitic
    stereotypes. Blurring of the boundaries between
    anti-Zionism and antisemitism (not in itself
    particularly new but certainly more common in
    recent years).
  • Accusation of antisemitism coming from the
    radical left and/or
  • anti-globalisation protestors. Links with
    anti-Americanism.

5
What is new antisemitism ?
  • The new label can refer to
  • The new form or type of hostility towards Jews
    hostility towards Israel
  • Proponents of this view would tend to see an
    equivalence between (i) the individual Jew in the
    old or classical version of antisemitism and
    (ii) the state of Israel in the new or modern
    variety. The state of Israel is the object but
    the effects are felt by Jews and Jewish
    communities.
  • B) The provenance of this hostility
  • From the Left
  • From Muslims

6
Zionism and anti-Zionism
  • Zionism an international political movement
    that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in
    the Land of Israel. its proponents, regard it as
    a national liberation movement whose aim is the
    self-determination of the Jewish people
  • Anti-Zionism a political ideology practically
    directed at opposing the state of Israel as a
    state born out of and expressing the aspirations
    of the Jewish movement for national
    self-determination
  • Put simply, a Zionist believes in Israels right
    to exist as a Jewish state and an anti-Zionist
    opposes it. Both terms can refer to several
    different positions concerning the existence of a
    Jewish state. For example, anti-Zionist positions
    may include
  • The view that the state of Israel has no right
    to exist
  • That is should not have been created in the
    first place
  • That it ought not to continue to exist at all
  • That it should not survive as a specifically
    Jewish polity.

7
  • Antisemitic anti-Zionism
  • When the word Zionist is used as a euphemism
    for the word Jew
  • When Israel or Zionists are seen as
    representing the antisemitic construction or
    classic stereotype of the Jew.
  • Promoting the idea of a Zionist world conspiracy
    (a reworking of the classic anti-Jewish
    conspiracy theory)
  • When anti-Zionists, inadvertently or otherwise,
    deploy antisemitic language or imagery to press
    their case. e.g banners with Swastikas equating
    Zionism and or the star of David (a symbol
    representing all Jewry, not just Israel)

Anti-Zionsim can facilitate the acceptance of an
antisemitic discourse and offer a convenient
cover and vehicle for the reemergence of
antisemitic sentiments in a context in which they
have become taboo.
8
Tract handed out at UN conference against Racism,
Durban (2001)
9
Antisemitism in the mainstream European press?
La Stampa April 2002
The Independent January 2003
10
Antisemitism in Tuscany?
Il Vernacoliere August 2006 Israel isnt stingy
with its bombs. Great surprise throughout the
world What kind of Jews are they supposed to be?
11
Antisemitism and anti-Americanism
  • Since late 19 century antisemitism has often
    been accompanied by anti-Americanism.
  • Fear and critique of capitalism brings these two
    elements together. American and Jews stereotyped
    as money-driven etc.
  • Long established view of the Jews as the rulers
    of America and/or America as hostage to Jewish
    power/influence (see cartoon)
  • Most recent large scale protests in Western
    Europe (anti-war, anti-G8 etc.) have witnessed
    anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism/antisemitism
    (burning of flags, banners equating Israel with
    Nazis etc)
  • This antipathy towards Israel emanates from its
    association with the United States
  • Historically anti-Zionism has been a strong
    component of the European
  • Left since the Six Day War of 1967

12
Antisemitism and Muslims
  • Extremely sensitive and controversial issue.
    Cannot generalise.
  • A problem in certain countries such as France
    where many attacks on Jews have been carried out
    by youths of North African extraction
  • European Muslims identify with the Palestinian
    struggle and are angry about Israels policies.
    This can spill over into anger at European Jewish
    communities, seen as Israeli fellow travellers
  • Antisemitism often deeply embedded within the
    culture of the Muslim world. Prevalence of
    antisemitic cartoons in newspapers, TV series
    based on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
  • State sponsored antisemitism e.g. school
    textbooks in Saudi Arabia inciting hatred against
    Jews and infidels
  • Verocious antisemitism in Islamist discourse.
    Jews portrayed as the enemies of Islam, vitriolic
    speeches against Jews and crusaders by Bin
    Laden etc. Extreme antisemitic propoganda
    available on the web.

13
Holocaust denial
  • Not usually considered to be part of the new
    antisemitism however there is a clear link with
    Israel the condito sine qua non of holocaust
    denial is to deligitimise the state of Israel.
  • Holocaust deniers in Europe usually belong to
    the extreme right and represent marginal
    political forces. They often seek to redeem the
    reputation of Nazism or of Hitler personally and
    rehabilitate the past as part of current
    political battles in their countries.
  • Attention often focused on refuting the
    existence of the gas chambers in order to both
    shatter the symbol of the Holocaust and to grant
    their arguments pseudo-academic viability.
  • Iran is now the prime disseminator of holocaust
    denial and sponsors Western holocaust
    revisionists
  • Holocaust denial in the Muslim world is based on
    the belief in Jewish enmity against Islam from
    its inception and in the association of the Jews
    and Zionism with the Western cultural challenge
    and threat to Islam as a religion identiy and
    culture. Also connected to a nationalist ideology
    linking Jews, Zionism

and Western imperialism.
14
Opposition to the new antisemitism
thesis Brian Klug Hostility towards Israel is
not a new form of antisemitism it is a function
of a deep and bitter political conflictif
Palestinians and people who take their side are
partisan, this does not mean they are being
antisemitic they are just not being Jewish. The
mere fact that they are biased does not make them
antisemitic, any more than those whose sympathies
lie with Israel are ipso facto IslamophobicIf
Jews as Jews align themselves with Israel,
publicly and predominantly, then hostility
towards Israel is liable to spill over into
hostility towards Jews as such. The collective
Jew Israel and the new antisemitism, Patterns
of Prejudice, Vol. 37, No.2, 2003
Another common critique of this thesis is that it
is simply used by supporters of Israel to stifle
criticism by accusing people of antisemitism.
Some even go as far as to suggest that this is
the work of the Zionist lobby (an accusation
which itself can border on antisemitism).
15
Conclusion
  • Increase in antisemitism cannot be denied.
  • However new antisemitism is a contested
    concept. Has produced much academic debate.
  • Often difficult to decipher whether something is
    genuinely antisemitic or just anti-Zionist, this
    uncertainty can be exploited by antisemities.
  • The old antisemitism is still alive and well.
    Antisemitism of the extreme right has not gone
    away and the internet means that this propoganda
    is more widely circulated than ever.
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com