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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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• 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.
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Tract handed out at UN conference against Racism,
Durban (2001)
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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?
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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

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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.

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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.
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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).
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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.