INTRODUCTION TO

CONTEMPORARY

ANTISEMITISM

Although more than seventy years have passed since the Holocaust ended, antisemitism is still prevalent. In recent years, expressions of antisemitism have increased around the world. The ADL and Simon Wiesenthal Center—two leading non-profit organizations dedicated to combatting antisemitism and bigotry—report a rise in the number of violent antisemitic assaults taking place in the United States and across Europe. Antisemitism continues to be widespread throughout the Arab and Muslim world, as documented by organizations including the Pew Research Center and American Jewish Committee.

Antisemitism has a very long history. The late scholar Robert Wistrich termed it “the longest hatred,” due to its existence for over 2,000 years. Its causes, context, and character have evolved over time and are shaped by local political, religious, economic, and social climates.

POST-HOLOCAUST ANTISEMITISM

In the aftermath of World War II, despite the belief among many people that the horrors of the Holocaust would lead to the end of antisemitism, this did not happen.

Following World War II, horrific images from extermination and concentration camps along with testimony from the Nuremberg Trials on the brutality of the Nazi Regime created a sense of collective shame about what antisemitism could lead to. However, this did not cause hatred toward Jews simply to disappear. Instead antisemitism was transformed, manifesting itself in different ways and from different sources.

In many places, especially the west, it did become less socially acceptable to openly express antisemitic attitudes after the Holocaust. Nonetheless there were still many fascist, neo-Nazi, and racist organizations in the 1950s and 60s, although their efforts moved further into the shadows. In this period the Soviet Union and other communist countries openly practiced antisemitism and became a source for the spreading of antisemitism all over the world.

The run-up to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, unyielding Arab opposition to that State, and the Arab-Israeli wars that followed intensified antisemitism in the Middle East. Over time, anti-Zionism– the opposition to a Jewish homeland in the State of Israel– fueled hatred of Jews as a people and the words “Zionist” and “Jew” began to be used interchangeably by many. Antisemitic literature was often printed with the backing of Arab and Muslim governments, and Jews came to be seen by many as the enemies of Islam from whom the world must be liberated. Traditional Christian antisemitism, far-right racial antisemitism, far-left Soviet style antisemitism, and Islamic antisemitism not only continued to exist, they began intersecting and strengthening one another more and more.

Even as antisemitism increased, however, there were factors that helped to counter the continued existence of this hatred, especially in the United States:

CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM 1 a. Elements in the American Jewish community mobilized with a deep sense of purpose to work for the safety of Jews in the U.S. and around the world, including support for a strong Israel, and actively engaged in civil rights and social justice issues.

b. There was remarkable progress in Christian attitudes toward Jews, led by the Catholic Church with the landmark 1965 Nostra Aetate. In this document, the Roman Catholic Church reversed centuries of teaching that the Jews, as a people, had killed Jesus Christ and as a result were cursed. Other Christian denominations also began to confront the historic role of Christianity and Christians in shaping and practicing antisemitism.

c. A growing body of literature, film, and historical documentation supported widespread education about the Holocaust. While not a guarantee against antisemitism, it provided continued remembrance, learning, and questioning as new generations emerged. It is clear that education about the Holocaust remains a vital component of any attempt to combat antisemitism.

ANTISEMITISM TODAY

As memories of the Holocaust have faded and extreme anti-Israel bias has grown, many inhibitions have weakened. Today antisemitism has a global reach, especially through the internet and social media. It is expressed openly in the form of hate speech, violence, and denial and distortion of the Holocaust. It is also expressed as opposition to Israel’s right to exist, which often includes demonization of its people and its leaders; and it routinely considers Jews living outside of Israel to be responsible for the actions of Israeli authorities. The term sometimes used to describe this modern form of antisemitism is the “new antisemitism.”

Many of the classic themes and stereotypes from earlier times are commonly used, such as the depiction of Jews as subhuman (e.g., represented as spiders, bloodthirsty vampires, and octopuses), the myth about their quest for world domination, their lack of loyalty to the nations where they live, and their control over the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions. A publication originally printed in 1905, known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, remains the most widely published piece of antisemitic literature of all time. The Protocols describe the supposed secret plans of Jews to rule the world. Although proven to be fictional and a forgery, the Protocols are the foundation for the claim of a global Zionist conspiracy; over 59 translations and editions have been printed in the Arab world alone, and the Protocols are readily available on a variety of extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing websites.

Antisemitism is mainstream in many Middle Eastern countries today, where it is promoted in state-controlled media and educational systems. Militant groups with political power, such as Hamas, use genocidal language regarding Jews and Israel. The former president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, repeatedly declared that the Holocaust is a “myth” and that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” The current regime in Iran continues to make pronouncements in this vein.

CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM 2 In Europe and in the United States, antisemitism is frequently promoted among both far- right and far-left political parties, and antisemitism has been moving steadily from the sidelines toward the center of these parties. The left-wing form of antisemitism often grows from perceptions of Jews as powerful and privileged and from a strong anti- Zionism that demonizes Israel. Through this lens, Jews are sometimes seen as oppressors both at home and in the Middle East, where the decades-long conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people has inflamed passions. Jews are often held collectively responsible for both domestic problems and troubles around the world, which simultaneously increases antisemitism and conceals the suffering of Jews at the hand of this rising wave of hatred.

Right-wing antisemitism is likewise forceful, with white supremacist and nationalist organizations spreading dangerous forms of hatred in the U.S. and abroad. These groups believe that white, Christian identity is superior and they target people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ people, Jews, and others who do not reflect their worldview. Contrary to the left-wing view that sees Jews as white and therefore privileged, the right-wing view sees Jews as elites who exert global control and are behind a conspiracy to bring down the “white race” by enabling the rise of non-white groups. Antisemitism is therefore a linchpin of white nationalist hate. White supremacist and nationalist groups were behind the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they chanted racist and antisemitic slogans and protested the removal of a Confederate monument. This brand of hate also led to the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, which took the lives of eleven people in the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history. The shooter was motivated by anti-immigrant prejudice and his hostility toward some Jewish organizations that work to support immigrants around the world.

No matter the source, advances in communication technology have made it possible for antisemitism to now be widely and easily spread through diverse media outlets. Antisemitic groups and individuals use social media platforms at an alarming rate to reach across the world and share their ideology, especially with young people. Individuals now are able to feel that they are part of a virtual community that shares their ideas and hatred and thereby feel empowered.

CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM 3