Description
Book SynopsisThis book springs from the Bristol–Sheffield Hallam Colloquium on Contemporary Antisemitism at the University of Bristol in September 2015. International experts in Religious Studies, Law, Politics, Sociology, Psychology, and History came together to examine the complexities of contemporary antisemitism. Recent attacks on Jews in European cities have increased awareness of antisemitism and, as this collection shows, such attacks cannot be separated from wider geo-political and ideological factors. One distinct feature of antisemitism today is its demonization of the State of Israel. Older ideas also feature Jews being blamed for all the world's ills, thought to possess almost supernatural levels of power and wealth, and conspiring to harm the non-Jewish other. These and other ideas forming the background to antisemitism in Europe and North America are unpacked in this book with a view to understanding – and thereby combatting – contemporary antisemitism. A key concern is how unifying features might be isolated amid the diverse manifestations of this oldest of hatreds.
Trade Review“The eleven chapters included in this important book explain… worrisome developments in impressively detailed and revealing ways. … Several common themes run through many of the chapters. One is that, despite the spread of virulent strains of anti-Jewish hostility, there is still a general reluctance within governments and the general public to regard antisemitism as a serious problem, one whose distinctive features need to be recognized if it is to be properly understood and effectively combatted. … Much of this book’s focus is on antisemitism within Great Britain, but the problems treated here are part of a global phenomenon, making Unity and Diversity in Contemporary Antisemitism an eye-opening collection of essays for anyone wishing to learn about today’s widespread and growing anti-Jewish hostility.”
— Alvin H. Rosenfeld, Journal of Modern Jewish Studies
Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments List of Contributors
- Introduction Jonathan G. Campbell and Lesley D. Klaff
- Part 1: Defining Antisemitism
- Struggles over the Contemporary Definition of Antisemitism David Hirsh
- Antisemitisms Plural: What is Understood as Antisemitism by Jews in Contemporary Europe Daniel Staetsky
- Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism Bernard Harrison
- Part 2: Responding to Antisemitism
- Using S. 26 Equality Act 2010 to Combat Institutional Antisemitism: A Critical Race Perspective on Fraser v University and College Union 2013 Lesley D. Klaff
- Evading Terror: the European Union's Response to Lethal Antisemitism Amy Elman
- Denying the New Antisemitism: the Case of Norman Finkelstein Alan Johnson
- Part 3: Antisemitism and Extremism
- Walking a Mile in Asghar Bukhari's Shoes: Conspiracy Theories, Antisemitism and Extremism Dave Rich
- Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism in British Muslim Communities Rusi Jaspal
- Part 4: The Role of the Intellectuals
- Western Intellectual Attitudes toward Antisemitism in the Arab and Muslim World Matthias Küntzel
- A Genealogy of the Radical Tradition of Contemporary Antisemitism David Seymour
- Hannah Arendt's Jewish Writings: Contemporary Implications Robert Fine
- Index of names and subjects
