Editor: Alvin H. Rosenfeld
Review Issue Date: October 1, 2015
Online Publish Date: September 23, 2015
Publisher:Indiana Univ.
Pages: 560
Price ( Hardcover )! : $35.00
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
ISBN ( Hardcover ): 978-0-253-01865-6
Category: Nonfiction
An old, noxious contagion of prejudice is on a rapid, virulent rise. These scholarly essays, collected by Rosenfeld (English and Jewish Studies/Indiana Univ.; The End of the Holocaust, 2011, etc.), review the epidemiology of anti-Semitism and seek to determine the etiology, roots, and history of this special form of bigotry. Throughout history, many of the world’s problems have been blamed on the Jews. As this anthology’s contributors report, renewed Holocaust denial, naked prejudice in sectors of England, France, and the rest of Europe, calls for boycott, divestment, and sanctions, the rise of militant jihad, and the unique standards applied only to Israel since the start of the 21st century all attest to what has come to be known as « the New anti-Semitism. » Zionism and the establishment and achievements of the Jewish state in the Muslim heart of the Middle East are central to the rise of hatred of all things Jewish. Notions that were once limited to the lunatic right are now, frequently, proud badges of the left. Certain precincts of academe accommodate the myths and misanthropy of anti-Semitism, supported by spurious public intellectuals. Ignorant entertainers, as well, have their say, and the notorious forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion sells quite well everywhere. International organizations and national governments allied with Hamas and Hezbollah threaten a minuscule spot on the planet, Israel, as well as Jews worldwide. These various essays, fully footnoted, consider each of these matters and others in detail in an effort to parse and tease out the history and historiography of today’s anti-Semitism. Some are stunningly perceptive, some explore new dimensions, and while not all offer! lapidary prose (they are written by academics, after all), each offers new insights about the thoughts and activities of current anti-Semites and the evil they purvey. A source book that will be of special value to those who see and are concerned about the new anti-Semitism.