The Changing Face of Anti-Semitism

For thirty years the director of the Wiener Library in London, the leading institute for the study of anti-Semitism, Walter Laqueur here offers both a comprehensive history of anti-Semitism as well as an illuminating look at the newest wave of this phenomenon. Laqueur begins with an invaluable historical account of this pernicious problem, tracing the evolution from a predominantly religious anti-Semitism--stretching back to the middle ages--to a racial anti-Semitism that developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The author then uses this historical account as backdrop to a brilliant analysis of the newest species of anti-Semitism, explaining its origins and rationale, how it manifests itself, in what ways and why it is different from anti-Semitism in past ages, and what forms it may take in the future. The book reveals that what was historically a preoccupation of Christian and right-wing movements has become in our time even more frequent among Muslims and left-wing groups. Moreover, Laqueur argues that we can't simply equate this new anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism and write it off as merely anti-Israel sentiments. National and religious minority groups have been systematically persecuted from Indonesia, to Bangladesh, Rwanda, and beyond, but their fate has not generated much indignation in Europe and America. If Israel alone is singled out for heated condemnation, is the root of this reaction simply anti-Zionism or is it anti-Semitism? Here is both a summing up of the entire trajectory of anti-Semitism--the first comprehensive history of its kind--and an exploration of the new wave of anti-Semitism that will be of interest to all concerned about the future of Jews, Judaism, and Israel.

ISBN 0195304292   Pages 240 ISBN13 9780195304299 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Oxford University Press Inc   Weight (grammes) 406 Imprint Oxford University Press Inc   Published in New York Format Hardback   Height (mm) 208 Publication date 01 Jul 2006   Width (mm) 140 Library of Congress 2005030491   Spine width (mm) 22 DEWEY 305.8924   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		The new antisemitism		1
2		Interpretations of antisemitism		21
3		Ancient and medieval anti-Judaism		39
4		The Enlightenment and after		71
5		Racialism and Jewish conspiracies		91
6		Toward the Holocaust		107
7		Contemporary antisemitism		125
8		Assimilation and its discontents		151
9		Antisemitism and the left		171
10		Antisemitism and the Muslim world		191
11		In place of a conclusion		207

"An interesting general analysis of the variations of anti-Semitism over the past 2000 years.... Laqueur's major strength is his critique of contemporary issues, especially the role of Israel in anti-Semitic thought, and the question of the relationship between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism."--Library Journal"Walter Laqueur provides us with powerful new insights into an age-old problem. Distinguished scholarship and an authoritative moral voice are the hallmarks of this important book. Anyone wanting to understand the history and persistence of anti-Jewish hatred should read it." --Abraham H. Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation League and author of Never Again?: The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism"Once more, Walter Laqueur has brought his formidable learning, incisive style, and sheer brilliance in writing concise and yet gripping history to a subject matter of extraordinary complexity. The result is vintage Laqueur and an extremely valuable contribution to the subj

 Be the first to write a customer review