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New book on Jewish hatred and anti-Semitism

Updated: 31/Dec/2006 13:51

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BERLIN (EJP)--- A new book has been launched in Germany covering the issue of anti-Semitism in Islamic and Christian culture.

“Neu- Alter Judenhass – Antisemitismus, arabisch-israelischer Konflikt und europäische Politik“ (New, Old Jewish Hatred - Anti-Semitism, The Arab-Israeli Conflict and European Politics), by Klaus Faber, a social democratic politician, university professor Julius Schoeps and real estate magnet Sacha Stawski looks at the different faces of anti-Semitism – some of it visible, much of it deeply hidden within societal structures.

The authors were inspired to take a deep look into this subject following a 2003 German parliamentary seminar that discussed the themes of anti-Semitism, the German media and the Middle East. They participated in an exhibit, at Berlin’s Centrum Judaicum, on the theme of Islamic anti-Semitism, in 2004

Scholarly work

Thirty one scholars worked together with Faber, Schoeps and Stawski in contributing their positions, presenting, in their view, both the old and new forms of anti-Semitism. Three perspectives have been given particular attention: German media reporting on the Middle Eastern conflict and the fine line between what constitutes constructive Israel criticism and anti-Semitism constitutes the first part of the book.

Islamic anti-Semitism, in regards to Islam’s relationship to Jews and Europe, makes up the second part. The last part of the book looks at the political discussions and perspectives of Germany and other European nations on the theme.

One form of anti-Semitism which is given some attention to is that which is prevalently found in Germany. The “absolution of guilt anti-Semitism” (Schuldabwehr-Antisemitismus) replaces the traditional hatred for Jews with a disdain for Israel instead. In this kind of anti-Semitism, Israel, as an occupying force, has been catapulted to the ranks of the Nazi war machinery – its leadership often placed onto the same pedestal as Hitler’s.

Attention is also placed on the theme of Islamic anti-Semitism. It has been attributed as being a relatively new form of hatred against Jews – one which has been believably propagated to the masses throughout the Middle East in a distorted fashion by the mass-media.

Mixed values

The symbiosis of European and Islamic anti-Semitic values, however, is not a recent phenomena that only took off with the onset of television or via mass immigration of Muslims into Europe. As the book says, “Hitler’s Germany was responsible for influencing large segments of various Arab national movements in spreading anti-Semitic understanding within Islam”.

The authors involved, for all the dissenting opinions which they expressed, did share one common point-of-view: “It is imperative that the entire European continent take action against the new, old anti-Semitism, but mostly in Germany and the Middle East”.

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