Anti-Semitism in Europe...

[Behind the Aegis]

In the last five years Europe experienced a dramatic increase in attacks against Jewish individuals, institutions, and property. Discourse once reputed unacceptable is now routinely voiced in mainstream circles, the press, and the corridors of power. But what are the nature of this phenomenon, the reasons for its recurrence, and its severity?

Though attacks against have been steadily on the rise since late 2000, there is much disagreement about their nature. Surveys show that traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes are resilient. Nevertheless, the bulk of incidents, whether involving physical violence or abusive literature, are not easily recognized as anti-Semitic due to the context in which they usually emerge, namely the return of conflict in the Middle East and its emotional impact on European audiences. When the motives behind the incident appear rooted in some grievance - real or imaginary - arising from the Middle East, most Europeans are inclined to dismiss them as merely 'anti-Israel' and not anti-Semitic. The tendency to minimize the nature of a threat hinders efforts to formulate a right response.

Along with the prejudice therefore comes denial of its occurrence. Extreme right wing and neo-Nazi manifestations of anti-Semitism are readily recognized and universally condemned, but there is disagreement on other expressions of anti-Jewish prejudice, due to its source as well as its substance. Some disagreement may no doubt depend on definitions. Anti-Semitism, after all, is a term coined in 1879 by German author, Wilhelm Marr, to define a racially-based hatred of Jews.

Racially based prejudice assumed that Jews were incorrigibly dangerous - hence unredeemable - and therefore had to be exterminated. Previous hatred, whether inspired by Christian theology or by liberal or Marxist doctrines, postulated that Jews could be redeemed - by embracing the dominant culture or faith - and could be discriminated and persecuted for their refusal to conform. Therefore, anti-Semitism is a term that expresses only a certain prejudice against Jews - and it is therefore grossly inaccurate to suggest that it applies to other 'Semites' as well. Some among those who deny that there is a serious anti-Semitic threat in Europe today may indeed be using the term in its accurate meaning - and in a sense may have a point.

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