The Triple Dimension of Post-Shoah Antisemitism

Upon reflection, the anti-Israeli passion (there is no other term for the current hostility towards the Jewish state) stems from three interrelated factors.

First, there is an old habitus of Judeophobia inherited from Christianity and Islam (primary antisemitism). Second, there is a guilt associated with the Shoah, which German researchers have termed secondary antisemitism. Finally, there is a clearly opportunistic anti-Zionist stance, driven purely by electoral calculations (tertiary antisemitism).

Title of Session 1: The Origin of Antisemitism: Christian and Muslim Jealousy of Israel

Before venturing into the murky waters of contemporary antisemitism (anti-Zionism), it is essential to return to the religious origins of the hatred of Judaism (anti-Judaism) and then of Jews (antisemitism). Analysis of these concepts.

 Session 2: Passionate Antisemitism (Primary)

There is no need to dwell too much on the pervasive antisemitic habitus of religious origin inherent to both Christianity and Islam, whether from the right or the left (economic antisemitism), as it is clear that some people exploit the “opportunity” presented by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to express their old opposition to Judaism. This is particularly evident in certain Christian circles. How can we forget the traditional opposition of Catholic circles to the idea of the return of Jews to the Land of Judea? Even left-wing Catholics were concerned in 1948 about a Jewish victory in Palestine.

Session 3: Vengeful Antisemitism (Secondary)

This is the hatred of Jews not despite, but because of the Shoah. The Israeli-Viennese psychoanalyst Zvi Rix summarized this particularly insidious form of Jew-hatred with a quip: “The Germans (in short, the Europeans) will never forgive the Jews for Auschwitz.” This results in a double temptation: on the one hand, to minimize the Shoah, and on the other, to portray Israelis as Nazis. The sacralization of Palestine (the only cause that matters today) is part of this desire to make Jews pay for the guilt of the Shoah.

Session 4: Calculated Antisemitism (Tertiary)

What does this entail? This form of antisemitism is characterized by opposition to Jews not because of the Shoah and/or Jews themselves, but due to their supposed, and sometimes real, enemies. The reality of an “Arab street” that is mobilized and obsessed solely with the Palestinian cause, to the exclusion of all other causes, including Muslim ones (Kosovar, Kurdish, Uyghur, Rohingya, etc.), in a very specific demographic context, is a key factor. Muslims hold significant electoral power in many Western cities and suburbs. Opposition to Israeli policy becomes one of the preferred means for European progressive parties to attract Muslim voters at little cost, essentially creating an electoral base. 

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