Israel, the Jews, and the West: The Fall and Rise of Antisemitism Book

Antisemitism has been termed 'the oldest hatred', and seemingly reappears in every age. This book examines how it has evolved in modern times, and examines the controversial question of whether hostility to Israel and its policies constitutes antisemitism. It offers a clear, brief examination of how and why Jews have aroused so much hostility in the past. But it also argues that hostility to Jews on the centre-right has virtually disappeared, to be replaced by extreme hostility from parts of the far left. From the 1960s until the 1980s, the Soviet Union and the Western extreme left served as the main focal point of hostility to the State of Israel and the Jewish people.With the collapse of Communism, and also with the rise of Islamic fundamentalist movements in the Middle East, a new and virulent form of hostility to Israel and also to Jews has arisen, often allied to the Western extreme left despite the apparently total differences in the two. This alliance is also deeply hostile to Western democracy and pluralism, and to the United States and Britain. This deeply-researched book is a thought-provoking and often alarming introduction to a crucial area of international politics.Read More