The rise of antisemitism in the 21st century is not deterred by the commemoration of the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators. This is outrageous as well as intellectually challenging. Antisemitism has changed its forms and appearances. While research on contemporary antisemitism has long been neglected by academics in the UK there is now a growing awareness among scholars that (post-)modern antisemitism needs to be understood in order to fight it. This winter 2009/2010, a group of scholars of the International Study Group Education and Research on Antisemitism organised a colloquium on contemporary antisemitism in cooperation with the Wiener Library. In three meetings in December 2009 and January and February 2010 we reflected on observations of a number of aspects of antisemitism today. We started with aspects of antisemitism in the UK. Lesley Klaff discussed her study of the rise of antisemitism on campus. Philip Spencer shared his experiences and observations in reaction to the Holocaust Memorial Day. The different arguments against the Holocaust Memorial Day are highly problematic if not antisemitic in itself. Gunther Jikeli gave some insights of a study on antisemitism among Muslims in the UK who are responsible for about 30% of antisemitic incidents in the UK. In the second meeting we discussed competing memories and different perceptions of Jews and Muslims. Monique Eckmann gave a talk on competing memories of victimhood and Hagai van der Horst spoke about the bipolarity of anti-Arab and Anti-Jewish racisms in the Guardian and The Independent. Doerte Letzmann analysed commonalities and differences of antisemitism and hatred against Muslims in Britain. In the last meeting at the Wiener Library, end of February, we explored patterns of excuses for antisemitism and forms of denial. Robert Fine shared his notes on the logic of antisemitism denial, showing that there is often a pattern of slippage and translation in the description of facts by those who deny antisemitism. Eventually, those who raise the question of antisemitism are accused of bad faith. David Hirsch followed up on that and showed how the accusation of bad faith makes it impossible to discuss the question if an incident is antisemitic or not. It becomes a struggle over the boundaries of legitimate discourse. David Seymour's reflections on the Holocaust and the concealment of antisemitism led us to an important question which is a dilemma in rising the issue of antisemitism today. It is difficult to admit that elements of the ideology that led to the murder of six million Jews are still vibrant today and that particular remarks, incidents, people and certain activities - such as boycotts of Israeli academics or economic goods - are antisemitic indeed.
Gunther Jikeli, Doerte Letzmann, Hagai van der Horst
5 December 2009
Aspects of Antisemitism in the UK
Lesley Klaff
Antisemitism on Campus: A Modern Perspective
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Philip Spencer
Antisemitism and Holocaust Memorial Day
Gunther Jikeli
Antisemitism Among Young Muslims in London
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24 January 2010
Competing memories and different perceptions of Jews and Muslims or Arabs
Monique Eckmann
Competing Memories of Victimhood
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Hagai van der Horst
Regarding the bipolarity of anti-Arab and Anti-Jewish racisms in the Guardian and the Independent newspapers
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Doerte Letzmann
Antisemitism and Hatred against Muslims
28 February 2010
Patterns of Excuses for Antisemitism and Forms of Denial
Robert Fine
Notes on the Logic of Antisemitism Denial
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David Hirsh
Struggle Over the Boundaries of Legitimate Discourse / the Question of Intent
David Seymour
The Holocaust and the Concealment of Antisemitism
