Labour and Antisemitism: a Crisis Misunderstood
Author(s)
Publication Name
Publication Date
10 May 2020
Abstract
n this article, we argue that Labour’s antisemitism crisis has been misunderstood. We suggest that a more accurate and sophisticated understanding of antisemitism offers a way forward. There are three elements to this claim. First, by drawing on existing data on attitudes towards Jews, we criticise the widespread focus on individual ‘antisemites’, rather than on the broader problem of antisemitism. In turn, we conceive of antisemitism not as a virus or poison, as in so many formulations, but rather, as a reservoir of readily available images and ideas that subsist in our political culture. Second, following on from this understanding, we offer five ways forward. Finally, we set this analysis in the context of a historical parting of the ways between anti‐racism and opposition to antisemitism. An anti‐racism defined solely by conceptions of whiteness and power, we argue, has proven unable to fully acknowledge and account for anti‐Jewish racism.
Topics
Genre
Geographic Coverage
Copyright Info
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial‐NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non‐commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Original Language
DOI
Link
Link to article, Labour and Antisemitism: a Crisis Misunderstood
Bibliographic Information
Labour and Antisemitism: a Crisis Misunderstood. 10 May 2020: https://archive.jpr.org.uk/10.1111/1467-923X.12854
