Antisemitism – Unique in the Annals of Human Prejudices

Over the millennia, antisemitism has proven itself unrelenting, intractable and adaptive, insinuating itself into a remarkably broad array of cultural, religious, or political frameworks over vast geographic, cultural and historical expanses. It has been described as an “exceedingly unusual and complex prejudice”^[1][1] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 52). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. and has generated an immense body of literature attempting to understand its unique dynamics, longevity, and lethality – viewed by many experts as unparalleled in the annals of human prejudices of this sort. Its resilience as an ideational constant throughout history is unmatched.

Despite the enormity of change in humanity’s understanding of itself and its world, antisemitism has remained immune to mitigation and has maintained its core demonology.^[2][2] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 5-6). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. As surmised by Dr. Gustavo Perednik: “There is no other hatred in the history of mankind that you can trace back to the last two or three millennia.”^[3][3] https://zionism-israel.com/his/judeophobia.htm  Similarly described by historian Robert Wistrich as “the longest hatred”,^[4][4] Wistrich, Robert S. Antisemitism: The Longest Hatred (location 78) New York. Pantheon Books. 1991 antisemitism is distinguished as “The one ethnic construct that has been part of and more at the core of several large and powerful civilizations encompassing hundreds of millions or billions of people …”^[5][5] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 97). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. and its reach as a prejudice is unmatched.^[6][6] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 7 and p.55). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. It has been an animating and catalytic force in multiple cultures and societies and a central cog in legal, theological, and philosophical systems spanning centuries and continents. Expansive antisemitic literature exists in many languages from vastly differing civilizations.^[7][7] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 6). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. Its adherents have spanned the spectrum, from the political right to the left and include the poor and the wealthy, the ignorant and the educated, the religious and the avowedly secular. Put another way by noted author David Nirenberg, antisemitism has the capacity to “transcend political context” and to be utilized “by many societies that really have nothing to do with living Jews or Judaism”. This supplies a “flexibility that … allows many parts of society to agree that Jews are the problem in a way you don’t always see coalescing” around other types of prejudices.”^[8][8] https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-anti-semitism-rises-on-the-left-and-right

This document summarizes materials from an unpublished paper written by the Canadian Security Research Group (CSRG). CMAA thanks CSRG for the use of these materials.