Haiman 1

Sophie Haiman

Redefining Anti-Semitism

There was once a young boy, who is now a grandfather of another younger boy. He had a

grandfather as well. As one would presume, this grandfathers grandfather is no longer living.

And, his current image of his grandfathers vitality is tainted. Tainted by hatred. In this

grandfathers abode there is a tiny picture frame of a little boy on the shoulders of an elder man.

The photo is encased in a wooden frame, is black and white, with creases all over, and a bit

blurry. Although blurry, one could see behind the boy a dark black symbol on the brick wall

above his head. This symbol a swastika. This swastika, is what haunts this grandfathers

memory of his grandfather. A symbol of Jewish hatred; the epitome of Anti-Semitism. This same

grandfather lives in a new world, where the media is everywhere. And, one Sunday morning

while sitting side by side with his grandson, looking at a newspaper, he came about a lengthy

article. An article covered with hate speech against the Jews. This article expressed the authors

beliefs that the Jewish people are undeserving of a Jewish state. Now not only was he witnessing

Jewish hate speech, these Anti-Semitic feelings were now incorporated with Anti-Israel speech,

also known as Anti-Zionism. Just as this grandfather has witnessed within his lifetime, there has

been a shift in the defining factors of Anti-Semitism. This can be seen all over the world,

especially in places such as western Europe. While looking at Anti-Semitism from 1930s western

Europe, a drastic change has occurred from hatred brought about directly from political figures

as a result of economic difficulties to a period of hatred with close ties to the establishment of the

Israeli State which are brought about by indirect political influences, the mass media and Islamic

extremist groups.
 Haiman 2

Beginning in the 1930s, a new surge of Anti-Semitism plagued western Europe until the end

of the Second World War. This specific strand is defined by the direct influence of politicians as a

result of the economic instability ramped throughout the continent. The economic hardships

began in 1930 with the European Great Depression. Even though the crisis began in the United

States, the Great Depression caused drastic declines in output, severe unemployment, and acute

deflation in almost every country of the world (Pells and Romer par. 1). Downturns in European

countries, such as Germany, allowed radical parties, like the Nazis, to arise and run on platforms

of hate. In France, fascist and authoritarian movements were on the rise as well running on

similar platforms. And, in both countries, politicians used the Jewish people as scapegoats for

their countrys economic difficulties. In France, the City of Metzs Chamber of Commerce stated

in a speech in 1933 that Jews were highly undesirable and a veritable plague for honest

French merchants (Caron 5). The Chamber of Commerce believed the Jews in France were

comparable to pests in their impact on French businesses.

By the mid 1930s the situation was becoming gradually worse for the Jewish people. Hitler,

the originator of the Arian ideas become president in 1934. This allowed the Nazi party to gain

control of the German government. And, soon after, they enacted the Nuremberg Laws. These

laws implemented many of the theories in the partys platform. They excluded German Jews

from Reich citizenship and prohibited them from marrying or having sexual relations with

persons of "German or related blood (The Nuremberg Race Laws par.1). Each year the laws

began to become harsher, getting to a point in 1938 where the Jews were required to carry

identity cards marked with a J and acquire new, more Jewish sounding, middle names (par.

5). During that year the government of Germany also condoned the actions of Kristallnacht.

Occurring during the night of November 9th into the 10th of 1938 in Germany and Austria, it was
 Haiman 3

a night of outright Jewish hatred. People rampaged through the streets for several hours torching

many Jewish owned businesses, synagogues, and killing many innocent people in the process.

Conditions were not much better for the Jews in other parts of western Europe at the time either.

In 1935, France enacted quotas for different professions. These quotas allowed them to block out

Jewish people from holding certain jobs in particular fields. Britain began enacting new

legislation as well. They began to strictly monitor their border requirements, specifically in

regards to their visa qualifications. This made it increasingly difficult for Jews to immigrate into

Great Britain for solace. The British had hoped to keep ten times more Jews out then were let

into the country (Karpf par. 4). Additionally, they let less than 5% of Jews into their schools (par.

8). Not only had they kept them out of their schools, they forced them to learn English rather

than speak their native language, German.

As the 1940s approached, the extremist levels of Antisemitism hit a peak in Europe. Millions

died as a result of Hitlers Final Solution coming into fruition. The point of the Final Solution

was to exterminate all of the Jewish population. Hitler built labor and concentration camps

across Europe, sending millions to their deaths. These were not only Germany Jews, they were

Jews from France, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and many other countries in Europe. The end result:

the mass murder of around 6 million Jews. Before, the Nazis even invaded France, the French

government established concentration camps for the Jews as well. These camps were intended

for foreign Jews. The death of these Jewish foreigners on French soil resulted in the first French

deaths of the Holocaust (Jews in France par. 7). Some even believe that the Germans

improved the conditions of the French camps when they took control. Eventually in 1945, the

Allies during the war, Britain, United States and the USSR, were able to liberate these
 Haiman 4

concentration and labor camps. And, with this liberation, people strongly believed came the

culmination of western European Anti-Semitism with the Holocaust.

But, this was not the case. Although, the definition of Anti-Semitism has changed after the

Holocaust. A major proponent, if not the most significant, was the creation of the Israeli State.

Therefore, in order to understand its true importance, it is imperative to understand the variables

tied to the creation of Israel which caused these current tensions.

Following the First World War, Great Britain gained control of Palestine as a result of their

defeat of the Ottoman Empire during the war. With this new land mass on their hands, the British

issued the Balfour Declaration. This declaration announced the British intensions of creating a

national home for the Jewish people. Then, in 1922, the League of Nations granted British

mandate over Palestine. This mandate called for the establishment of a Jewish homeland by the

British, which in turn, encouraged Jewish immigration and settlement of the land. This mass

migration immediately sparked tensions with the native Arab communities and triggered the

creation of Arab nationalist movements in the state.

Years later, on November 29, 1947, the UN recommended the partition of Palestine into two

states. The UN recognized the complications for Jews after World War II. They knew the

difficulty of immigration restrictions for Jews following the war and as a result, their lack of a

place to call home. 6 million were killed, and it was of the utmost importance that the remainder

of this population find a home. Just like many other countries, the Jews were now violently

turned away from Palestine. Therefore, different groups began to smuggle people into the

country. The illegal arrival into the country began to cause even more tensions between the two

parties: the Jewish people and the Palestinians. But, eventually on May 14th 1948 Israeli was

created as a state; terminating the British mandate.

 Haiman 5

Immediately after the creation of Israel, the already simmering tensions skyrocketed. These

heightened frustrations are highlighted in the invasion of 5 bordering Arab Nations - Lebanon,

Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia - on eve of May 14th. This occurred merely hours following

the countrys creation. The ultimate goal of the invasion was for these nations to win back the

land given to the Israelis. But, these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful and resulted in a cease-

fire in 1949, which redrew the state lines. Although these countries were able to come to an

agreement to end this particular war, these tensions are still apparent today. These tensions are

not only visible in the Middle East though. Present day western Europe is exhibiting major

conflicts as a result of these establishments and tensions in the Middle East as well.

Even though new waves of Anti-Semitism have close ties to the creation of the Israeli state

and the ongoing conflict, there are other factors such as Islamic extremist groups, the mass

media, and the indirect influence of politicians which have redefined the term from the definition

in 1930s western Europe. Following World War II, the horror of the Holocaust produced a

revulsion against antisemitism in most of the polite society of western Europe but it has returned,

either directly or under the guise of the anti-Zionist beliefs. This can be highlighted through the

indirect actions of government leaders who are encouraging the Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel

beliefs. Yearly, the European Union funds the Palestinian Authority and since 1994 they have

paid them upward of 2.7 billion dollars (European Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian

Authority 12). This money has gone directly into an undisclosed budget which has been used to

finance the terror war against Israel. Some political figures are even hoping for the EU to join

them in enforcing peace internationally against Israel. Meanwhile, in places such as Great

Britain, the country is refusing to stock or import Israeli goods. They are having a de facto

boycott which will bankrupt dozens of Israeli corporations. In France and Italy, the two nations
 Haiman 6

marked Holocaust remembrance day by hosting the President of Iran. By doing so, they were

showing their support for a leader who trivializes and denies the Holocaust ever happening.

Some European leaders are looking at relations with Iran when the country has pledged to

destroy Israel and its population of Jews.

These western European countries have also been able to spread their Anti-Semitic rhetoric

through state owned media. Newspapers, TV stations and the Internet are all housing Anti-

Semitic writings. These mediums are now able to spread their ideas at greater speeds, reaching

more people in the process. This provides an immediacy and intensity to combat the issue unlike

when the Nazis began their propaganda in the 1930s. In Britain, stations such as BBC are known

for their systematic reporting bias in the Middle East and against Israel. On French channel,

France 3, French Comedian Dieuddonne made an appearance dressed as an orthodox Jew. While

in this garb, the comedian was seen saluting to Hitler and shouting Hail Israel in 2003 (The

Deep Roots of Anti-Semitism in European Society par.36). Cartoons in these countries are also

spreading hate images against Jews. Cartoons are depicting images of deicide, bloodlust, child

murder, and Holocaust inversion. In a Greek newspapers cartoons in 2002, two Jewish soldiers

were dressed as Nazis with Stars of David on their helmets, stabbing in Arabs with knives. The

text read: "Do not feel yourself guilty, my brother. We were not in Auschwitz and Dachau to

suffer, but to learn (par.44). The newspapers incorporation of the swastika with the Star of

David presented the Jews as Nazis. In addition, it depicted the Jews as people who not only go

about killing Arabs with no remorse but as people who deserved being victims of the Holocaust

in order to become educated.

The most directly correlated issue to the creation of Israel is the Anti-Semitic Islamic radical

and extremist groups in western Europe. Throughout the past ten years there has been a mass
 Haiman 7

migration of Muslims from the Middle East. Therefore, many of these people come from a place

where they are taught that Israel is the enemy. Now, in western Europe, their hatred is transferred

directly to the Jewish people. And, a major problem is the surge of fighting in the Middle East

has been directly correlated to violent attacks occurring in western Europe. For example, in 2014

there was a spike in violent acts against Jews in western Europe and worldwide by more than

200 attacks that year. During that year, in countries across western Europe, mobs attacked

synagogues, four were shot dead when a gunman opened fire in a Jewish museum and in

Brussels Germany, protestors were ordering Jews to be sent to the gas (Sokol par. 5).

Simultaneously, a war was waging between Israel and the Hamas in the Gaza Strip. From there

the violent acts have been on an increase upwards. From 2014-2015 in London alone, there has

been an increase of Anti-Semitic violence by 61.5%.

People believed that after the direct political hatred spurred from the economic instabilities in

western Europe causing the Holocaust, the world saw the last of it. But, this was not the case. As

seen by the Anti-Semitic presence today; a result of Islamic extremist groups, indirect political

influences, and the mass medias Anti-Zionist beliefs. These feelings of Jewish hatred are not

going away in Western Europe or around the world anytime soon. It is even seen here in the

United States. Although, many may deny these facts, this hate is lurking in the shadows. When a

little girl is playing with her best friends at recess and has a coin thrown at her. When people

spray swastikas on cars. When people post on Facebook against the very establishment of the

Jewish state. When people deny the happenings of the Holocaust. These are all ways each and

every one of us witnesses Anti-Semitism on a daily basis. In the year of 2016. This is no different

from hundreds of years ago either. In history there have been a plethora of events which evokes

hatred towards the Jewish people and there will be many more to come. But, there is hope. The
 Haiman 8

more educated people become, and the more people unify rather than become divisive the more

of a chance we have of preventing this type of speech. Not only hatred against the Jewish people.

but we have a change to stop this type of speech against all races, nationalities, and religions by

educating ourselves and coming together in times of hardship and despair.

Works Cited

"The Arab Israeli War of 1948." Office of the Historian, Department of State, history.state.gov/
 Haiman 9

milestones/1945-1952/arab-israeli-war. Accessed 6 Nov. 2016.

Caron, Vicki. The Path to Vichy: Antisemitism in France in the 1930s. The United States

Holocaust Memorial Museum, www.ushmm.org/m/pdfs/Publication_OP_2005-07-02.pdf.

Accessed 3 Nov. 2016.

Gernstenfeld, Manfred. "The Deep Roots of Anti-Semitism in European Society." Jerusalem

Center for Public Affairs, 2005, www.jcpa.org/phas/phas-gerstenfeld-s05.htm. Accessed

4 Nov. 2016."Jews in France." UCSB Department of History

www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/projects/france/JewsInFrance.htm.

Karpf, Anne. "Weve Been Here Before." The Guardian, 7 June 2002,

www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/jun/08/immigration.immigrationandpublicservices.

"The Nuremberg Race Laws." United States Holocaust Memorial

Museum,www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007695

Pells, Richard H., and Christina D. Romer. "Great Depression." Britannica, Encyclopaedia

Britannica, www.britannica.com/event/Great-Depression.

Sokol, Sam. "Analysis: European Anti-Semitism Likely to Grow in 2016." The Jerusalem Post

[Jerusalem], 5 Jan. 2016, www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Analysis-European-anti-Semitism-

likely-to-grow-in-2016-439422. Accessed 1 Nov. 2016.

Tharoor, Ishaan. "Europe's Fear of Muslim Refugees Echoes Rhetoric of 1930s Anti-Semitism."

The Washington Post, 2 Sept. 2015,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/09/02/europes-current-anti-

migrant-rhetoric-carries-echoes-of-1930s-anti-semitism/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2016.