Suchergebnisse

From literary portrayals of 'the Jew' as Biblical traitor or Dickensian villain to the very real atrocities of the Holocaust and the conflicts in Israel and Palestine, the plight of the Jewish people throughout history has been as violent and volatile as the animosity towards the religion itself. Two millennia of prejudice, persecution and purges have turned the 'Chosen People' into 'The Enemy', crudely lumping together generation after generation of men, women and children – of differing ambitions, appearances and allegiances – in gratuitous displays of anti-Semitism. In this powerful polemic, acclaimed writer Frederic Raphael explores the origin, rise and impact of anti-Jewish feeling at a time when religious tensions throughout the world are mounting once more. When did 'the Jew' become the quintessential scapegoat? Why do the western media continue to condemn Israel so enthusiastically? How can we respond to those so eager to complete the mission Hitler began? And yet, at the heart of the debate, one crucial fact endures: in the face of thousands of years of adversity, not only has Judaism survived, but the genius and determination of its people have flourished.

The Jews are at once privileged and peculiar, possibly blessed, regularly cursed. So why have a few million human beings, of differing appearance, allegiance and ideology been lumped together as 'The Enemy' in so many programmes for salvation, in this world and the next? The rejection of Jesus turned 'the Chosen' into 'the Damned', and in this sense, the rise of Christianity and the damnation of the Jews went hand in hand. Yet both Christianity and Islam cannot entirely deny that their doctrines are based on Judaism. Religious pundits have claimed that the doctrine of anti-Semitism is a feature of the Enlightenment. Now, years later, what Hitler failed to do, others wish to complete. Anti-Judaism had a successor in anti-Semitism, and anti-Semitism has in turn mutated into anti-Israelism. Israel, like 'the Jew', is the target of choice for those who hope to be covered in glory by casting the first stone. In this extraordinary, powerful polemic, celebrated writer Frederic Raphael looks back through two millennia of persecution, explaining not only exactly why it is people have been killing Jews for so long, but how this religion continues to survive and flourish in spite of this history of violence