Anti-Semites! An accusation as an instrument of power in German and Israeli foreign and domestic policy. A lecture by Moshe Zuckermann

A lecture by Moshe Zuckermann, Professor Emeritus of History and Philosophy, Tel Aviv University.

The accusation of anti-Semitism weighs heavily, especially in Germany. Here, centuries of persecution, marginalization and murder of Jewish communities in Europe culminated in the systematic extermination of six million Jews under National Socialism.
The Zionist movement emerged in the 19th century as a reaction to this centuries-long persecution and exclusion. It pursued the goal of a Jewish state - realized in 1948 with the founding of Israel. Within Judaism, Zionism was always controversial - both theologically and politically. Because Zionism is to be understood as a reaction to European anti-Semitism, the accusation of anti-Semitism today is always linked to discussions about Israeli policy. However, whether and when anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism can be equated is controversial, even in discussions within the Jewish community.

One of the critics of this equation is the historian and sociologist Moshe Zuckermann. According to him, equating anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism not only leads to a trivialization of real hostility towards Jews. The accusation of anti-Semitism also serves as an instrument of domestic and foreign policy domination, for example in Germany and Israel. Moshe Zuckermann will explain this in a lecture followed by a discussion. Moshe Zuckermann will be joining us via Zoom from Tel Aviv.