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A Definition of Antisemitism

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The Therapized Antisemite
This chapter is in the book The Therapized Antisemite
A Definition of AntisemitismBefore diving into the matter, a definition is due for clarity’s sake. The term“anti-semitic”is problematic for various reasons. It was first popularized by WilhelmMarr, himself an antisemite. There are various definitions of“antisemitism,”andeven how the term should be written is disputed. I choose to write it as“antisemi-tism,”as there is no“Semitism”for it to be against. As with many fields in acade-mia, the definition of what constitutes as“antisemitic”itself is viciously debated.“Since at least 1879,”writes Kenneth L. Marcus inThe Definition of Anti-Semitism,the term“anti-Semitism”has been repeatedly, variously, and contradictorily defined and re-defined in scores of lexicons, encyclopedia, and other reference works, as well as scholarlybooks and monographs. Despite these efforts, the question of definition is now more unset-tled than at any previous time . . . because definitions are fraught with ideological assump-tions that divide schools of thought.27As the field of antisemitism research is shaped by these conflicts in which ideol-ogy and self-interest, research and the politicization of academia are often hardto distinguish, it constitutes an environment in which a clear definition of anti-semitism does not appear easily. This leaves legal scholars with a dilemma.28WeKenneth L. Marcus,The Definition of Anti-Semitism(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), 6.Giving the current rise in antisemitism, legal contributions to the question how to define thephenomenon seems all the more important. Yet, perplexingly, there is no institute for“Antisemi-tism and the Law”that could provide such a definition. I am not even aware of a law schooloffering a course on“antisemitism and the law”(while there are courses on Jewish religious lawat law schools). Nor am I aware of a substantial body of research on antisemitism and the law.Examples are the“Law vs Antisemitism Project,”a non-profit organization founded by two Amer-ican law professors, Robert Katz and Diane Kemker. Fortunately, both seek to write a casebookon the topic with David Schraub (a project that by the time of this writing has not been com-pleted), and organized the“Inaugural Law vs Antisemitism Conference”at Indiana University in2022. (Yet, Derek Penslar, who is neither a legal scholar nor an expert on antisemitism and doesnot see the BDS movement as antisemitic, delivered the opening address. More about his scholar-ship in chapter IV. https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/news/releases/2022/02/iu-mckinney-hosts-inaugural-law-vs-antisemitism-conference-.html (Access date October 26, 2023)). Among the few otherscholars working on the intersection of antisemitism and the law are Reut Y. Paz and Thilo Ma-rauhn with their“Seeing Antisemitism Through Law”project at the University of Giessen in Ger-many (https://www.uni-giessen.de/faculties/01/facultydep/liszt/satl) and their research partnerYoram Shachar of Reichman University in Israel (https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/446952759).There is Robbie Sabel’s work on international law and antisemitism at The Hebrew University ofJerusalem (Robbie Sabel,“A Role for International Law in Combating Antisemitism?”Israel Jour-nal of Foreign Affairs10.3 (2016): 451–456, DOI: 10.1080/23739770.2016.1247317), and David Sey-mour’s work on the impact of the Holocaust on social and legal theory (David Seymour,Law,Antisemitism and the Holocaust(London: Routledge, 2007); https://londonantisemitism.com/about/).https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111349572-002
© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

A Definition of AntisemitismBefore diving into the matter, a definition is due for clarity’s sake. The term“anti-semitic”is problematic for various reasons. It was first popularized by WilhelmMarr, himself an antisemite. There are various definitions of“antisemitism,”andeven how the term should be written is disputed. I choose to write it as“antisemi-tism,”as there is no“Semitism”for it to be against. As with many fields in acade-mia, the definition of what constitutes as“antisemitic”itself is viciously debated.“Since at least 1879,”writes Kenneth L. Marcus inThe Definition of Anti-Semitism,the term“anti-Semitism”has been repeatedly, variously, and contradictorily defined and re-defined in scores of lexicons, encyclopedia, and other reference works, as well as scholarlybooks and monographs. Despite these efforts, the question of definition is now more unset-tled than at any previous time . . . because definitions are fraught with ideological assump-tions that divide schools of thought.27As the field of antisemitism research is shaped by these conflicts in which ideol-ogy and self-interest, research and the politicization of academia are often hardto distinguish, it constitutes an environment in which a clear definition of anti-semitism does not appear easily. This leaves legal scholars with a dilemma.28WeKenneth L. Marcus,The Definition of Anti-Semitism(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), 6.Giving the current rise in antisemitism, legal contributions to the question how to define thephenomenon seems all the more important. Yet, perplexingly, there is no institute for“Antisemi-tism and the Law”that could provide such a definition. I am not even aware of a law schooloffering a course on“antisemitism and the law”(while there are courses on Jewish religious lawat law schools). Nor am I aware of a substantial body of research on antisemitism and the law.Examples are the“Law vs Antisemitism Project,”a non-profit organization founded by two Amer-ican law professors, Robert Katz and Diane Kemker. Fortunately, both seek to write a casebookon the topic with David Schraub (a project that by the time of this writing has not been com-pleted), and organized the“Inaugural Law vs Antisemitism Conference”at Indiana University in2022. (Yet, Derek Penslar, who is neither a legal scholar nor an expert on antisemitism and doesnot see the BDS movement as antisemitic, delivered the opening address. More about his scholar-ship in chapter IV. https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/news/releases/2022/02/iu-mckinney-hosts-inaugural-law-vs-antisemitism-conference-.html (Access date October 26, 2023)). Among the few otherscholars working on the intersection of antisemitism and the law are Reut Y. Paz and Thilo Ma-rauhn with their“Seeing Antisemitism Through Law”project at the University of Giessen in Ger-many (https://www.uni-giessen.de/faculties/01/facultydep/liszt/satl) and their research partnerYoram Shachar of Reichman University in Israel (https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/446952759).There is Robbie Sabel’s work on international law and antisemitism at The Hebrew University ofJerusalem (Robbie Sabel,“A Role for International Law in Combating Antisemitism?”Israel Jour-nal of Foreign Affairs10.3 (2016): 451–456, DOI: 10.1080/23739770.2016.1247317), and David Sey-mour’s work on the impact of the Holocaust on social and legal theory (David Seymour,Law,Antisemitism and the Holocaust(London: Routledge, 2007); https://londonantisemitism.com/about/).https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111349572-002
© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword IX
  3. Acknowledgements XI
  4. Contents XIII
  5. Introduction 1
  6. A Definition of Antisemitism 8
  7. Chapter I. Social Psychology 11
  8. Chapter II. Clinical Psychology 29
  9. Chapter III. The Way the World Goes Mad, and a “WEIRD” Understanding of it 52
  10. Chapter IV. Psychohistory 63
  11. Chapter V. Forensic Psychology 70
  12. Chapter VI. Psychology and Policymaking 81
  13. Conclusion 88
  14. Bibliography 91
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111349572-002

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Foreword IX
  3. Acknowledgements XI
  4. Contents XIII
  5. Introduction 1
  6. A Definition of Antisemitism 8
  7. Chapter I. Social Psychology 11
  8. Chapter II. Clinical Psychology 29
  9. Chapter III. The Way the World Goes Mad, and a “WEIRD” Understanding of it 52
  10. Chapter IV. Psychohistory 63
  11. Chapter V. Forensic Psychology 70
  12. Chapter VI. Psychology and Policymaking 81
  13. Conclusion 88
  14. Bibliography 91
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