Normalization of antisemitism

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Normalization of antisemitism refers to the shift of anti-Jewish hate from fringe to mainstream.[1] Through the years, various scholars have examined the normalization of antisemitism in their works, analyzing its persistence and evolving manifestations.

Academic usage

In "Normalization of antisemitism, 1880–1900: the case of a Jesuit community in Rome", David Dahl analyzed the dynamics within La Civiltà Cattolica that led to its gradual acceptance of antisemitism in the late 19th century.[2]

In “The ‘Jewish Question’, Hungarian sociology and the normalisation of antisemitism”, Kati Voros described the transformation of antisemitic rhetoric into “what was seen as legitimate social analysis and political critique” within sociological theory in Hungary between 1900 and 1920.[3]

In Alternative für Deutschland: The AfD: Germany's New Nazis or another Populist Party? (Liverpool University Press, 2020),

FPÖ work towards the normalisation of Antisemitism, thereby mainstreaming fascism".[4]

In 2019, Miriam Elman and Asaf Romirowsky attributed "a significant growth in the normalization of antisemitism" to the impact of the BDS movement.[5]

In 2024, Lili Levi called the deployment of antisemitism as a political tool a sign of the normalization of

antisemitism in the US, noting that Democrats and Republicans accuse each other of complicity in antisemitism.[6] Erica Cervini noted that the normalization of antisemitism had led to increasing attacks on Jewish individuals and businesses, and to students feeling unsafe on university campuses in Australia.[7]

Antisemitism: 1919-1939 exhibit

A 2016

New York Historical Society exhibit, Antisemitism: 1919-1939, addressed how anti-Jewish hatred "can permeate a national discourse and become ‘normal’ for ordinary people”. In addition to newspaper clippings, excerpts from Hitler's speeches, a printing of the Nuremberg laws, and park bench signs forbidding Jews, the exhibit focused on children's toys and books which desensitized German children toward antisemitic tropes from an early age.[8]

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights survey

In 2018, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights conducted its second survey on antisemitism in the European Union and issued a report with the statement "Antisemitic harassment is so common that it becomes normalised".[9]

PBS Metrofocus documentary

In 2022,

SNL "the tip of the iceberg". Ward commented that antisemitism "is not a form of religious bigotry. It’s a form of racialized bigotry."[1]

US National Strategy pillar

The May 2023 US Biden-Harris National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism,[10] a 60-page document issued by the White House,[11][12] called its third pillar “Reverse the Normalization of Antisemitism and Counter Antisemitic Discrimination: Whole-of-Society Calls to Action”.[13] Strategic goal 3.1 called for “meaningful accountability for antisemitic conduct” in order to “roll back the normalization of antisemitism”.[13][14] The American Bar Association endorsed those goals in a 2024 statement.[13]

In December 2023, following the

Congressman Goldman decried “the normalization of antisemitism on our college campuses, on social media, and in our communities”.[15] NCJW CEO Sheila Katz told US officials including Secretary of Education Cardona that she was witnessing a 'normalization of antisemitism', and they agreed with data showing that antisemitic incidents had reached unprecedented levels,[16] as in Canada[17] and other countries.[18]

Responses from Jews

In 2022, Hen Mazzig decried the paucity of knowledge about the Holocaust among younger Americans. Mazzig called for more deterrence of antisemitic crimes, calling them “a ‘canary in the coal mine’ indicating that tolerance and democracy itself are in severe distress”.[19]

Raheli Baratz of the World Zionist Organization authored a report on behalf of the WZO and the Jewish Agency for Israel showing that global antisemitic incidents were 340% higher in 2024 than in 2022. The report detailed the increasing use of the term “Zionism” and its derivatives as a euphemism in antisemitic expressions. Baratz commented, “This is not a coincidence — it is a deliberate change in language aimed at making antisemitism socially acceptable”.[20]

Dara Horn described how the USSR labeled Zionism as “racism” and “colonialism,” eventually exporting those smears to "social-justice-minded circles in the United States".[21] Jonathan Greenblatt wrote that the ADL’s surveys noted an increase in the percentage of Americans who harbored “extensive antisemitic views” from 9% in 2014, to 20% in 2022, to 24% in 2024, adding “antisemitism can no longer be considered a fringe belief”.[22]

In 2025, Deborah Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, said in Brussels: "We are at an inflection point. Antisemitism is becoming increasingly normalized...[antisemitic comments] are freely heard on streets of some of our leading Western democracies in many countries, including this country."[23] David Hirsh noted that in British politics, antisemitism was considered "outside of the boundaries of democratic discourse" from World War II until Jeremy Corbin's leadership of the Labour Party. He added that currently, expressing support for Zionism "will get you completely marginalized" in many professions.[24]

Responses from allies

In 2019, the World Council of Churches and the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations met in Paris for a conference on “The Normalisation of hatred: Challenges for Jews and Christians today”. The Reverend Peter Prove described “a new normalization of hatred, in which antisemitism, among many other old prejudices and discriminatory attitudes, is demonstrably on the rise today”.[25]

In a 2022 commentary for WGBH called "Why the normalization of antisemitism is not just a crisis for Jews", Reverend Irene Monroe cited the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally and the Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis as examples of rising antisemitism in the United States.[26]

In 2022, Northwestern University history professor Peter Hayes said he was “very concerned” about the normalization of antisemitism, noting the increased “public discussion of things that used to be beneath contempt”.[27]

In 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that hatred was increasing toward various minority groups, adding "What troubles me the most is that we have normalized antisemitism".[28] He called out "our major media" for minimizing occurrences of antisemitism at college campus protests.[28] Congressman Ritchie Torres called out a video game maker for "normalizing the most monstrous forms of antisemitic violence and terror—like beheadings, suicide bombings, and the war crimes of October 7th".[29] Senator John Fetterman noted that “It's crazy now that [Zionism] becomes a slur in certain circles,” adding that “it’s been turned into like, ‘you Zionist,’ or whatever, it’s crazy.”[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Adediran, Karese (2022-12-07). "The Normalization Of Antisemitism". Exploring Hate. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
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  3. ISSN 0031-322X
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  4. ISBN 978-1-78284-680-2
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  5. doi:10.2979/israelstudies.24.2.18
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  6. ISSN 1557-6582
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  7. ISSN 1833-7724
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  8. ^ Wecker, Menachem (2016-06-27). "How the Nazis "Normalized" Anti-Semitism by Appealing to Children". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  9. ^ "Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism". European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  10. ^ "The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism". United States Department of Justice. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  11. ^ Fabian, Jordan (2023-05-25). "White House Steps Up Monitoring of Antisemitism in New Strategy". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  12. ^ "Statement by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on the Release of First-Ever United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism". United States Mission to the United Nations. 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  13. ^ a b c "The Bar's Role in the US Strategy and Global Guidelines To Combat Antisemitism". American Bar Association. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  14. ^ Blazonis, Sarah (2023-05-25). "White House's new national strategy to tackle normalization of antisemitism". Spectrum Bay News 9. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  15. ^ "NADLER, GOLDMAN, RASKIN LEAD RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM & CALL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE U.S. NATIONAL STRATEGY TO COUNTER ANTISEMITISM". Congressman Jerry Nadler. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  16. ^ Barrón-López, Laura; Schmitz, Ali; Couzens, Ian (2023-10-30). "Israel-Hamas war leads to increase of antisemitic threats on college campuses". PBS News. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  17. ^ "'Normalization of hate': B'nai Brith Canada reports dramatic rise in antisemitism". Global News. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  18. ^ Schickler, Jack (2025-01-15). "Antisemitic attitudes have doubled over a decade, survey finds". euronews. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  19. ^ Mazzig, Hen (2022-11-25). "We Must Beware of the Normalization of Antisemitism". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  20. ^ Stub, Zev; Magid, Jacob; Berman, Lazar (2025-01-22). "Global antisemitism surged 340% in two years, report finds". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  21. ^ Horn, Dara (2024-02-15). "Why the Most Educated People in America Fall for Anti-Semitic Lies". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  22. ^ Greenblatt, Jonathan A. (2024-03-21). "The Growing Antisemitism Among Young Americans". TIME. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
  23. ^ "Online Press Briefing with Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt". United States Department of State. 2025-01-16. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  24. ^ Philpot, Robert (2025-03-05). "Oct. 7 is not a 'watershed' event for UK antisemitism, but did bring it to a boil, says expert". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  25. ISSN 0013-0796
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  26. ^ Monroe, Rev. Irene (2022-02-03). "Why the normalization of antisemitism is not just a crisis for Jews". GBH. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  27. ^ Press, Associated (2022-12-04). "Antisemitic celebrities stoke fears of normalizing hate". POLITICO. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  28. ^ a b "Transcript: Mayor Adams Calls in for Live Interview on 105.1 FM HD2". The official website of the City of New York. 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  29. ^ Walker, Jackson (2024-12-06). "Democrat condemns Steam for October 7 massacre video game: 'Barbaric'". WPMI. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
  30. ^ Lazaroff, Tovah (2024-06-27). "Fetterman: A reckoning's needed on the political left with antisemitism". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
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