On 7 October 2023, Hamas killed over a thousand Israelis, sparking a devastating new phase in the long-running conflict in Israel and Palestine. In the days and weeks that followed, a wave of anti-Jewish hatred swept across the world. Synagogues were burned, Jews attacked and protests raged, with calls for Israel to be erased from the map. Despite our abhorrence of racism, this most ancient of prejudices continues to seduce even the most educated, empathetic and well-meaning members of society. This, Dave Rich argues, is the particular quality of antisemitism: it hides in plain sight. Our task is to understand where it came from in order that it might be rooted out.

This book is a tour de force of the history and present reality of antisemitism; from Shakespeare to South Park, Israel to Covid-19, Rich shows us where each of the enduring stereotypes about Jews came from, what they look like in modern society and how they can be challenged. Fully updated to address the events of 7 October and all that followed, this book shines a light on the almost-unnoticed prejudices that perpetuate anti-Jewish hatred, explaining how antisemitism continues to thrive in the interactions, assumptions and views of decent people around the world - and how we can change this for the better.

About the Author

Dr Dave Rich is one of the UK's leading experts on antisemitism. He has worked for almost thirty years for the Community Security Trust, a Jewish charity that protects the UK Jewish community, and has advised the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, football clubs, political parties and many other organisations on how to tackle antisemitism. This is his second book, following The Left's Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Antisemitism (Biteback, 2016 and 2018). You will regularly find him writing about antisemitism or extremism for national and international media or appearing on TV and radio broadcasts, including for The Guardian, New York Times, New Statesman, Jewish Chronicle, Haaretz, BBC News, ITV News, Sky News, Radio 5 Live, LBC, Panorama, Newsnight and others. Dave is a Research Fellow at the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism. His academic work includes chapters and articles about hate crime, conspiracy theories, the abuse of Holocaust memory, anti-Israel boycotts, campus antisemitism and the campaign for Soviet Jewry. Dave blogs regularly about antisemitism and related topics at his personal Substack, 'Everyday Hate', where you can subscribe for free articles and updates at https://everydayhate.substack.com

Book Information
ISBN 9781785908835
Author Dave Rich
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Biteback Publishing
Publisher Biteback Publishing