Keywords

antisemitism; judaism; islam; israel; arab; religion

Abstract

Following the Second World War, antisemitism appeared to be on a decline. Presently, however, there is an uptick in antisemitic hate crimes, worldwide. Modern-day Islamic antisemitism in particular is in large part recycled European Christian antisemitism adapted for Islamic audiences and intensified by the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. This iteration of anti-Jewish bigotry is not the same as the “old,” but neither is it different. As will be explained, antisemitism has, throughout history, amounted to an anomaly in Islamic culture and in what may be called “normative” Islam.

Indeed, Muslims and Jews lived together amicably for centuries. In fact, within dar-al-Islam, Jews were afforded greater opportunities for social advancement and participation in their host societies than Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews in Christendom. However, after the creation of the modern state of Israel in 1948, distinctly European antisemitic tropes have surfaced in the Islamic world. These have clearly been imported from old Europe (including the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Mein Kampf, and the virulent antisemitism of organizations such as Islamic Jihad). Disturbingly, these same tropes are making their way back into Europe via the growing Muslim minorities in various countries. While this “new antisemitism” of the twenty-first century is neither the same nor different from the old, neither is it unresolvable.

The answer, I will assert, is to address historical Christian antisemitism and impress upon Muslims that antisemitism is contrary to Islamic teachings. The 2020 signing of the Abraham Accords by Israel and a number of Arab states, as well as Israel’s peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt, show that antisemitism can be remedied and that Judeo-Islamic relations can be mended. The Jewish experience in Azerbaijan (a majority-Muslim state) and Singapore (where Jews constitute a tiny minority) further demonstrate that Jews and Muslims can indeed live peaceably together and even cooperate.

Thesis Completion Year

2024

Thesis Completion Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair

Hanson, Kenneth

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Judaic Studies

Thesis Discipline

Judaic Studies

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus Access

None

Campus Location

UCF Online

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