The Coming Storm Part II: 7 Historical Tropes of Antisemitism
There are countless antisemitic ideas in our world; full books have been written on the matter. Thankfully, this article needn’t take 100,000+ words, as the ADL has helpfully boiled the many tropes of antisemitism down into seven broad historical categories. Below, they’re roughly organized into chronological order by when they emerged. Although the older tropes may seem quaint, all still circulate. Each is worth understanding.
Deicide. Deicide is one of the oldest anti-Jewish tropes around. It emerged out of the first century, CE, as an accusation that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death. Even today, decades since the Catholic Church repudiated this concept, there are those who believe and espouse it—even at the forefront of American politics.
Blood. This alludes to blood libels, the medieval sinister accusation that Jews kidnapped Christian children and used their blood for ritual purposes. While the original version of this trope is now held only by the most extreme of antisemites, a contemporary suggestion that Jews have a dark association with blood and death (and even organ-theft) remains.
Greed. Greed, as an antisemitic trope, developed in medieval Europe, in a context where Jews were banned from engaging in most trades and thus resorted to money-lending—which was proscribed to their Christian peers. Greed isn’t just about literal greediness; it also extends to the belief that there are shadowy connections between all things Jewish and finance. Sadly, Jews know all too well that this trope remains widespread, including in suggestions that Judaism has some innate financial dimension to it.
Power. As the word implies, this trope suggests that Jews have some nefarious control of the world around us, via media, politics, weather, you name it. Best exemplified in the infamous antisemitic fabrication, Protocols of the Elders of Zion, this trope allows its exponents to imagine that they, by practicing antisemitism, are fighting a just cause against a malevolent evil—i.e., Jews. Whether chanting “Jews will not replace us,” or claiming that “Jews own politicians” (something I’ve been told by progressive would-be allies), people who claim this have internalized anti-Jewish conspiratorial thinking.
Disloyalty. This trope has been around for millennia but now especially seems resurgent. It alleges that Jews cannot be trusted because we are more loyal to one another than to our national homes, peers, etc. Currently, alas, it is often used to suggest Jews are more loyal to Israel than their home countries.
Denial. Denial refers to outright disbelief in or skepticism of the scope of the Holocaust. Naturally, this is a product of the 20th century. These days, when 20% of people 18-29 years old “strongly agree” or “tend to agree” with the statement “the Holocaust is a myth” (per a 2023 Economist/YouGov poll), this is a major and growing problem. Denial also often leads to Holocaust inversion: a type of antisemitism where ideas/illustrations of the Holocaust are appropriated and used to target Jews or Israelis. For example, the notion that Israelis are planning a “final solution” against Palestinians.
Anti-Zionism. Finally, this trope, too, comes about in the mid- to late-20th century. While it isn’t fair to say that all anti-Zionism is antisemitism, we know that many antisemites use anti-Zionist rhetoric to mask what they hold as antisemitic opinions. Often, I put it this way: Not all anti-Zionists are antisemites, but many, many antisemites are anti-Zionists.
If you’re looking for an easy mnemonic to remember these, recall: “Don’t be gullible! Practice discernment, develop awareness.” Knowing these seven tropes helps in identifying antisemitism around us and having explicit language to capture and critique the experience.
Next Tuesday, I’ll zoom in on the three of these tropes I think we’ll see the most of as this season progresses. Join me then to see how our political rhetoric is likely to (even more greatly) amplify antisemitism related to greed, power, and antizionism.