The Intersection of Antisemitism and Misogyny

The chapter will first consider the nature of antisemitism. In this regard, it will explain the blood libel, the conspiracy libel, and the economic libel, and give examples from Community Security Trust’s recent annual incident reports. It will also explain the unique nature of antisemitism when compared to other forms of racism and the fact that it is often ‘hidden’ in discourse. The chapter will then consider the history of misogyny in antisemitism. As such, it will discuss the unique treatment of women in the Holocaust as well as the disparaging treatment of Jewish women in literature and film, and the birth of the Jewish American Princess (JAP) stereotype and its English equivalent. The chapter will then consider contemporary misogyny in antisemitism. It will note the neglect of treating and recording women as a separate category in the recording of antisemitic incidents until the Sara Conference in London in October 2018 (it will also explain the reasons for the Sara Conference, its focus, and outcomes). The chapter will then outline online and offline examples of gendered antisemitism. It will offer examples of far-right and far-left antisemitism directed at women who are known to be Jewish, including Members of Parliament, actresses, and UK other celebrities. It will also give examples of online antisemitism in relation to visible Jewish men by way of comparison. It will also give examples of the variety of random attacks against girls and women who are visibly Jewish in public spaces in the UK, noting the intersection of antisemitism and misogyny. The chapter will conclude with emphasising the importance of developing a policy argument for recognising gendered antisemitism as a unique sub-category of misogynistic hate crime.