The Jewish Question: Antisemitism and Zionism
The Rise of antisemitism
Racial theory: Joseph Arthur de Gobineau: White, Black, and yellow races- Biblically based and no mixing!
White race seen as superior, created Indo European culture- Germans are the descendants of these Indo European Aryans: Superior and pure race.
Anti-Semitism: Wilhelm Marr. "The Victory of Germanism over Judaism"- (1879) an existential racial struggle. German Liberalism has empowered Jews to control finance and industry. Coined the term "anti-Semite" and founded the League of Anti-Semites.
Historical background: Russia
· 1870s: anti-Jewish sentiment and riots
· 1881-84 : murder of Tsar Alexander precipitates pogroms in 100 communities
· 1882: anti-Jewish decrees: May Laws
Maskilim such as Lilienblum experience a pogrom first-hand and comes to the conclusion that Haskalah is not the answer to "the Jewish Question".
Texts: Anti-Semitism
1. Hermann Goedsche: The Rabbi's Speech
Originally from the novel "Biarritz", later published as a separate pamphlet- ultimately incorporated into the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion".
A secret meeting each century of representatives of the 12 tribes of Israel, to plan world domination, to "inherit the earth", "the sole possessors of all the gold"; "world domination" to be achieved by exploiting the gullible masses.
2. KARL EUGEN DUEHRING: THE QUESTION OF THE JEW IS A QUESTION OF RACE
A Jewish Question would still exist, even if every Jew were to turn his back on his religion and join one of our major churches.....(it is) the baptised Jews who infiltrate furtherst!
Texts: Zionism
Text 3: Auto-Emancipation, Leon Pinsker (1882),
The only solution for the Jews is auto-emancipation i.e. only they and not others can emancipate themselves. And only they can achieve emancipation of the self- freedom and pride as Jews. This can only be achieved through the creation of an autonomous territory (Eretz Yisrael is not specifically mentioned) so that Jews will be equal to all the other ethnic populations of Russia.
Text 4: Thedor Herzl, A Solution to the Jewish Question (1896),
POLITICAL ZIONISM
We are one people- One People
The Problem: ....in countries where we have lived for centuries we are still cried down as strangers...
The Solution: "sovereignty over a portion of the globe large enough....."
Text 5: Achad Ha-am: The Jewish State and the Jewish Problem.
CULTURAL ZIONISM
The problem: To save not only Jews but also Judaism.
Solution: A Jewish cultural centre in Palestine: " A great national culture....living by the light of its own spirit...the centre of the nation....(from which) the spirit of Judaism will radiate to to the great circumference, to all the communities of the Diaspora. Eventually, not merely a state of Jews but a Jewish State.
Summary
Zionism, Haskalah, and antisemitism:
In one sense, Zionism, or Jewish nationalism, can be said to arise out of Haskalah, but on the other hand Zionism is also a response to the failure of Haskalah to solve the Jewish problem. Integration, education and the whole Haskalah project has not led to less hatred of Jews but more and to the rise of modern antisemitism. For some, therefore, the only answer is to normalise ourselves as a nation in our homeland.
The Rise of antisemitism
Racial theory: Joseph Arthur de Gobineau: White, Black, and yellow races- Biblically based and no mixing!
White race seen as superior, created Indo European culture- Germans are the descendants of these Indo European Aryans: Superior and pure race.
Anti-Semitism: Wilhelm Marr. "The Victory of Germanism over Judaism"- (1879) an existential racial struggle. German Liberalism has empowered Jews to control finance and industry. Coined the term "anti-Semite" and founded the League of Anti-Semites.
Historical background: Russia
· 1870s: anti-Jewish sentiment and riots
· 1881-84 : murder of Tsar Alexander precipitates pogroms in 100 communities
· 1882: anti-Jewish decrees: May Laws
Maskilim such as Lilienblum experience a pogrom first-hand and comes to the conclusion that Haskalah is not the answer to "the Jewish Question".
Texts: Anti-Semitism
1. Hermann Goedsche: The Rabbi's Speech
Originally from the novel "Biarritz", later published as a separate pamphlet- ultimately incorporated into the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion".
A secret meeting each century of representatives of the 12 tribes of Israel, to plan world domination, to "inherit the earth", "the sole possessors of all the gold"; "world domination" to be achieved by exploiting the gullible masses.
2. KARL EUGEN DUEHRING: THE QUESTION OF THE JEW IS A QUESTION OF RACE
A Jewish Question would still exist, even if every Jew were to turn his back on his religion and join one of our major churches.....(it is) the baptised Jews who infiltrate furtherst!
Texts: Zionism
Text 3: Auto-Emancipation, Leon Pinsker (1882),
The only solution for the Jews is auto-emancipation i.e. only they and not others can emancipate themselves. And only they can achieve emancipation of the self- freedom and pride as Jews. This can only be achieved through the creation of an autonomous territory (Eretz Yisrael is not specifically mentioned) so that Jews will be equal to all the other ethnic populations of Russia.
Text 4: Thedor Herzl, A Solution to the Jewish Question (1896),
POLITICAL ZIONISM
We are one people- One People
The Problem: ....in countries where we have lived for centuries we are still cried down as strangers...
The Solution: "sovereignty over a portion of the globe large enough....."
Text 5: Achad Ha-am: The Jewish State and the Jewish Problem.
CULTURAL ZIONISM
The problem: To save not only Jews but also Judaism.
Solution: A Jewish cultural centre in Palestine: " A great national culture....living by the light of its own spirit...the centre of the nation....(from which) the spirit of Judaism will radiate to to the great circumference, to all the communities of the Diaspora. Eventually, not merely a state of Jews but a Jewish State.
Summary
Zionism, Haskalah, and antisemitism:
In one sense, Zionism, or Jewish nationalism, can be said to arise out of Haskalah, but on the other hand Zionism is also a response to the failure of Haskalah to solve the Jewish problem. Integration, education and the whole Haskalah project has not led to less hatred of Jews but more and to the rise of modern antisemitism. For some, therefore, the only answer is to normalise ourselves as a nation in our homeland.