In this podcast I speak with distinguished historian Jeffrey Herf about the global wave of anti-Semitism unleashed in the aftermath of October 7. We discuss the Jew hatred of the right, the left and the Islamist movement — and how Hamas has seduced Western intellectuals into “magical thinking” about its true nature. We also ponder what the future holds for the increasingly fearful Jewish communities of the diaspora.
Alongside other notable historians such as Matthias Küntzel and Benny Morris, Herf is curating and featuring in a three-part webinar on The Origins and Ideology of Hamas. The webinar, which kicks off in the US on February 26, is the work of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, a body dedicated to preserving and studying the history and culture of East European Jewry.
YIVO’s chief Jonathan Brent explains: “Exploring the deep affiliations of radical Islamist Hamas with the anti-Semitic propaganda of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, this (webinar) series exposes a painful point of intersection between Eastern European Jewish history and contemporary events.”
You can register for Part 1 here (it’s free): yivo.org/IdeologySeries1
You can view information about the series here: yivo.org/IdeologySeries
The times are a bit punishing for Australians but all sessions will be recorded and available on YIVO’s YouTube channel.
Herf is Professor Emeritus of history at the University of Maryland, College Park. He’s published extensively on Nazism and the Holocaust and their aftermath in Europe and the Middle East. If you haven’t read his incisive post-October 7 commentary you should check out these links:
https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/from-the-river-to-the-sea/
https://quillette.com/2023/10/10/the-ideology-of-mass-murder/
(With Norman J.W. Goda): https://quillette.com/2023/11/23/holocaust-historians-the-genocide-charge-and-gaza/
He’s recently published a collection of essays entitled, Three Faces of Antisemitism: Right, Left, and Islamist: https://www.routledge.com/Three-Faces-of-Antisemitism-Right-Left-and-Islamist/Herf/p/book/9781032583013
Our Zoom connection wasn’t the best so you’ll hear a wobble or two; hopefully it won’t detract from what I reckon is a powerful and illuminating conversation.
The three faces of Jew hatred