ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE MODERN PERIOD AND THE PRESENT
Publié le 22/02/2012
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The movement of thought known as the Enlightenment
(the 17th century to the 18th century)
changed the position of Jews in European society.
It taught that all human beings, by virtue of
being human, enjoyed certain basic civil rights.
According to the American "Declaration of Independence,"
these rights included "life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness." Infl uenced by this kind
of thinking, one European country after another
removed legal restrictions that had been placed
on Jews. Especially during the 19th century Jews
began in theory to participate equally as full members
of European society.
In the late 19th century, however, a backlash
arose. Some politicians used ideas about race and
genetics to develop an anti-Semitic program. They
attributed a barrage of vices to Jews and lobbied
for the reimposition of traditional restrictions. In
the 20th century this backlash attained horrid proportions
in the Nazi HOLOCAUST.
Anti-Semitism persists today, but among
Americans and Europeans overt anti-Semitism is
generally confi ned to marginal groups such as the
Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazis. The establishment
of the state of Israel in 1948 has prompted
the rise of anti-Semitism in the Islamic world,
where it had previously been less prevalent. In the
United States, anti-Semitic statements by leaders
of the Nation of Islam (see ISLAM, NATION OF) have
contributed to tensions between the Jewish and
African-American communities.
Liens utiles
- ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION PERIODS
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