lexpress.fr
Antisemitism and the Middle East
A Lebanese-French philosopher analyzes the resurgence of antisemitism, highlighting religious roots and challenging common narratives surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
French
France
PoliticsMiddle EastIsraelFranceConflictAntisemitismHistoryReligion
HamasHezbollahThe United Nations
Paul AudiDaniel SibonyBernard KouchnerBen Gurion
- What prompted Paul Audi to write "Tenir Tête" and what approach does he use?
- Paul Audi, a Lebanese-French philosopher, wrote "Tenir Tête" to express his horror at the surge in antisemitism following the October 7th attacks. He uses a epistolary novel format, featuring two friends, one Jewish and one not, to explore the issue.
- According to Audi, what is the nature of the "holy war" against Israel, and how does this relate to recent events?
- Audi believes a "holy war" against Israel has been waged for a long time due to a debt felt by Christians and Muslims to Judaism's prior religious position and the symbolic importance of Jerusalem. The October 7th pogrom, he argues, exemplifies this religious anti-judaism.
- Why does Audi prefer the term "antijudaism" to "antisemitism," and what historical context supports his preference?
- Audi prefers "antijudaism" to "antisemitism" because the former reflects the historical targeting of Jews as a religious group, while the latter, born in 19th century Europe, implies a racial basis for the hatred. This distinction is crucial to understanding the nature of the hatred.
- What does Audi see as a key factor behind anti-Jewish sentiment, and how does he connect it to the Middle East conflict?
- Audi argues that the historical precedence of Judaism over Christianity and Islam fuels anti-Jewish sentiment. This religious dimension, he claims, continues to fuel the conflict in the Middle East, which has become entangled with Islamism.
- Why does Audi reject the idea that Israel's founding resulted from post-Holocaust Western guilt, and what does he cite as the primary motivation for Zionism?
- Audi refutes the common idea that Israel's creation stemmed from post-Shoah Western guilt, asserting that Zionism predates the Holocaust. He argues that the Zionist movement aimed to establish a Jewish political space and self-determination for the Jewish people, not solely as a response to the Holocaust.