Antisemitism: An Ancient Hatred in the Age of Identity Politics

by Philip Slayton

What is Antisemitism? This startling exploration of the past and present of antisemitism starts with the surprisingly complex what is a Jew? what is antisemitism? why does it happen? Author Philip Slayton looks at the very different experiences of Jews in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and America, and the longstanding tensions between Jews and Muslims, and Jews and Christians. He examines the Holocaust, which brought the fight against antisemitism to new heights, and Zionism, which has set the fight back immeasurably. The role of media and particularly social media in spreading antisemitism is scrutinized. Identity Politics is found to have sidelined Jews in favor of other historically oppressed populations. All of which leads to a provocative we need to quit worrying so much about antisemitism in the form of incivility, conspiracy theories, and Holocaust denial, and concentrate on expressions that are organized, institutionalized, and violent.

Genres: Antisemitism

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

Philip Slayton studied law at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and then clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada. In the first chapter of his legal career he was a law professor and dean of law at Western University.

Philip then went into legal practice with a major Canadian law firm in Toronto, and worked on many of the biggest corporate and commercial transactions of the time. After seventeen years, he retired from the practice of law in 2000.

Upon leaving Big Law, Philip Slayton wrote the best-selling book Lawyers Gone Bad: Money, Sex and Madness in Canada’s Legal Profession. Philip and his book were the subjects of a Maclean’s magazine cover story with the controversial headline “Lawyers are Rats.” The Toronto Star labelled Slayton “Public Enemy #1.”

His second book was Mighty Judgment: How the Supreme Court of Canada Runs Your Life, and third was Mayors Gone Bad. His next book, The Future of Tennis, will be published in the summer of 2018.

Slayton is a regular contributor on law-related topics to Canadian magazines and newspapers, and is an occasional commentator on television and radio. He was the past president of PEN Canada.