Philosemitism is the basis of white euro-american identity formation vis-à-vis treatment of Jewish people, where white euro-america presents itself as the protector of Jews and other societies as a threat to the Jews. Through defining itself as a society that has ‘defeated antisemitism’, always proclaiming its commitment to fight antisemitism, and defining other societies as producers of antisemitism, white euro-america effectively creates justification for its various colonial projects, but now it does so in the name of the Jews.
Opposing philosemitism is an absolute necessity in the struggle against colonialism, but it is not always easy to tell when someone is producing philosemitism. Often, philosemitic rhetoric is simply dog-whistled. Dog-whistles are “an expression or statement that has a secondary meaning intended to be understood only by a particular group of people.” Much attention has been spent detailing the various antisemitic dog-whistles and people have gotten significantly more adept at pointing them out and shutting them down. Some notable examples of antisemitic dog-whistles include references to “globalists”, to a small cabal who secretly run the world, or even something as seemingly innocuous as surrounding a word with three pairs of parentheses- ((())). Philosemitic dog-whistles are extremely common as well and it’s important we learn to spot them.
Here is a short guide with 5 of the most common philosemitic dog-whistles:
1. “The Holocaust is the worst event in history”
This first dog-whistle comes in many forms including:
- Demanding people avoid comparing current events to the Holocaust
- The idea that the Holocaust is unparalleled
- Asserting that the Jews are the “most persecuted” people
- Stating that the Holocaust is “beyond our capacity for understanding”
- Placing Nazism as the “most” evil ideology
The essence in all of these variations is the same, that the Holocaust is unique and that its uniqueness stems from being the worst atrocity that has ever been committed by the worst villains the world has ever known. This is a convenient narrative to offer for a country, such as the so-called US, which only came into being through the violent genocide of millions, who fought in WWII with a segregated army, and whose anti-Black policies actually inspired the Nazi’s policies. Presenting the Holocaust as the “worst” at once obscures the so-called US’s colonial past (and present… and future) and simultaneously positions the US as on the “right side,” because of their opposition to the Nazis. France, with its horrific anti-Black colonial history, commits itself to making right the crimes committed during the Holocaust and uses these pronouncements, as Alana Lentin writes about commitments to fight antisemitism in general, as “a proxy for… commitment to antiracism.” This white euro-american narrative condemns people as not fully understanding or respecting the Holocaust if they make any comparison between the Holocaust and other historical or current atrocities because their fabricated identity requires these comparisons not be made. Some even go as far as to say that making these comparisons is itself antisemitic.
No doubt, the Holocaust is an absolutely disgusting atrocity. It is not “worse” than chattel slavery. It is not “worse” than the colonization and destruction of Africa. It is not “worse” than the colonization and destruction of Turtle Island. It is not “worse” than the numerous genocides that white euro-america executed in these colonial pursuits. By making the Holocaust “the worst,” white euro-america is able to continue these colonial pursuits but do it with a good conscience, as long as they continue to ‘prevent’ another Holocaust against the Jews.
2. Expressing support for Jews that “others” us
The second philosemitic dog-whistle occurs anytime someone expresses support for the Jews, but in so doing, implies that the Jews are not included in their definition of society, they are instead Jews. Houria Bouteldja describes these perfectly as “state Freudian slips.” One example she provides is from former French president Jacques Chirac, where he states, “We are facing a time when racist incidents (…) endanger the safety of our Jewish and Muslim compatriots or sometimes just French people.” In that example, Jewish or Muslim people cannot simply be French people. An example of this dog-whistle occurring in so-called america is when president Trump referred to so-called israel’s prime minister as “your prime minister” in his speech to a largely Jewish crowd. He is no doubt expressing support for the Jewish people, but he is doing so by implying that Jewish people are “others,” specifically in this speech, israeli.
The solution to these state Freudian slips is not to demand inclusion into the national bodies of France or America. It is to recognize that this exclusion is fundamental to the formation of white euro-american identities. We must understand that philosemitic support for the Jewish “other,” stems from white euro-american identity formation which wields Jews as pawns. Therefore, Jewish inclusion in that is simply impossible.
3. Erasing or obscuring non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust
The Jews were not the only victims of the nazis. The nazis targeted Catholics, Romani people, disabled people, communists, Jehovah’s witnesses, LGBTQ+ people, non-Jewish Polish people, African people, Soviet citizens and soldiers, and others. 6 million Jews were killed, but in total, the victims of Nazism, when including non-Jewish victims, is thought to be nearly 12 million people. When discussing the Holocaust, many people subtly erase or obscure these non-Jewish victims, treating them as incidental, not foundational, to nazi ideology. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pays tribute, “to the more than six million Jews who were senselessly murdered during the Holocaust, and the countless other victims of Nazi atrocities.” Is it a proper tribute to describe approximately 6 million non-Jewish victims as “the countless other?”
Scrolling through Yad Vashem’s website, it would be easy to come away believing that the Holocaust was a genocide of the Jewish people exclusively. In fact, Yad Vashem’s “What Was the Holocaust?” page begins with, “the Holocaust was unprecedented genocide, total and systematic, perpetrated by Nazi Germany and its collaborators, with the aim of annihilating the Jewish people.” To even reach a page discussing the millions of non-Jewish victims in the Holocaust, one must navigate through nearly half a dozen page-menus. Their mention of non-Jewish victims excludes those who were targeted for being a communist or socialist and downplays the centrality of this persecution to Nazi ideology.
Often, this philosemitic dog-whistle is paired with the first philosemitic dog-whistle- that the Holocaust is the worst atrocity in history. The Holocaust becomes dehistoricized in white euro-american discourse. It is described as an event with no historical precedent, despite numerous prior genocides committed by white euro-america against Black people in Africa and non-Black Indigenous people on Turtle Island. As with the first philosemitic dog-whistle, this is a convenient narrative to present for the countries who engaged in these colonial genocides. Their conscience is soothed because they opposed the ‘worst evil.’
4. “Judeo-Christianity”
The fourth philosemitic dog-whistle is “Judeo-Christianity” or “Judeo-Christian values.” This is a phrase that groups Judaism and Christianity together, excluding Islam, to fabricate a white euro-american identity that erases the millennia of Christian Jew hatred and antisemitic violence. Further, it completely ignores the inherent differences in Jewish and Christian belief, instead presenting them as a lineage of thought. “Judeo-Christian” comes to mean white.
This amounts to a “civilization” vs “barbarism” dichotomy where white euro-america, as the bearers of “Judeo-Christian values,” is to be understood as civilized and the Muslim world is to be understood as uncivilized. “Judeo-Christianity” is one dog-whistle that shows people are engaging in ahistorical white euro-american identity formation where Jewish ‘inclusion’ in society is a representation of that society’s ability to “defeat antisemitsm.”
5. Equating Anti-Zionism with Antisemitism
The fifth common philosemitic dog-whistle is equating anti-zionism with antisemitism. As discussed above, philosemitism is a basis of white euro-american identity formation that positions white euro-america as the “protectors of Jews.” By equating anti-zionism with antisemitism, white euro-americans are able to claim they are protecting the Jews when they are providing military support to the settler-colonial project in Palestine. Additionally, they are able to frame anyone who is opposed to so-called israel as antisemitic. Examples of this dog-whistle include the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, which considers it antisemitism to assert that so-called israel is a racist endeavor. (The IHRA working definition also includes the first philosemitic dog-whistle, by claiming it is antisemitic to make comparisons between current Israeli state policy and that of the nazis)
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the philosemitic dog-whistles, ideas, or statements. It is a list of 5 of the most common, that I hope will better equip you to both understand and shut down philosemitism when you see it.
