There was a time when we were able to represent multiple values at the same time: equality and freedom, anti-racism and freedom of expression, diversity and tolerance. The current political climate – particularly on the left – has changed drastically. We are now asked to choose a camp: between the fight against Islamophobia and the fight against anti-Semitism. Between virtuous censorship and free expression. Between the people of Gaza and Israel’s right to exist. Between the definition of anti-Semitism given by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance or the Jerusalem Declaration on Anti-Semitism (which I was involved in drafting). It is as if we are all collectively pushed against an ideological wall and are now forced to prioritize our sacrifices. Worse still: in the competition between victims, each camp unbearably claims that only its own victims count.
Exclusive: Eva Illouz on the Left and Identity Politics – Culture
