In the current discussion about anti-Semitism, which Theodor W. Adorno called “the rumor about the Jews”, assumptions and insinuations play a central role. In the dispute over the BDS movement, which is clearly anti-Semitic in its impact, calls for the “defunding” of cultural institutions such as the Documenta or the House of World Cultures are becoming more frequent. In defending Israel’s right to exist, some question the raison d’être of institutions that give more space to criticism of Israeli government policies. Conversely, in the defense against a world view in which individuals are routinely identified with an imagined collective – “the Jews” – and held liable for it in the worst possible way, ad hominem‑Arguments as legitimate discursive means.
Guest article by historian Christina Morina on Antisemitism – Culture
