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The book contains five essays on the history and current affairs of anti-Semitism by journalist and author Björn Wiman. The “hatred of Jews” begins at the origins of Nazism, continues into the postwar period, and ends with right-wing populism and current totalitarianism.
He describes anti-Semitism as the mother of all conspiracy theories. What did you find as a catalyst for writing this book?
– It was author and former DN employee Jackie Jakubowski who, before passing away this spring, suggested that I should gather my thoughts on anti-Semitism into a book. I have written about this with relative regularity over the last decade and almost every week there is news that shows that the ancient conspiracy theories against Jews are a living force in modern society; more recently, the case of Hamid Zafar and the conflict at British work. Anti-Semitism is a kind of virus unto itself, you might say, and today more contagious than ever.
Photographer Sanna Sjöswärd.
Photo: Peter Knutson
The book contains portraits of the last Holocaust survivors in the country, taken by Sanna Sjöswärd. What do the photographs contribute to the history of anti-Semitism?
– I am very happy that the fantastic portrait of Sanna Sjöswärd from the series “Fading Stories” is included in the book, along with the testimonies of fifteen Swedish Holocaust survivors. As fewer and fewer people are left alive who can say so, the importance of each specific testimony increases. One of the basic ideas of the book’s essays is that the memory of the Holocaust is something that must be constantly re-created and nurtured, especially in a politically turbulent time.
“I Hate Jews” describes the origins and rise of Nazism in Germany, but also right-wing populism and the threat to democracy in Trump’s America. Why is historical context important in the discussion of anti-Semitism in modern times?
– Today, lies, hate speech and conspiracy theories are eating away at the center of society in many parts of the world. History shows that hatred of Jews and the threat to democracy have often gone hand in hand. In a world where democracy is threatened, sooner or later hatred will turn against Jews.
“I Hate Jews” will be published in Free Thought in connection with the Holocaust Victims Memorial Day on January 27, 2020.
