ABSTRACT
Antisemitism is the hatred and stereotyping of Jews on the basis of fictional assumptions and false allegations. The dangerous distortions of antisemitism can be seen as one of the oldest forms of post-truth, which are still very much alive. Antisemitism is also a vehicle for scapegoating, which is perhaps the cause of its persistence through the centuries. Allegations against the ‘other’ don’t need to be factual as long as they satisfy fear and hate. In recent years, we have seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic language, vandalism, violence, and even mass murder. When the truth is under siege, Jews are often among the first targets. In October 2018, an antisemite attacked the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and murdered 11 people. This was the bloodiest antisemitic-motivated attack in the history of the United States. The basic centuries-old elements of antisemitism did not crucially change, but the conspiracy theories have adapted to the post-truth world.
