Philo-Semitic Violence: Poland's Jewish Past in New Polish Narratives

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 07 July 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

Philo-Semitic Violence: Polands Jewish Past in New Polish Narratives delves into the escalating prevalence of philo-Semitic violence in Poland between the 2000 revelation of Polish involvement in the Holocaust and the 2015 authoritarian turn. Janicka and Zukowski explore the phenomenon known as a "new opening in Polish-Jewish relations," which arises from sociocultural shifts and the posthumous inclusion of individuals subjected to anti-Semitic violence. The authors examine the terms and conditions of this inclusion, which revolves around the creation of an imagined collective Jewish figure.

This figure serves to confirm and legitimize the dominant narrative, particularly regarding Polish attitudes and behaviors during the Holocaust. Consequently, philo-Semitic sentiments enable the dominant group to engage in retroactive hallucinations, fostering aggression towards anyone who dares to disrupt the narcissistic self-staging.

This book uncovers the Polish ethnoreligious identity regime that prioritizes the preservation of a collective image over objective reality. Through their inquiry, the authors demonstrate how patterns of exclusion and violence are perpetuated when anti-Semitism, with its Christian origins and community-building function, is not openly challenged, reassessed, and rejected in the context of its consequences and the fundamental principle of equal rights.

Weight: 626g
Dimension: 230 x 159 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793636690