Everyday Hate How antisemitism is built into our world – and how you can change it
By Dave Rich
On 7 October 2023, Hamas killed over a thousand Israelis, sparking a devastating new phase in the long-running conflict in Israel and Palestine. In the days and weeks that followed, a wave of anti-Jewish hatred swept across the world. Synagogues were burned, Jews attacked and protests raged, with calls for Israel to be erased from the map. Despite our abhorrence of racism, this most ancient of prejudices continues to seduce even the most educated, empathetic and well-meaning members of society. This, Dave Rich argues, is the particular quality of antisemitism: it hides in plain sight. Our task is to understand where it came from in order that it might be rooted out.
This book is a tour de force of the history and present reality of antisemitism; from Shakespeare to South Park, Israel to Covid-19, Rich shows us where each of the enduring stereotypes about Jews came from, what they look like in modern society and how they can be challenged. Fully updated to address the events of 7 October and all that followed, this book shines a light on the almost-unnoticed prejudices that perpetuate anti-Jewish hatred, explaining how antisemitism continues to thrive in the interactions, assumptions and views of decent people around the world – and how we can change this for the better.
Reviews
“Dave Rich is the world expert on modern antisemitism. Even better, he knows what to do about it. Everyone should read this book. And if you don’t think you need to, then you need to read it more than anyone.”
Sacha Baron Cohen
“It’s maddening how the world keeps finding ways to complicate the fact that antisemitism is racism. One of the most persistent and ancient forms of racism in the history of the planet, in fact. Dave Rich does totally essential work here, proving a patient, elegant and sometimes even entertaining guide to a toxic problem. I’ll be buying this book for many people.”
Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain
“Dave Rich has written a book that should make all of us feel uncomfortable, Jew and non-Jew alike. In a closely argued and impeccably researched volume, he asks the wider world why people have allowed antisemitism to go unchecked, and why they have not felt moved to fight against it. And he challenges Jews, telling us that we too need to try to improve things and to find allies in the wider world. This is an impressive piece of work, which makes depressing reading until you realise it is a call to action.”
Julia Neuberger
“This book is compelling, frightening and illuminating. There is nobody who knows more about this subject than Dave Rich, and his ability to express himself matches his diligence and knowledge.”
Daniel Finkelstein
“Dave Rich offers an important and detailed tour through the history of antisemitism – and an even more important look at the present, where we haven’t made it history at all. His book darts between then and now with warmth, patience and humour – and crescendos as an ardent call to action.”
Marina Hyde
“Dave Rich makes sense of the nonsensical with his uniquely gentle and pragmatic yet insightful style. Charting ancient irrational libels to their modern internet incarnations today, he issues a measured warning of what has come before and what could come again. Essential reading for anyone wanting to be able to recognise the ever-changing face of anti-Jewish hate, with up to the minute examples and a rallying call for the modern age, adding something new for everyone from the completely uninitiated to the fully up to speed anti-antisemite.”
Rachel Riley
“Clear, cogent and compelling, this book tackles an enduring hatred with freshness, wit and verve. But what sets it apart, besides the fact that it’s so fluent and readable, is its generosity of spirit. Dave Rich understands that antisemitism is a racism that can sneak up on those who least expect it, and so he comes not to scold but to enlighten. The result is a book full of humanity, even as it lays bare what can feel like an eternal human failing. Everyday Hate is essential reading.”
Jonathan Freedland
“Dave Rich is a lodestar for understanding, and therefore challenging, antisemitism.”
David Baddiel
“Brilliantly thorough, data-driven and at times very witty book.”
Financial Times
“This wide-ranging and disturbing account of Jewish persecution from the 12th century to the present day is strikingly relevant … This book provides a valuable companion piece to David Baddiel’s recent Jews Don’t Count.”
Book of the Week in The Observer
“There are a lot of books about antisemitism. Few, though, are as practical and, in a strange way, inspiring, as Rich’s. This is no anguished cry in the dark … Rather, it is a poised and detailed explanation of how, and why, Jews found themselves in this position, and how Jews and non-Jews alike can work together to keep antisemitism at bay.”
Tanya Gold, Daily Telegraph
“It’s a remarkable and brilliant book. Essential reading.”
Simon Mayo
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- Paperback, 400 pages
- ISBN: 9781785908835
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16 May 2024
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