Ideology, genealogy and the function of performative violence in antisemitism

Is antisemitism an ideology? Like other ideologies, it has central concepts that evolve over time; adjacent concepts, which it re-shapes and from which it borrows; and a call to political action. But only a small minority of people identify as antisemites. Antisemitism is often a silent ideology, usually expressed or acted upon only in moments of individual or collective frustration. This chapter reflects on how we might measure this elusive ideology, and explores why it has remained such a powerful undercurrent of political thinking across many different periods and geographical contexts. Finally, it suggests that, in spite of antisemitism’s apparent negativity, at its core sits an ideological blueprint for a better world.