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rachelrazzle's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This book is a little niche, and a little academicky, but I found it an insightful and interesting read. Particularly for explaining the history of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. And for introducing me to the writing of Abram Leon whom I hadn’t heard of before. It’s a slim volume but complex, and worth a read for anyone interested in understanding antisemitism and it’s weaponisation today.
maestro_cerrotorcido's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
4.5
A immensely informative book about the accusation of antisemitism is weaponized by Zionists, how it is wrong, and how it does a disservice to real cases of antisemitism.
queergoth_reads's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I think there were a lot of good things this book had to say but I feel like the final chapter was poorly thought through at points. There is a very strong tendency in academia to forget that work and words said in an academic context have real world consequences. What we do in universities does not happen in a vacuum and you cannot pretend it does. The arguments presented in this final chapter assume that all parties in the discussion are taking part in it with good faith which often isn't the case. It also feels like the author was saying people's human rights should be up for discussion in the name of academic freedom. Our academic freedom is significantly less important than someone's right to exist.
avren4's review
2.0
Moderately informative, if somewhat scattered, until turning into execrable nonsense in chapter 4.
lukes_ramblingwritings66's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
A very important book with a clear and concise thesis statement. Timely as well with the current US govt. making attempts to conflate criticisms of Israel with anti-semitism. Rebecca Ruth Gould’s short work is well researched and moves between weaving her personal experience of being accused of anti-semitism (despite being Jewish) and with well researched examples of Jewish thinkers who were critical of Zionism such as Leon Trotsky and Abram Leon. The final chapter on free speech kinda lost me a bit since Gould’s argument is that leftists who demand free speech must be comfortable with allowing or tolerating the free speech of those who hold abhorrent perspectives. The paradox of tolerance comes to mind here and it reminded me of Foucault’s reasoning behind signing the lowering of the age of consent in France. Where Foucault argued that having such laws would give way to a slippery slope of the state creating other mandates and regulations against people’s bodies, I feel like Gould’s is similar where she argues that abhorrent speech and action greatly differs and if the state bans a certain speech because it is deemed racist or anti-Semitic, it’ll become a slippery slope into banning other speech it doesn’t want as well (for example, banning criticism on the military budget and campaigns). But I digress, I still think this is an important book to help understand the history of the current definition of anti-semitism and modern anti-semitism in general has been co-opted into a realpolitik employed by Israel to prevent criticisms of their cruel treatment of Palestinians.