Return of the Dread: Judeophobia Makes a Comeback

Old-time diseases once thought to have been eradicated have reappeared under the right conditions. That’s what happened with cholera, tuberculosis, and even malaria – maladies we thought were things of the past. Even Bubonic Plague, that notorious killer in the Middle Ages, is still on the planet in 2021.

Sadly, so is Judeophobia.

Phobias are anxiety disorders in which an individual harbors extreme, irrational fears. Judeophobia is characterized by the irrational fear of Jews. It is dangerous and can blossom into paranoia, distorted thinking, fantasies of evil conspiracies, and violent behavior. It destroys societies.

Deborah Lipstadt, the eminent scholar, takes a macro view when she compares the Judeophobic ideology of anti-Semitism to a herpes virus, a virus that can lie dormant and asymptomatic within a host for years, only to flare up when the host is under pressure.

The phobia model is the micro view. It is practical and helpful in understanding the afflicted individual. Like other forms of deep psychological and cultural pathology, Judeophobia is more likely to occur under certain conditions, but those conditions do not cause the phobia. Like other anxiety-based phobias, Judeophobia tends to generalize and spread its fear and hatred to include others who are then targeted for avoidance, exclusion, and elimination along with Jews. Judeophobia is characterized by disturbances in a range of mental functions, including, but not limited to, the following:

Perception – Distortions of perception and belief are pathognomonic of this disorder. A Judeophobe may perceive Jewish people as having superhuman power, controlling everything from the weather to the media.

Thinking – Paranoid and violent thoughts are characteristic. Judeophobes believe Jews have malevolent intentions. Therefore, they may believe the Jewish people must be eliminated.

Logic – Facts and logic are not persuasive to the Judeophobe. For example, today some Judeophobes call Israel an apartheid state despite obvious evidence to the contrary: Arab and other minority group members serve in Israel’s parliament, an Arab Justice serves on Israel’s Supreme Court, and the country’s laws guarantee equal rights to all. The Judeophobe does not process these facts.

Language – Judeophobes often demonstrate idiosyncratic use of words such as “apartheid,” “proportionality.”

Interpersonal behavior – Verbal and physical aggression and violence characterize severe Judeophobia, eventually resulting in crimes against property and persons, including murder.

Neuroscience of Judeophobia

Researchers are just beginning to explore the biology of Judeophobia and prejudice more generally. In a creative, groundbreaking study, researchers at University College London, led by Hugo Spiers, identified activity in the anterior temporal lobe that facilitates the development of negative stereotypes.

Judeophobic expression always takes place in a cultural context. It mutates to suit the time and place. In the past, Judeophobia expressed itself religiously, resulting in ghettos, and the cruelty of murderous Inquisitions and pogroms. In the 20th century, paranoid fantasies and consequent violence were race-based.

In the 21st century, it is political, focused on the Jewish nation-state. But regardless of culture and narrative, Judeophobia can be highly dangerous.