France: Antisemitism is extinct says French writer Guy Sorman

For Guy Sorman, a French Jewish journalist and writer who believes that the creation of Israel was a "historical mistake", antisemitism is extinct. One of the reasons he cites in an article @ Contrepoints is that in Europe there is no antisemitic State policy.  This argument is often used - things are not too bad because there is no antisemitic State policy.

Sorman dates the end of antisemitism back to the trial of Eichmann in 1961.  The trial revealed the mediocrity of antisemitic ideology.  Since Hannah Arendt introduced the concept of "the banality of evil" bureaucrats (i.e. I'm a bureaucrat hence I unquestioningly obey orders) and intellectuals can no longer define themselves as antisemites.  He also claims that the Catholic church has become truly philosemite.

Those who, in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, beg to differ and do not share his optimism because of anti-Semitic attacks motivated by a mix of old antisemitism and contemporary anti-Zionism, Sorman argues that in 1940 the French police deported his family ; nowadays the French police protects his family.  By the way, one can ask why his family still needs police protection.

Sorman concludes that nations do not seem to be able to do without a scapegoat.  He thinks that it's likely that Arabs have replaced Jews as scapegoats and that Islamophobia is a danger which should be taken seriously.  He also envisages the possibility of a Holocaust or a Dreyfus affair, obviously this time round not against Jews.