The name of the website refers to the trend for anti-Semitic ideas to be presented as in radical opposition to a supposed global Jewish elite. Its proponents favour such flawed notions as Jewish money power, Israel’s allegedly huge international reach and, most recently, Jews as exemplars of “white privilege”. These could be respectively referred to the socialism of fools, the anti-imperialism of fools and the anti-racism of fools. Often they take the form of conspiracy theories about a shady network of Jewish power.
This site is staunchly in favour of free speech. It believes that flawed ideas should be vigorously confronted rather than driven underground by bans or other forms of regulation. Cancel culture only makes it more difficult to challenge anti-Semitism.
It also holds that contemporary anti-Semitism can only be properly understood with an historical perspective. The several different forms that anti-Semitism take today need to be contrasted with the experience of the past. That way it is possible to grasp both what is particular about contemporary threats and what was specific about earlier anti-Semitic episodes.
Ultimately there are few easy answers to the question of anti-Semitism. It is one of the most difficult of political questions to grasp. This is all the more so since it is a moving target. Anti-Semitism seems to have a remarkable capacity to change its form over time.
Yet trying to develop a better understanding, going beyond the platitudes that are all too common, is a vital task.
Anyone who has comments on this site is welcome to contact me at daniel@radicalismoffools.com
I am immensely grateful to Martyn Perks for the design of the website, Alex Dale for creating the “fools” logo and to Tom Fenn for some of the photos of me speaking at various conferences.
Daniel Ben-Ami