Antisemitism – “Arguably the most murderous prejudice in human history”

^[1][1] Goldhagen quoted in https://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/18/opinion/goldhagen-anti-semitism-internet/index.html

The historical record of the extraordinary violence against Jews has been expansively documented and is beyond the purview of this paper. But as noted by Prof. Daniel Goldhagen: “No other prejudicial discourse has been so eliminationist or produced such regular calls for violence and extermination”.^[2][2] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 79). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. Goldhagen further points out that “eliminationism, certainly in its most violent forms”, is not an inherent part of most prejudices”.^[3][3] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 85). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. But the foundational antisemitic paradigm is fundamentally an eliminationist construct, given the intractable, irredeemably malevolent Jewish threat it defines, and the “protective” responses it legitimizes in its practitioners. Antisemites of all genres often perceived their actions or at least have portrayed them, as defensive in nature, not unsimilar to other necessary “measures” taken by humankind in response to any threat posed by a deadly pathogen or other forms of mortal peril. This eliminationist orientation of antisemitism has been expressed throughout history along a spectrum of policies employed in various configurations, depending on the specific antisemitic variant and context in question. These measures have included one or all of any number of policies for transforming, repressing, expelling or exterminating the Jew.^[4][4] Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. The Devil That Never Dies (p. 85). Little, Brown and Company. Kindle Edition. All in one way or another serve to contain, mitigate or eliminate the putative peril posed by the Jew as defined by the foundational antisemitic paradigm.

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