By
– June 28, 2012
One can be forgiven for thinking that England is a redolent hotbed of anti-Semitism. From the banal — Peter Lawford’s character in the film Exodus comes to mind — to the bloody — the medieval Lincoln riots that led to the eventual expulsion of the Jews — the torturous relationship between Albion and Israel has had a long history. Even today, England has become well-known for regular eruptions of a harsh, knee-jerk anti-Israelism. Into this swamp wades Gertrude Himmelfarb, the distinguished historian of Victorian thought, to tell a different story, that of English philosemitism.
There is a story to tell. Whether from conviction or a desire to compete effectively with the Dutch, Cromwell, the fiery anti-monarchist, invited the Jews to return. From that moment right on through the nineteenth century, a group of British leaders and a series of “Jew Bills” sought to provide toleration, and later political equality. Then, in the twentieth century, figures such as Lord Balfour and Winston Churchill demonstrated their friendship to the Jewish people in support of their Zionist aspirations.
Himmelfarb has produced a concise counterbalance that needed to be published, even if the truth is far less even. For every George Eliot predicting Theodor Herzl, there’s an unfortunate Dickens or Trollope reference that makes one cringe. Yet, for the People of the Book, it’s important to understand the fuller story.
There is a story to tell. Whether from conviction or a desire to compete effectively with the Dutch, Cromwell, the fiery anti-monarchist, invited the Jews to return. From that moment right on through the nineteenth century, a group of British leaders and a series of “Jew Bills” sought to provide toleration, and later political equality. Then, in the twentieth century, figures such as Lord Balfour and Winston Churchill demonstrated their friendship to the Jewish people in support of their Zionist aspirations.
Himmelfarb has produced a concise counterbalance that needed to be published, even if the truth is far less even. For every George Eliot predicting Theodor Herzl, there’s an unfortunate Dickens or Trollope reference that makes one cringe. Yet, for the People of the Book, it’s important to understand the fuller story.
Jeff Bogursky reads a lot, writes a little and talks quite a bit. He is a media executive and expert in digital media.
