Whether the Al Dura matter is a manifestation of French anti semitism or not, the larger picture is colored by the fact that active antisemitism is on the rise in Europe. Its manifestations include physical attacks on Jews throughout Europe. Even more dangerous is the acceptance of antisemitic narratives among the elites. To say you don’t like Jews is much more acceptable now than it was 20 years ago. Acceptance of anti Israelism (and its accompanying antisemitic references) among academics is so widespread that to defend Israel is an act of courage. The Al Dura photos and accusations of Jews as child-killers certainly accelerated the outing of these sentiments and made them much more mainstream. An official refutation of Enderlin’s work might be back page news, but it would help reduce the sting.
