Books
As claims of antisemitism continue to distort our politics at home and abroad, it has become almost impossible to talk about constructively, even in private. Instead, we find ourselves in a storm of misinformation, political mudslinging and bad-faith accusations.Looking beyond our polarising headlines and interrogating the reasons racism takes hold, Off-White offers urgent analysis of the current debate on antisemitism and why it has become one of the most divisive issues of our time. Taking in the contingency of whiteness, Judeo-Christian mythmaking, pro-Israel antisemitism, and the Palestinian struggle against colonialism, the book charts a path towards more hopeful and inclusive solidarities with other minorities and progressives.
Praise for Off-White: The Truth About Antisemitism:
“Supple, generous and original. I cannot wait for Off-White to be read, debated and put into practice.” — Naomi Klein
“Wise, thoughtful and engaging, this is a great book, that navigates complexity with sensitivity and intelligence. It's an invaluable guide for anyone who seeks to understand issues over which we stumble far too often.” — George Monbiot
“Her key message is a vital one – that the fight against antisemitism is an essential part of the fight against all injustice and dehumanisation.” — Observer, Book of the Week, Natasha Walter
“A masterpiece defined by moral clarity, humanity and insight, which injects what seem like impossible nuances in one of the most fraught discussions of our time. That rare book in the bleakest moment – one that educates, and one that offers hope.” — Owen Jones
“Rachel Shabi is deeply knowledgeable, across the territories of prejudice from the modern far-right to the near-historical left, and interweaves the personal and political with assurance, humour, passion and love. This is a challenging and nuanced book; an urgent read but also an enormously enjoyable one.” — Zoe Williams
“Incisive, principled, engaging. With a generous spirit and a humane compass, Rachel Shabi guides us through a minefield. With a generous spirit and a humane compass, Rachel Shabi guides us through a minefield.” — Gary Younge
Off-White: The Truth About Antisemitism
Not The Enemy – Israel’s Jews from Arab Lands
In a country founded by European Jews and desperate to identify itself with Europe, Israel whitewashed and discriminated against Jews from Arab or Muslim lands across the Middle East and North Africa.
This book is about the history of that relationship between the European, or Ashkenazi Jews and its ‘Mizrahi’ (‘Eastern’) population who spoke Arabic, followed Middle Eastern customs and were viewed as inferior.
Not the Enemy looks at how and why Mizrahis are strikingly less successful than Ashkenazis, condemned, often, to substandard education, low-quality housing and mocked for their accents, tastes and lifestyles. This division also reflects a wider Israeli rejection of the Middle East and its culture, which makes it impossible for Israel ever to become integrated within its own region.
Coming from an Iraqi Jewish family, this is in part my story, too.
Praise for Not the Enemy – Israel's Jews for Arab Lands:
“Thoroughly researched, carefully analytical and highly readable... a fascinating book.” — The Guardian Review
'“Rachel Shabi's revealing examination of Mizrahi culture, and its dismissal by the Ashkenazi – or European – elite of Israel, is a timely reminder that the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict is as much about culture as it is about land... Her parents were Iraqi-born, and her account of their vibrant culture is fascinating. So too is her investigation of the discrimination Mizrahis have suffered.” — Financial Times review
“An eye-opening book... a disturbing and important document, which should be read by everyone worried about what the author calls the 'corrosive, entrenched polarity’ of the Middle East” — Daily Telegraph review