Understanding the relationship between Jews and the Left
Associate Professor Philip Mendes’ new book, The Jews and the Left: The Rise and Fall of a Political Alliance, is the first publication to provide a systematic historical and political overview of the relationship between Jews and the Left.
Associate Professor Mendes is the Director of the Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit in the Department of Social Work, and also holds an honorary appointment in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation. He has been researching Jewish Left history and politics for more than 20 years, and is the author or co-author of several related books.
In the new book, Associate Professor Mendes argues that Jews were drawn to the Left by a range of structural and cultural influences including poverty and class oppression, anti-Semitic violence and discrimination, Jewish ethical teachings, and Left support for Jewish rights. Nevertheless, he claims, most Jews were never sympathetic to left-wing politics, with a significant number becoming victims of communist regimes.
Equally, he says the subsequent decline of Jewish involvement in the Left can be attributed to relatively objective factors such as the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel, which transformed Jewish dependence from international to national forces.
To order a copy of Jews and the Left from within Australia visit Palgrave MacMillan. Outside Australia, visit this page for North America or New Zealand or the international page for other countries.