Different Antisemitisms: On Three Distinct Forms of Antisemitism in C | Page 33

being of animals involved in this critique of Jewish traditions. We use the term
Aufklärungsantisemitismus to summarize this phenomenon.

Figure 31 below shows the degree to which the three different antisemitisms are represented
in the eight countries included in this study:

Each of the three rather distinct antisemitisms we have discerned seems to be based on a
particular and underlying “philosophy”. It appears that they are also carried by sociologically
rather distinct types of persons/persecutors. The ways these different forms of antisemitisms
are manifested publically also seem to differ significantly. It is probably not too farfetched to
suppose that the psychological driving forces triggering manifestations of these diverging
antisemitic positions also differ among their respective persecutors.

Antisemitism and political exploitations of fear.
What could explain why the Jews in the country with the lowest level of classic antisemitism
in the population, Sweden, manifest the highest level of fear and avoidance behaviour when it
comes to manifest one’s Jewish identity (cf. Figure 17 and Figure 18.)?
Two factors appear to be in operation here: one is the fact that Swedish Jews are, as are
most inhabitants in Sweden, rather indifferent to religious practices and symbols as such. It is
not so important for most Jews in Sweden to openly manifest their often very strong Jewish
identity by carrying religious symbols, since their Jewish identity can for the most part be
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