THE WESTERN SPIRIT WITH ARIEL WHITMAN: Why has antisemitism exploded across Western universities, activist movements, and intellectual circles? In this episode of The Western Spirit, Ariel Whitman speaks with Pamela Paresky, a scholar affiliated with Harvard University and contributor to Quillette, about the ideological forces behind the surge of hostility toward Jews and Israel in the West. Paresky explains how modern movements influenced by Critical Theory, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and post-colonial ideology divide the world into oppressors and oppressed. Within this framework, Jews and Israel are increasingly cast as villains – regardless of history or facts. The result is a dangerous shift in which antisemitism adapts to the moral language of the time, reappearing through the rhetoric of social justice, anti-colonialism, and identity politics. Topics discussed include: • How DEI and critical theory influence attitudes toward Jews • Why Israel is often framed as a colonial oppressor • The role of universities in shaping anti-Israel narratives • Why antisemitism mutates across different historical eras • How ideology can erase Jewish history and identity • The psychological and cultural roots of modern antisemitism Pamela Paresky brings a psychological and cultural perspective to one of the most urgent questions facing Western societies today: why hostility toward Jews keeps returning – in new forms.
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