Before entirely dismissing Hilaire Belloc for anti-Semitism, it might be wise for A.N.Wilson (''A cautionary tale'', 25 July) and Melanie McDonagh (Notebook, 1 August) to reread the chapter on anti-semitism in his book, The Jews, incidentally a book dedicated to a Jewish woman, his personal secretary.
''The Anti-Semite admires, for instance, a work of art; [but] on finding the authour to be a Jew it becomes distasteful to him though the work remains exactly as it was before.'' Belloc then warns that: ''Anti-Semitic feeling...is speading with alarming rapidity. In a field where passion is already so wild, God help its victims.''
His conclusion that a solution to anth-Semitism would be found in the establishment of an independent Jewish nation state is, however, now seen to be sadly optimistic.
The Jews ends with the sentence, ''For my part, I say, 'Peace be to Israel.' ''
Paul Moir
Corrandulla, Co Galway, Ireland.
Letter to the The Tablet - 08.08.2020
No comments:
Post a Comment