Jews Don't Count: How Identity Politics Failed One Particular Identity is a polemic by British comedian David Baddiel. First published on 4 February 2021 by TLS Books, the book discusses the status of antisemitism as a form of racism, particularly in left-wing politics. Baddiel argues that antisemitism is treated differently from other forms of racism, creating double standards and discrimination against Jews. The book covers a range of topics related to modern antisemitism and Jewish identity, including under-representation in popular media, relationships with Israel and Zionism, and the status of Jews as a minority group.
In 2022, a documentary adaptation of the book was released on British television channel Channel 4 under the title David Baddiel: Jews Don't Count. In the documentary, Baddiel interviewed several Jewish celebrities and discussed similar topics to the original book. Both the book and documentary received mostly positive reviews, being especially well-received by the Jewish and Israel-related press. However, several reviewers criticised Baddiel for his arguments around race and white privilege. The book was awarded The Times Politics Book of the Year.
Background
David Baddiel is a British comedian, presenter, screenwriter, and author. Born to Jewish parents, Baddiel attended the North West London Jewish Day School in childhood. He identifies as a Jewish atheist, and has previously given interviews about the topic of Israel and antisemitism. Before Jews Don't Count, Baddiel had released other material relating to Judaism; his 2010 film The Infidel centres around the theme of Jewish identity.
Synopsis
In Jews Don't Count, Baddiel argues that progressives view the minority status of Jews differently from other ethnic minorities, and thus antisemitism is viewed differently from other forms of racism. He writes that antisemitism has become a "second-class racism".
In the opening of the book, Baddiel describes a lack of attention towards antisemitism in literature, the film industry, and politics. According to Baddiel, this creates double standards. He then discusses antisemitism in football, using the example of the use of the pejorative term "Yid" by Tottenham Hotspur FC. Baddiel also argues that under-representation of Jews in media is a form of modern antisemitism. He examines the viewpoint that Jews cannot be an oppressed group, and says that this stems from stereotypes of Jews, such as the idea that Jews are wealthy and powerful. He argues that these stereotypes align Jews with oppressive groups, allowing discrimination against them to be overlooked. Baddiel writes about the relationship between Jews and white privilege, which he argues has the potential to provide security against appearance-based racism. He also discusses the neo-Nazi view that Jews are Asiatic.
Baddiel argues that the casting of non-Jewish actors to play Jewish roles shows that Jews are under-represented in media, saying that this form of casting is dangerous due to the potential for antisemitic portrayals of Jews by these actors. Baddiel also explores how Jewish actors hide their Jewish heritage for fear of discrimination, using examples such as Natalie Portman. He contends that this is extremely rare for people of other ethnic backgrounds. The status of Jews as BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic; a form of minority group racial classification in the United Kingdom) is discussed, and Baddiel states that Nigel Lawson was the first BAME Chancellor of the Exchequer, as opposed to Sajid Javid. He also considers the potential use of the word Jew as a pejorative, as opposed to other phrases.
Baddiel talks about his relationship with Zionism and Israel as a British Jew, disagreeing with Zionist perspectives. He argues that the expectation that non-Israeli Jews are Zionists is a form of antisemitism, and that guilt felt by left-wing Western Jews towards the actions of Israel is a form of internalised racism. Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party is discussed, as well as its use by opposing parties to avoid questioning. Baddiel concludes the polemic with the view that, while attitudes towards Jews have improved in the years leading up to the book, Jews nevertheless face a degree of marginalisation.