Baddiel writes 'urgent' polemic on antisemitism for TLS Books

TLS Books, the publishing imprint of the Times Literary Supplement, is publishing an “urgent” polemic on the realities of antisemitism by David Baddiel.

The publisher picked up world English language rights to Jews Don’t Count from Georgia Garrett at RCW, for publication in February 2021.

Its synopsis explains: “It is David Baddiel’s contention that one type of racism has been left out of the fight for equality. In Jews Don’t Count, he combines reasoning, polemic, personal experience and humour to argue that those who think of themselves as on the right side of history have often ignored the history of antisemitism. He outlines why and how, in a time of intensely heightened awareness of minorities, Jews don’t count as a real minority.”

Baddiel said: “I’ve been writing and talking about antisemitism, particularly antisemitism that doesn’t emanate from the traditional far-right suspects, for a long time. It is my belief that it’s a deep-rooted issue that long precedes all the recent furore in the Labour Party. There remains, however, intense confusion around it. Friends, often themselves good-hearted progressives still often say to me, dubiously, ‘But how can people of the Left be racist?’ And the answer is: because they don’t think they are being racist, because they don’t — quite — understand or recognise modern Jews as a real minority that experience real racism. But in fact, the answer is considerably more complex than that. Which is why I’ve written a book about it.”

Publishing director Myles Archibald added: “Jews Don’t Count is an amazing piece of writing. It looks at the contemporary issue of antisemitism. By looking at our attitudes to this minority, it highlights the broad issue of racism towards all minorities in our society. Everyone who has read it thinks it is an extraordinarily valuable, powerful contribution to the current debate. We are thrilled that David agreed to write this for TLS Books.”

Martin Ivens, editor of the TLS, commented: “Jews can’t be victims of racism today because they are 'white' or 'assimilated' and generally thought to be 'rich' in the minds of too many progressives blind to the evil of antisemitism. David Baddiel, one of the sharpest comics in the land, makes a trenchant case that Jews don’t always feel 'white' if by that you mean 'safe'. That is surely no laughing matter, but a valuable critique to progressives and the Left.”