Saturday, January 06, 2007

PBS documentary, Monday 1/8 - Resurgence of Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century

On Monday, January 8, PBS will air a documentary on "Anti-Semitism in the 20th Century: The Resurgence". The broadcast is scheduled for 10-11 p.m. Eastern Time, but I assume that specific times will vary for different PBS stations.

Several reviews I've read make this sound like a serious piece of work, so it's something that people might want to consider watching.
Sixty years after the Holocaust, many parts of the world are experiencing a dramatic resurgence of anti-Semitism — from hate propaganda to vandalism to attacks on Jews themselves. In Europe, violent acts against Jews and Jewish institutions have more than doubled since the 1990s. This documentary explores the roots of anti-Semitism and examines how and why it continues to flourish today. Veteran broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff hosts and narrates the documentary by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, who produced The Armenian Genocide, which aired in April 2006 on PBS.

Program Release: Doc | Link
Bio: Doc - Andrew Goldberg
Some further information from the PBS website is below. This documentary is also available on DVD from its producer, Two Cats Productions.

(Thanks to Stuart Elliott of New Appeal to Reason for the tip.)

--Jeff Weintraub
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PBS PressRoom
Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence
Monday, January 8, 2007
10:00-11:00 p.m. ET


[....]

Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence, airing Monday, January 8, 2007, 10:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS, explores the roots of anti-Semitism and examines how and why it continues to flourish today. Veteran broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff hosts and narrates the documentary by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Andrew Goldberg, who produced The Armenian Genocide, which aired in April 2006 on PBS.

In June 2006, a poll by The Pew Charitable Trusts revealed that more than 97 percent of Egyptians and Jordanians hold “unfavorable opinions of Jews.” Among scholars, journalists and experts, there is little disagreement that anti-Semitism is on the rise. Throughout the Arab and Islamic world, overt hatred of Jews has become commonplace in mainstream media. Across the Middle East, a recent 30-part miniseries depicted Jews murdering a Christian child to make matzo (a type of cracker) with his blood; anti-Semitic commentaries and cartoons appear regularly in newspapers.

“I think it is dangerous to underestimate the importance of propaganda and rhetoric in terms of harming people,” explains Salameh Nematt, Washington, DC, bureau chief of Al Hayat newspaper. “This anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish attitude is victimizing a huge number of people.”

Filmed in Syria, Egypt, Israel, the West Bank, France and the United States, Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence, includes interviews with David Ignatius of the Washington Post; Israeli Knesset member Natan Sharanksy; Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi; New York Times best-selling author and NYU professor Tony Judt; Professor Hisham Ahmed of Birzeit University, Ramallah; Hassam Hamed, head of Egyptian state television; and others.

Through extraordinary and disturbing archival footage, interviews with leading experts, and bold man-on-the-street interviews, Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century: The Resurgence weaves the past and the present to explore the evolution and re-birth of an age-old prejudice.

Says Judy Woodruff, “We live in a time of growing intolerance, especially religious intolerance, and it is unsettling to see anti-Semitism on the rise once again. As a journalist, I am proud to be associated with this documentary, which sheds light on a particularly troubling form of hateful behavior.”
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Underwriters: Stockton Media, Harvey and Constance Krueger, The Marc and Diane Spilker Foundation, The David B. Heller Foundation and The Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Foundation. Producer: Two Cats Productions. Presenter: Oregon Public Broadcasting. Producer/director/writer: Andrew Goldberg. Format: CC Stereo
Contact:
Amy Grey (press), Dish Communications; Tel.: 818/508-1000; amyg@dishcommunications.com
Jessica Hanson (stations), Tel.: 619/546-8167; jessicalhanson@cox.net