Recherche | Colloque
Critical Theories of Antisemitism. Concepts, Challenges and Emerging Research Agendas
Contemporary antisemitism has gradually been sidelined in critical theoretical analyses, as it is regarded as a marginal phenomenon confined to a historical issue. Hence the difficulty in establishing links between the study of antisemitism and that of other forms of domination or exclusion. This international conference aims to fill this gap by placing antisemitism back at the heart of current critical theory debates.
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The organisers of this international conference start from the observation that critical theories have, for several decades, neglected anti-Semitism as a subject of study, even though it occupied a central place in major social debates prior to the Holocaust.
However, after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism changed in nature, morphing into diffuse prejudices expressed in indirect ways: Holocaust denial, radical anti-Zionism, or systematic criticism of Israel. This evolution makes its analysis more difficult. Furthermore, two major events have redefined the perception of anti-Semitism: the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel has become both the subject of anti-Semitic fantasies and a target of legitimate political criticism, particularly regarding the occupation of Palestinian territories. This duality has blurred the lines between political opposition and anti-Semitic discourse. Finally, since the 2000s, and particularly since 7 October 2023, the debate has become polarised: a fringe of the right is exploiting the fight against anti-Semitism, whilst a section of the left tends to downplay its existence.
This international conference aims to fill a gap, namely the absence of anti-Semitism in the field of studies on domination, which is inspired by critical theory. It has, in fact, shifted its focus to other forms of domination, such as postcolonial racism or ‘Islamophobia’, leaving little room for the study of the links between these phenomena.
The diversity of the speakers suggests a wide range of approaches and disciplinary perspectives (philosophy, sociology, history, anthropology, psychoanalysis).
Practical information
Thursday 18 to Saturday 20 June 2026
Campus Condorcet
Centre des Colloques, Auditorium 250
8, cours des Humanités, Aubervilliers
This conference has received support from the Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Shoah.
This conference is organised by the Association for Action Research on Contemporary Racism and Anti-Semitism (ARRAC), founded in June 2025 by a diverse group of researchers, journalists, writers and artists from various disciplines and perspectives. The association takes an activist stance to “promote, develop and disseminate research in the humanities and social sciences on contemporary antisemitism and racism.” Its mission is to build a “broad educational campaign” by making tools available to all (books, articles, leaflets, discussion guides, and physical and digital resources) to “reflect on and combat antisemitism and racism, wherever they may come from”.
