Introduction: Phantom Enemies: Antisemitism Without Jews, Germany, France, and the U.S.

In studies of prejudice much has been published on intolerance toward minorities when the majority and minority population have direct contact. According to this line of thinking, ethnic groups in proximity to one another may see themselves competing for scarce resources resulting in perceived suspicion or hostility rather than intolerance to each other. However, there is scant literature examining racial, ethnic, or religious discrimination when the majority and minority have no history of engagement. Both past and present instances of this occurrence abound. One contemporary example of this kind of prejudice is the heightened levels of Islamophobia (antipathy toward Muslims) in Eastern Europe where Muslim communities are virtually nonexistent. Another recent case of this phenomenon is the 2018 heated controversy in the remote town of Homer, Alaska, where angry citizens voted down a city council proposal to permit Latin American and Middle Eastern immigrants to settle in Homer. Those who spoke in opposition to the proposal exhibited distinct anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments. The irony is that among these same citizens none could recall ever having encountered a refugee or immigrant in Homer.