Off-White: The Truth About Antisemitism

From Diane Abbott’s recent letter in the Observer, to Whoopi Goldberg’s assertion that the Holocaust wasn’t about race, it still seems that no one can agree on what antisemitism actually is. Is it racism? Religious persecution? Prejudice? More questions swiftly arise: Aren’t jews white? Is the Labour party antisemitic? What’s the difference between antisemitism and anti-Zionism?


Picking apart these claims and counterclaims, Rachel Shabi provides a comprehensive analysis of contemporary antisemitism. Reflecting on its various and nebulous forms, Shabi demonstrates how this quagmire of confusions, conspiracies and misinformation is by design. And how there might be a hopeful way forward for progressive politics.

'A supple, generous and original investigation into the uses and abuses of antisemitism. I cannot wait for Off-White to be read, debated and put into practice.' —Naomi Klein, author of Doppelganger

'Her key message is a vital one – that the fight against antisemitism is an essential part of the fight against all injustice and dehumanisation.' —Natasha Walter, Observer, Book of the Week

'Wise, thoughtful and engaging, this is a great book, that navigates complexity with sensitivity and intelligence. It's an invaluable guide for anyone who seeks to understand issues over which we stumble far too often.' —George Monbiot

'The rise in antisemitism in recent years should concern us all. In a necessary exploration, Rachel Shabi asks the questions that few seem willing to address: why has antisemitism become such an Achilles Heel for the left, why is there little attention given to right-wing antisemitism and how can progressives build more inclusive anti racist politics.' —Billy Bragg

'A masterpiece defined by moral clarity, humanity and insight, which injects what seem like impossible nuances in one of the most fraught discussions of our time. That rare book in the bleakest moment – one that educates, and one that offers hope.' —Owen Jones

‘A nuanced and humane study, written with empathy in the hope that a “joined-up anti-racism” might emerge that makes the fight against anti-Semitism part of a broader progressive movement.’ —Irish Times

'Rachel Shabi is deeply knowledgeable, across the territories of prejudice from the modern far-right to the near-historical left, and interweaves the personal and political with assurance, humour, passion and love. This is a challenging and nuanced book; an urgent read but also an enormously enjoyable one.' —Zoe Williams

'Rachel Shabi is gifted with a unique sensibility, embodying multiple identities and universal, non-negotiable human rights. Holding that together is tough, particularly in our times of competing injustices and public discourse filled with demagogic sound and fury. Today’s most explosive and divisive global issues are Palestine and antisemitism. Shabi uses her personal insights and political intelligence to deepen understanding and shift or shake the views of those who cling to partisan views. I am one of them. No one who reads this exceptional book will come away unchanged. And most will feel a debt of gratitude to the open minded, open-hearted author, our guide.' —Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

'Incisive, principled, engaging. With a generous spirit and a humane compass, Rachel Shabi guides us through a minefield.' —Gary Younge

'Moving beyond “blind spots and biases.”... Shabi’s potent book explores the nature of Jewish identity from the personal perspective of a British woman of Iraqi Jewish heritage... [the book] may help us understand how we have learned to talk the way we do about Jewish identity in the 21st century. A passionate reinterpretation of antisemitism.' —Kirkus

'The world needs the intellectual, values-driven insight of Rachel Shabi's Off-White. In a world of forced polemics: black or white; far right or far left; you're either with us or against us, Shabi’s book helps us better understand the poisonous drivers that seek to shockingly divide us. Whilst unpacking the complex history of being Jewish within an ever-changing national and global space, Shabi is unflinching in her bravery to lay bare uncomfortable truths, whoever they offend. The brilliance of Off-White not only unshackles us from toxic dogma but also paves the way to rehumanise and rethink how warring neighbours can finally live together.' —Lord Simon Woolley, founder of Operation Black Vote and principal at Homerton College, Cambridge

‘Rachel Shabi’s book is an essential guide for progressives to reclaim the narrative around antisemitism. For too long, the right has weaponized antisemitism to silence legitimate and urgent criticisms of Israel, especially amid its ongoing atrocities. Many progressives have either avoided the conversation or lacked the tools to engage effectively... Shabi’s book provides the language and tools needed to confront antisemitism head-on, not as a distraction, but as a central part of our fight against all forms of racism and injustice—including the fight for Palestinian liberation.’ —Iyad el-Baghdadi, author of The Middle East Crisis Factory

'Rachel Shabi’s Off-White should be widely read and discussed on the British left... Off-White is meticulously researched, thoughtful and well written... There is so much insight and information in the book... Off-White is a tremendous contribution to our anti-racist struggles and our understanding: of our histories, of why it all feels so complex and messy and maybe some ways out of it all.' —Labour Hub

'Contemporary debates about antisemitism are often nasty, partisan and dishonest. Rachel Shabi’s book is the opposite: thoughtful, fair-minded and humane. It offers a glimpse into what a smarter and more decent public debate might look like.' —Peter Beinart, author of Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza

'Antisemitism permeates our lives in confusing and devastating ways. Simultaneously invisibilised by those denying or minimising its existence, and made hyper-visible by others seeking to exploit Jewish suffering for their own ends, it soars in moments of chaos and crisis – threatening the safety not just of Jews, but of marginalised communities everywhere. Such precarious moments demand powerful responses, and Shabi’s brilliant book is one of them. Off-White doesn’t only deconstruct the building-blocks of antisemitism, it takes the pieces and fashions them into a blueprint for a more coherent and durable struggle against all forms of racism – one that we desperately need if we are to fight for a better world.' —Jack Shenker

'As she takes on an impossibly thorny and sensitive topic, Rachel Shabi is equal parts honest, passionate, principled and clear morally and rhetorically. Throughout the book, she manages to keep on to her identities as both a veteran British leftist and an Israeli-born Jew of Iraqi origins, fighting against antisemitism and other forms of racism. She is able to draw upon her personal experiences but also her wide reading of scholarship, all the while keeping a great sense of humour. A tour de force and a must-read for those who are ready for a necessary and honest reckoning with the persistence of antisemitism.' —Arash Azizi, author of What Iranians Want

'While you probably won’t agree with everything in this timely book, it will force you to look at contemporary antisemitism, post October 7, in a deeper way. Shabi rejects the “simplified, amplified story of ‘us’ and ‘them,’ heroes and villains, good and evil.” She also tackles another binary and its implications: Jews are seen by some as simply white and by others as anti-white. Shabi calls out antisemitism on the political right and left, and makes the case that fighting antisemitism is, at heart, a progressive cause.' —Kenneth S. Stern, director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate

'Moving deftly between history and the present day, and engaging with an array of voices and forces, from evangelical Christian Zionists to the anti-Zionist Left, Rachel Shabi explores and explains why the issue of antisemitism divides the Left today. Written in the context of Israel’s war on Gaza, a sharp rise recorded antisemitic incidents across the globe, and fierce debates over what actually counts as antisemitism, Off-White is essential reading for anyone who thinks our response to antisemitism requires better thinking and a better politics.' —David Feldman, Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism

'There is no better guide than Rachel Shabi to this vital and widely misunderstood issue. A thoughtful and compelling examination of one of the most polarising issues in the world today. Shabi shows why progressives and the left need to tackle this issue as part of a more genuinely inclusive antiracist struggle.' —Chris Doyle, Director of Caabu (Council for Arab-British Understanding) 

'Over the last few years, some on the left, inside and outside the Labour Party, have not only denied individual instances of antisemitism questioned whether it really exists at all. Meanwhile, much of the right – and indeed the leadership of the Labour Party – has used it as a cudgel to attack both the left and those expressing solidarity with Palestinians, while ignoring not just far-right antisemitism but the antisemitic roots of much supposedly mainstream anti-immigration ideology both here and abroad. Rachel Shabi’s cogent and succinct explanation of these trends is not just well-argued, but deeply personal, and an invaluable guide to progressives who - whether Jewish or not – who seek a way through this impasse.' —Jonathan Portes, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, KCL

'Off-White calls for leftists to go the extra mile in embracing these complex histories and entangled narratives with honesty and courage.' —New Humanist