Between judophobia and zionism: "the Jewish question" in the treatment of liberal people in 1880s-1890s

The author draws attention to the reflexive nature of the interest of Russian journalism, including populism, in the problems of interethnic relations in the Russian Empire. The massiveness and ferocity of the anti-Jewish uprisings in 1881 forced representatives of all trends, firstly, to realize the existence of the “Jewish question” as an acute and urgent problem that required a reaction from the government and society and, secondly, to try to understand their causes. It should be emphasized that liberal populism in its assessment of the events of 1881 and its attitude to the "Jewish question" was markedly divided. Three main points of view can be distinguished. The first group includes V.V. Biryukovich, N.V. Shelgunov and others. They considered Jews an integral part of the Russian ethnic and socio-political space and insisted on the elimination of national discrimination necessary to create a strong and prosperous state, seeing in this the only way to prevent interethnic hostility and separatism. The article notes the view of I.I. Kablits (Yuzov), the publicist, who denied Jews the presence of national traits - primarily national territory and language, calling them a "racial group." Recalling the spread of Jewish settlement practically throughout Europe, he noted their focus exclusively on trade. He agreed with the expediency of maintaining administrative restrictions and was opposed to the abolition of the Pale of Settlement in the near future. The author shows a compromise approach of S.V. Yuzhakov to the problem. Arguing with the ideologists of Zionism, the publicist assessed it as one of the varieties of nationalism, and therefore did not hide his negative attitude. For him, "nationalism is the enemy of humanity" and anti-Semitism is also one of the variants of nationalism. Jews will be able to defeat anti-Semitism only by drawing closer to other peoples, rather than by isolating themselves from them. For a fair solution of the Jewish question in Russia, therefore, it was necessary to cooperate with progressively minded Jews with like-minded non-Jews, suppress nationalistic instincts by both sides and focus on universal values. In conclusion, the author emphasizes that the Jewish question splitted the liberal populists. Among them there were representatives with anti-Semitic positions. Denying the presence of national traits among the Jews, they considered assimilation to be a blessing both for the Jews and for the peoples among whom they lived. Many publicists supported the thesis about the predominance of the exploiters among the Jews, nevertheless, they advocated the elimination of discriminatory restrictions on Jews. But it should not be assumed that anti-Semitism dominated Russian socialist thought. Most of the liberal populists considered Jews one of the peoples of the Russian Empire, who had equal rights with others to national and social development.

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