Quote by Christopher Hitchens

And I'll close by saying this. Because anti-Semitism is the godfather of racism and the gateway to tyranny and fascism and war, it is to be regarded not as the enemy of the Jewish people, I learned, but as the common enemy of humanity and of civilisation, and has to be fought against very tenaciously for that reason, most especially in its current, most virulent form of Islamic Jihad. Daniel Pearl's revolting murderer was educated at the London School of Economics. Our Christmas bomber over Detroit was from a neighboring London college, the chair of the Islamic Students' Society. Many pogroms against Jewish people are being reported from all over Europe today as I'm talking, and we can only expect this to get worse, and we must make sure our own defenses are not neglected. Our task is to call this filthy thing, this plague, this this pest, by its right name; to make unceasing resistance to it, knowing all the time that it's probably ultimately ineradicable, and bearing in mind that its hatred towards us is a compliment, and resolving (some of the time, at any rate) to do a bit more to deserve it. Thank you.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the destructive nature of anti-Semitism, viewing it as the core source of racism, tyranny, fascism, and war. The speaker argues that rather than perceiving it solely as the enemy of Jewish people, anti-Semitism should be recognized as the shared enemy of all humanity and civilization. They specifically highlight the current virulent form of Islamic Jihad as an example. The quote also points out instances of violence against Jewish individuals in Europe, suggesting the need for vigilance in protecting against such acts. Despite acknowledging the difficulty of eradicating this hatred, the speaker suggests that the hatred from anti-Semites can be seen as a testament to one's resilience and determination in opposing it.