Leonard Bell is a Lecturer in Art History at University of Auckland. He and others have compiled an extensive history of Jews in New Zealand. His book reveals the diversity and disproportionate impact on New Zealand society covering pre-colonial times to the present.
Paul Spoonley, a Research Director at Massey University, wrote the chapter on Anti-Semitism in New Zealand. Unknown to us, several members of the (now defunct) political party Social Credit were ardent supporters of the theory that a Jewish conspiracy controlled world affairs.
Bell asserts that there is no Jewish race but instead Jews should be considered as a collection of “Jewish peoples.”
Kim Hill of National Radio interviewed Leonard Bell and the interview may be heard in its entirety here:
A review of the book may be found here.
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