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cosmopolitan elite

noun \ ,kazmə'palit(ə)n ‘i'lit \

: a phrase combining “cosmopolitan,” or representing many cultures, with “elite,” referring to the upper class of society

WHEN IT’S ANTISEMITIC:

“Cosmopolitan” and “elite” are terms that have separately incited antisemites across the political spectrum. Based on stereotypes of Jewish wealth and insularity, Jews have been accused of being part of an elite class for centuries. In the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, for instance, Jews were charged with being “rootless cosmopolitans” and fell victim to Stalin’s anti-cosmopolitan campaign where they were arrested and tortured. Today, “cosmopolitan elite” is a code word used by the far-right to accuse Jews and liberals of controlling America and/or being disloyal and unpatriotic by favoring internationalism over isolationism (see dual loyalty).

Another term, “coastal elite,” while not referencing a global group, is used by right-wing and populist groups to describe liberal, highly educated, individuals living in the northeast United States or in major cities, which is where American Jews mostly reside.

 

 

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