Leon Lets Loose A Linguistic Lambasting

Wrote Leon Wieseltier:

There has occurred a renascence of Jewish fanaticism in the Netanyahu years.

Renascence?

I would think that such an august literary and Jewish figure like Leon would have written it in the French spelling: renaissance.

In any case, the word is defined

re·nas·cence (r-nsns, -nsns)
n.
1. A new birth or life; a rebirth.
2. A cultural revival; a renaissance.

Wieseltier was upset and this is from his lead-in (I do not have the entire piece):

the spirit of criticism must not desist. Like all liberal societies, Israeli society contains anti-liberal elements, and these anti-liberal elements, both religious and secular, have become increasingly prominent, and increasingly wanton, and increasingly sickening, recently. This anti-liberalism cannot be conspiratorially imputed to foreigners or enemies: Jews are doing this to Jews. The odious misogyny of the ultra-Orthodox is certainly not typical of Israeli life, from which the ultra-Orthodox have anyway seceded (except to exploit the welfare system, which magically makes practical men out of zealots); but more needs to be said.

I'd like to read what he has to say about Islamic practices. Well, this short piece is quite linguistically tame.

But then again, since its Jew vs. Jew, Leon lets loose.

^