The relationship between anti-Zionism and antisemitism is a topic of intense debate. While some argue that anti-Zionism, inherently targets Jewish identity, others maintain that anti-Zionism is a critique of political ideology or Israeli state policies rather than an expression of hostility toward Jews.
Why it matters
Rise in anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Critics of Zionism maintain Zionism is a racist movement that stands for Jewish supremacy and denigrates to a secondary status all other inhabitants of the land that Zionists claim as their homeland.
Criticism of Zionism has been spreading faster and further since October 2023, and along with it, there has been a rise in antisemitism.
The rise in antisemitism can even be seen in Google searches, with a reported 1800% rise in people searching Google for the term “Kill Jews.”
Antisemitic attacks have risen throughout Europe and are causing Jews to wonder if it is time for them to flee Europe.
Is anti-zionism inherently antisemitic?
Is anti-Zionism a form or cover for antisemitism? Peter Beinart claimed that anti-Zionism isn’t antisemitism, “Anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic – and claiming it uses Jewish suffering to erase the Palestinian experience. Yes, antisemitism is growing and world leaders must fight it fiercely. But in the words of a great Zionist thinker, “This is not the way.”
Many Zionists consider criticism of Zionism to be antisemitic. They believe the rise in anti-Zionism and antisemitism to be linked fundamentally. Zionism stands for the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their historic homeland, the land of Israel.
The origins of the Jewish people are straightforward; the word "Jew" derives from Yehudah – the ancient Hebrew name for the hill country around Jerusalem. Zionists argue that denying that the Jewish connection to Israel is unique from all other people, denies Jewish people their rights – an inherently antisemitic position.
Beinart explained, “The argument that anti-zionism is inherently antisemitic rests on three pillars.
The first is that opposing Zionism is antisemitic because it denies Jews what other people enjoy: a state of their own.
The second argument states it’s not bigoted to oppose a people’s quest for statehood unless it is to take away that statehood once achieved.
A third argument for why anti-zionism equals antisemitism is the two animosities simply go together. The New York Times columnist Bret Stephens explained, “Of course it’s theoretically possible to distinguish anti-Zionism from antisemitism, just as it’s theoretically possible to distinguish segregationism from racism but, just as virtually all segregationists are also racists, virtually all anti-Zionists are also antisemites.”
Conflating criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Zionism
Criticism of Israel shouldn’t be confused with anti-Zionism.
If someone criticizes Israel’s checkpoints separating the West Bank from Israel, and their criticism is based on facts without exaggeration or falsification, and doesn’t single Israel out for crimes anyone else is doing, their critique is without discrimination and isn’t antisemitic. If an accusation is levied against the Israeli policy of sterilizing Arab children, it is easy to determine the accusation includes falsification and is therefore antisemitic.
Antisemites use anti-Zionism as a cover for their hate.
An important point to consider in this debate is made clear by the World Jewish Congress: “Antisemites frequently claim that their hateful and insensitive remarks are legitimate critiques of Israeli government policies and those who support them. These individuals claim that they don’t have any issue with Jews; rather, their problem is with Zionists—using the term as a catch-all for anyone who supports the existence of a Jewish state”. Such a generalization, in essence, characterizes the vast majority of the global Jewish community, which holds Zionist beliefs, as antagonists. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. explained so succinctly, “When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking antisemitism.
The Israeli government isn’t exempt from criticism and anti-Zionism isn’t inherently antisemitic. However, anti-Zionism can be used as a cover for antisemitism or is an expression of antisemitism.
In his book, “Antisemitism in the Modern World,” Dr. Richard Levy wrote, “Antisemites certainly found Zionism useful” because Zionism provided “antisemitic Zionists” with a justification for their antisemitism.
Uri Pilichowski is an author, speaker, and senior educator at institutions around the world.