Antisemitism & Anti-Zionism
What is Antisemitism?
Broadly speaking, antisemitism is hatred and/or hostility directed against Jews. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “The term anti-Semitism was coined in 1879 by the German agitator Wilhelm Marr to designate the anti-Jewish campaigns underway in central Europe at that time.” However, as you will see, antisemitism existed long before the term was coined. Antisemitism can be individual or communal, personal or systemic. Lawless action perpetrated with antisemitic intent is considered a hate crime here in the US.
The United States Holocaust Museum provides a primer on antisemitism’s definition and history here.
The American Jewish Committee provides an A-Z guide of antisemitic tropes, and explanations as to why they are considered antisemitic. It’s important to note that, while most of these terms are ubiquitously considered antisemitic, some of them are disputed, such as “From the River to the Sea,” or “Zionism is racism.” For example, this piece from Professor Maha Nassar explains a different perspective on “from the river to the sea”
This article from The Conversation argues that antisemitism is a particular form of racism, while this analysis from HeyAlma takes the position that the two should not be compared.
Some people have characterized support for Palestinians as antisemitic. This essay from Palestine Legal disputes that idea.
Place-Based Antisemitism
Europe
European antisemitism is as old as time, but it has changed its tune many times throughout history. This Wikipedia article summarizes that history from the time of the Roman Empire.
The Holocaust is perhaps the clearest and most well known example of antisemitism in Europe. The Holocaust, according to history.com, was the state-sponsored persecution and mass murder of millions of European Jews, Romani people, the intellectually disabled, political dissidents and homosexuals by the German Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. By the end of the Holocaust, 6 million Jewish men, women and children had been murdered in ghettos, mass-shootings, in concentration camps and death camps. (You can read more about how the Holocaust relates, or does not relate, to Israel in our previous newsletter.
An earlier crucial antisemitic event was the Jewish expulsion from Spain in 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition. As a result of the Alhambra Decree and persecution in the years leading up to the expulsion of Spain's estimated 300,000 Jewish origin population, a total of over 200,000 had converted to Catholicism to remain in Spain, and between 40,000 and 100,000 suffered expulsion.
You can find a report of antisemitic incidents in Europe by country in 2022 at this link. After Oct 7, according to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, there have been more than 800 antisemitic acts in the country, nearly twice as many as in the whole of 2022. You can read more about antisemitism in Europe since the war here and here.
The EU has adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism, despite pushback (learn more below).
Middle East
It is important to note that Islam, like any other major world religion, is diverse, and opinions and practices within the Muslim community can vary widely. Furthermore, it's important to emphasize that conflicts between religions are primarily political, historical, and territorial in nature, and they involve a complex interplay of factors beyond religious differences.
In the Quran, Jews are referred to as "Ahl al-Kitab," or People of the Book, recognizing their shared Abrahamic heritage and divine scriptures. The Quran acknowledges common ancestry, emphasizing both theological differences and the importance of peaceful coexistence with the People of the Book.
Historically, the treatment of Jews in Arab countries has been diverse and complex. Many Jews had lived in various Arab lands for centuries, coexisting with Muslim majorities and contributing to the economic, cultural, and intellectual life of their communities. In certain periods, Jews experienced relative tolerance and acceptance, while in others, they faced discriminatory policies and occasional violence. The situation varied across different regions and was influenced by local political and social dynamics.
Notably, many Jews lived peacefully in Muslim and Arab countries during the Middle Ages, when they were being expelled from Europe. You can learn more about these peaceful relations here, here, and here.
However, antisemitism does exist in the Middle East. Wikipedia gives a summary throughout time and across countries, noting that, unlike in Europe, antisemitism only reached the MIddle East more fully in the 19th century. They suggest the following causes: The dissolution and breakdown of the Ottoman Empire and traditional Islamic society, European influence, brought about by Western imperialism and Arab Christians, Nazi propaganda and relations between Nazi Germany and the Arab world, resentment over Jewish nationalism, the rise of Arab nationalism, and the widespread proliferation of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist conspiracy theories.
Intolerance for Jews in Arab countries culminated in 1947-1948, in proximity to the founding of the State of Israel, with the persecution, disenfranchisement and expulsion of the Jewish population from multiple Arab countries. Some maintain that there is deep-rooted anti-semitism in the Arab world.
In the wake of October 7th, antisemitism increased across the world, including the MENA region. Here is an article about a riot in Tunisia which reduced a synagogue to rubble.
United States
Antisemitism existed in America from before the moment of its founding. Although ostensibly in favor of religious tolerance, early immigrants from Europe harbored antisemitic views. From GALE: “From the moment they first arrived at the colony of New Amsterdam (New York), Dutch governor Peter Stuyvesant petitioned to have them removed, but the financial benefits of Jewish mercantile networks prevailed. They were publicly denied worship unless they embraced Christianity and the church; however, as synagogues began to spring up, out of economic necessity, Judaism was quietly tolerated.”
“Where Are Your Guns?” by Howard Fast, published in 1948, describes antisemitism in the British colonies, from the point of view of a young Jewish man.
This article from the ADL provides a history of antisemitism in America - please note there is a graphic image included in this article.
While the ADL reports increasing hate crimes against Jews over the past few years, America is arguably the safest place to be a Jew. America’s robust religious liberty means there are few to no structural barriers to Jewish practice, and Jews have held leadership roles and enjoyed socioeconomic success for a long time
The US also uses theIHRA definition of antisemitism (learn more below).
Formalized Definitions of Antisemitism
Broadly speaking, there are three definitions of antisemitism that have received international attention, endorsement, and criticism.
International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition can be found here. It is perhaps the broadest, including many criticisms of Israel in its list of antisemitic stances and actions. It has been adopted by the US and EU.
Given the generous inclusion of anti-Israel sentiments as antisemitic in the IHRA definition, more than 100 Israeli and international civil society groups warn the UNA that the IHRA definition could curb their work.
Notably, both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch oppose this definition. Both assert the importance of protecting Jews, but feel this definition goes too far toward including criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
Given this criticism, alternative definitions have been proposed. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism can be found here. It was written in response to the IHRA definition, challenging the inclusion of criticism of Israel in the definition. The Nexus definition can be found here. It was also proposed as an alternative to the IHRA definition.
An analysis of all three, their history, and their ramifications can be found at this link.
What is Zionism?
A bare-bones definition of Zionism from the Oxford dictionary is “a movement for (originally) the re-establishment and (now) the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel.”
Like many political and ideological movements, Zionism is complex and multi-faceted. Here is an article from Hey Alma that gives an in-depth overview of the term.
Some contend that the concepts of Zionism and Judaism are inextricably linked, as does Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in this piece:
In general, Israel holds importance to most Jews. A poll conducted in 2021 by the Pew Research Center indicated that eight out of every ten Jews in the US feel that caring about Israel is an essential or important part of what being Jewish means to them. Though, as this poll demonstrates, Zionism does not exclude deep criticism of some Israeli government policies.
This article further delves into the results of recent polls and highlights the variation in approaches to Israel and its policies within the Jewish population in the US, even among those who consider themselves Zionist.
Not all Jews consider themselves Zionist and some are vocally anti-Zionist. Here is a list of anti-Zionist Jewish organizations worldwide. Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is an example of a Jewish organization which is anti-Zionist, including supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS). However, remarks made by members of the JVP on the recent October 7th attacks on Israeli citizens by Hamas seem to have further alienated this organization from many Jews. These are discussed in this article from the ADL.
Another group of Jews who are vocally anti-Zionist are certain Ultra-Orthodox communities who believe that Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel can only come about miraculously and is otherwise forbidden.
This article from Reuters tries to explain how Zionist feelings among non-Jews, particularly in American government, remain relevant:
This opinion piece from New Republic gives an analysis of the importance of the Christian Zionist movement in the US Congress.
Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is a political stance or ideology that opposes the establishment and existence of the state of Israel. While opposition to specific policies or actions of the State of Israel may fall under the broader category of political criticism, anti-Zionism goes further by fundamentally questioning the legitimacy of a Jewish state.
There are various forms of anti-Zionism, both historical and contemporary, as covered in this Wikipedia article.
It is virtually impossible to find sources which discuss anti-Zionism without mention of antisemitism, either in order to conflate or distinguish between the two. Trust us, we tried! The debate on whether anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic is a highly charged subject, with some ardently advocating that the two are the same, while others insisting that the two should not be conflated.
Those that recognize anti-Zionism as a separate entity from antisemitism argue that it is meant to critique Israeli policies without harboring animosity towards Jews as a people. It also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing political critique from religious identity, as not all Jews identify with Zionism. On the other hand, others argue that singling out Israel for condemnation, employing anti-Semitic tropes, or opposing Jewish self-determination may blur the line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, and that certain expressions of anti-Zionism contribute to a hostile environment for Jewish communities worldwide. We have compiled the following links which take stances on these positions - we encourage you to explore them, and feel free to ask us questions!
Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism:
https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/anti-zionism
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-779120
https://arza.org/what-is-anti-zionism-part-ii/
https://themedialine.org/top-stories/anti-zionism-a-gateway-drug-to-antisemitism/
https://fathomjournal.org/an-open-letter-to-anti-zionists-from-a-veteran-of-the-left/
Anti-Zionism is not Antisemitism:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/mar/07/debunking-myth-that-anti-zionism-is-antisemitic
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2023/11/09/antisemitism-dangerous/
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36160928
https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/is-anti-zionism-a-form-of-anti-semitism/
https://en.idi.org.il/articles/32233
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/anti-semitism-2666175824
https://www.annefrank.org/en/topics/antisemitism/are-all-jews-zionists/
https://www.heyalma.com/israel-guide/is-anti-zionism-always-anti-semitic/
The US House of Representatives recently passed a resolution declaring that Anti-Zionism is a form of anti semitism. Here’s an analysis from Forbes. A different analysis of that resolution is presented by Al-Jazeera.
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