Antisemitism is the most diverse form of hate. To early Christians, the Jews killed Jesus. Jews stained the “pure” Aryan Race in Nazi Germany. To the Americans, we were communists, and to the Russians, capitalists. Now, the Jews are ‘oppressive colonizers,’ hated through the lens of anti-Zionism. Following centuries of institutionalized antisemitism across Europe, Zionism arose as the belief in the establishment of a modern Jewish nation-state in the historical land of Israel. Anti-Zionism is simply the opposition to this idea, often basing itself in arguments of “colonialism” and “apartheid.” The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance cites holding Israel to different standards, holding all Jews accountable for the actions of some, and denying their right to self-determination as antisemitism. Anti-Zionism is antisemitism because it invokes antisemitic tropes, ignores Jewish history and connection to the land, and ought to be defined by those who experience it. However, I encourage a fair criticism of the Israeli government and its specific policies on war, towards certain social groups, and political issues.
Much anti-Zionist rhetoric plays into classic antisemitic tropes. The Blood libel, used by Medieval Christianity, accused Jews of killing Christian babies to bake Passover matzah. The Blood Libel has been reinvigorated, falsely accusing the IDF of intentionally killing Palestinian babies. Yossi Klein-Halevi, a renowned Israeli-American journalist, explained, “The satanic Jew has been replaced by the satanic Jewish state.” Similarly, American Zionists are often identified as the “Israel Lobby” by anti-Zionists. The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, written in 2007, claims that this Lobby “controls debate” in American universities, playing into the antisemitic Cabal trope that claims that Jews control the world, higher education, and government. Furthermore, many anti-Zionists equate Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians to the Holocaust. Creating a moral equivalency between Israeli counter-terrorism actions and forced servitude and six million murders downplays the inhumanity of Nazi Germany and is blatantly antisemitic. Holocaust Inversion tells Jews that we didn’t “learn” from the Holocaust: “The oppressed have become the oppressor.” Ignoring Jewish history reinforces antisemitism.
Anti-Zionism denies the long-lasting Jewish historical connection to The Land of Israel. The City of David, the most ancient part of Jerusalem, is rich with Jewish history, from its system of water tunnels to ancient synagogues. There are thousands of archaeological sites nationwide, from Tiberias to Masada. Readers can quickly note the Jewish connection to the land throughout the Torah or virtually every Jewish prayer. There are no Jews without the Land of Israel, and without the Land of Israel, there are no Jews.
Anti-Zionism ignores the two millennia of persecution wherever Jews turned. Nazi Germany slaughtered 6 million Jews during the Holocaust, displaced millions more, left millions of orphans, and virtually ended Jewish culture in Europe. Approximately 800,000 (>90%) Jews living in the Muslim World were expelled or fled after 1948. These are just the two most recent and massive examples of institutionalized antisemitism. Israel is the Jewish homeland because of our history of oppression. Jews can only find perpetual safety in their own established nation. In Elie Wiesel’s words, “I can live as a Jew outside Israel but not without Israel.”
Who is a non-Jew to define antisemitism? In the way that a Black scholar best understands institutional racism in America, Jews best understand the ever-evolving nature of antisemitism. A white person can grasp the concept of racism, but the first-hand experience of how hate functions gives the affected community the authority to define it. Understanding, loving, and fighting for Israel is my understanding of my history, ancient texts, and continuous bond with the land. Opposing our understanding of Judaism and telling us how to interpret our religion constitutes antisemitism.
Criticism is the only reason why Israel remains the only democracy in the Middle East. I beg that you criticize Israel so long as you hold it to the same standards as other nations. Despite my discontent with the current Israeli government’s war strategy and policies on the ultra-Orthodox military draft, I am an unwavering Zionist, proud of the realization of my people’s dream. Israel is the result of 2000 years of persecution, struggle, and yearning for the return to our ancestral homeland. Am Israel Chai—the People of Israel live. And we’re not planning on going anywhere.
By using antisemitic tropes, disregarding the Jewish experience, and being defined by Gentiles, anti-Zionism is antisemitism. Yet, reasonable criticism of the Israeli government helps to keep the country a healthy democracy. To whoever has read this far, I applaud you and hope this article can lead to fruitful discussions on campus about Zionism, the Israeli-Palestinian and regional Israeli-Arab conflict, and what we can do to help achieve peace and understanding.
