Antisemitism vs Antizionism

by Eduardo del Buey

Antisemitism vs Antizionism

While antisemitism and antizionism are interrelated in certain aspects, they represent fundamentally different issues.

Or so say the dictionaries.

But I believe it is impossible to separate them today.

Antisemitism had always been defined as a form of hatred directed at Jews as a group, steeped in a long history of discrimination and violence.

Antizionism has always been defined as a political ideology related to the state of Israel and its right to exist and allowing Jews to return to their ancestral homeland.

It has nothing to do with the political decisions of the state of Israel.

For example, disagreeing with Russian or American policies is not the same as saying these countries should not exist or that Americans and Russians have no right to live there.

Antisemitism refers to prejudice, hatred, or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or cultural group. Its roots can be traced back to ancient times, but it gained significant momentum in Europe during the Middle Ages, often fueled by religious rivalries and economic scapegoating.

Jews were frequently blamed for societal ills, accused of being Christ-killers, and subjected to murder, segregation, violence, forced conversions, and expulsions.

The emergence of racial antisemitism in the 19th century, which framed Jews as a dangerous, inferior race, culminated in the Holocaust during World War II, where six million Jews were systematically murdered.

Antisemitism is deeply intertwined with a history of violence, oppression, and genocide.

Conversely, antizionism refers to opposition to Zionism, a political movement that emerged in Europe in the late 19th century that advocated for establishing a Jewish state in its ancestral homeland, which, under British rule, became the Palestine mandate.

In British colonial times, “Palestinians” referred to the Jewish population of the region, while the rest were known as Arabs. It was only under Yasser Arafat that the Arabs appropriated the term “Palestinians” to describe themselves as a separate entity.

Zionism does not constitute support for any particular Israeli government or policy.

It is simply the acceptance of the right of Israel to exist as the Jewish homeland.

Consequently, in view of recent and current developments, I believe that antizionism, which was the result of antisemitism, has gone full circle and morphed into antisemitism.

In 1948, the United Nations mandated part of the territory to become a Jewish state and the other part to become an Arab one.

The Palestinians rejected the UN Resolution creating both states, and five Arab armies invaded the Jewish state of Israel.

They lost, and the modern state of Israel emerged. Egypt annexed Gaza, and Jordan annexed the West Bank.

Even though the Palestinians have had many opportunities to establish their state over the years, they have refused each one and preferred violence over peace and victimization over progress.

The Palestinians have continually refused to create a country.

Instead, they have resorted to claiming refugee status and adopting violence to further their aims. They and their radical Islamist brethren want to colonize Israel, cease its right to exist, and eliminate Jews everywhere.

On May 26, 2016, the 31 member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) adopted a non-legally binding “working definition” of antisemitism at its plenary in Bucharest.

Since then, the working definition of antisemitism has been “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Today, while tens of thousands of Arab and non-Arab pro-Hamas demonstrators fill the streets and campuses of major Western cities protesting Israeli military actions in the name of “antizionism”, they actually focus mostly on attacking Jewish professors, students, businesses, institutions, and synagogues with the help of many political and police officials as well as university administrators.

In the name of “antizionism”, they actually practice antisemitism.

With no evidence, they have managed to convince themselves and many others that Israel is an apartheid state.

As a matter of fact, Arabs, Christians, Druze, and Jews live in harmony and with equal rights in Israel – something that cannot be said about any neighboring Arab states.

In fact, after the fall of the Assad regime last week, six Druze villages in Syria have now petitioned Israel to annex them since Israel is the only state where they believe they can live in freedom, equality, and peace.

Blaming Jews for having the only democracy in the region is antisemitic and not simply antizionist.

As antizionism and antisemitism morph into one overriding ideology, a dangerous reality continues to fester and grow, and the fuel for hatred against Jews continues to increase in a highly polarized and antisemitic world.