Sounds and feels like antisemitism, but is it?

The Gaza War brought to the surface, and to our awareness, the saturation of the discourse of the extreme political left with antisemitic language and slogans. However, is the engine behind this current surge the engine of antisemitism? Anti-Zionism 2024 sounds and feels like traditional antisemitism, but is it? The surge in antisemitism following October 7^th originates in a specific trajectory and stems from as distinct context. This background makes the conceptual framework, and the toolkit, used to address traditional antisemitism ineffective and misguided. Although the manifestations of antisemitism 2024 fit, somewhat, past patterns – different countermeasures are needed and suggested.

Effective countermeasures against Anti-Zionism 2024 require first and foremost a proper diagnosis. To decipher anti-Zionism 2024, it is useful to visualize two layers:

The Arab-Palestinian rhetoric– the decades-long incorporation into the Arab anti-Zionist rhetoric of pre-existent antisemitic content, slogans and tropes originating in traditional antisemitism.

The left´s anti-Zionist rhetoric– incorporation by the extreme political left, of pre-existent antisemitic content, slogans, and tropes originating in Arab-Palestinian rhetoric.

Given these suggested layers of origination, it is necessary to be aware of the history and the current status of antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric and indoctrination in the Arab world – on which the current surge stands. Throughout the history of the Israeli-Arab conflict, the saturation of the Arab and Palestinian discourse with antisemitic rhetoric has been noted and reported – and has facilitated and nurtured endemic hatred towards Israel and Jews worldwide. Since the dawn of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arab countries and Palestinians did incorporate “off the shelf” pre-existent antisemitic content, slogans and tropes in their propaganda efforts against Zionism.

The incorporation, by the extreme political left, of this pre-existent antisemitic content, slogans, and tropes originating in Arab-Palestinian rhetoric requires proper diagnosis and targeted countermeasures. Post October 2023 “antisemitism” does not seem to be a variant of traditional antisemitism but, mostly, a distinct phenomenon born out of the embrace by the extreme political left of antisemitic language and slogans prevalent in the Palestinian anti-Zionist rhetoric. This phenomenon is widespread in Europe. In the US, it is limited to the fringes of the political left and mirrored by a deeper-seated traditional antisemitism in the extreme right.

The embrace by the US extreme political left of the antisemitic language and slogans historically prevalent among Arabs and pro-Palestinians has been facilitated by a variety of causes, including the Israeli and Jewish neglect of the outreach to non-Jewish progressive and left audiences. Content to nurture supportive US audiences and to “preach to the choir” (pro-Israeli, pro-Jewish and evangelical audiences) the Israeli-Jewish outreach effort has neglected the political left, leaving this arena wide open to pro-Palestinian activists. The non-existent outreach to the political left and to progressive audiences has created a vacuum. This void has been filled by anti-Israeli activists that have seeded the anti-Zionist narrative of the political left with content, slogans, tropes and images borrowed from the “library” of Palestinian anti-Zionist rhetoric.

The neglect of the outreach to the political left cannot be remedied in the immediate future, but a robust counteroffensive may help stem the tide short of irreversible damage. Although the academic and intellectual leadership of this “fad-antisemitism” has developed a significant polemical argumentation, most of its supporters are characterized by shallow and limited knowledge, most of it fragile and vulnerable to a well organized and robust outreach.

A simple antidote to the infiltration of the public arena by antisemitic narratives and slogans does not exist. However, much can be done before the surge in anti-Zionism of 2024 becomes irreversibly engrained in the minds and hearts of the US extreme political left. An effort must be directed at a) a long term and sustained engagement of progressive and left-leaning audiences b) crafting and articulating counterarguments to academic anti-colonialist anti-Zionist narratives c) offering to Jewish and pro-Jewish students and audiences online workshops designed to endow them with the ability to engage antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric in private and public settings. d) organize a grassroot effort aimed at having the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism adopted by state, city, business and professional organizations.

As we wait for the future to unfold, many Jews and Christians living through 2024, fear that the antisemitic cancer is recuring before our eyes. While statistics indicate a steep rise in “antisemitic” incidents, and the personal ordeals of some individuals and many Jewish students are of grave concern and call for decisive action, it is important and necessary to differentiate language and slogans originating in Palestinian anti-Zionist rhetoric – from traditional antisemitism.

We need, can and must respond to the challenges before us – without the comfort of accusing our opponents of antisemitism. We, the Jews, need to confront difficult issues without over-labeling incoming challenges as antisemitic. The excessive deployment of the antisemitic label is misguided and counterproductive.

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