What Accounts for the Rise in Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Sentiment?

As demonstrations, violence and hate against Israel and Jews spread around the country, we must ask: how did we arrive at such a moment when it was thought until recently that Jewish life in America was the best and safest for any Jewish community in the 2,000 years of the diaspora?

Some have been focusing on sinister outside support and funding. Undoubtedly, the activists have benefited psychologically and practically from these outsiders. Indeed, there is a need to initiate serious investigations into this critical matter. However, this doesn’t address the deeper elements historically that have brought us to this moment.

Three factors come to mind. 

First goes way back to 1975 when the Soviet Union led an international effort at the United Nations to pass a resolution equating Zionism, the national liberation movement of the Jewish people, with racism. Even back then this accusation, endorsed by the international community, was extremely damaging to Israel. Even though the UN 18 years later rescinded the Zionism is racism resolution, the damage had been done.

From 1975 and up to today, the narrative that Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East which represents the realization of the Jewish people’s return to their historic homeland, is illegitimate, has seeped into any conversation about Middle East issues. In this sense, the Soviets had succeeded in their anti-Western, anti-Jewish philosophy even long after the demise of the Soviet Union, far beyond the original action.

Today’s delegitimization of Israel that has motivated these demonstrations is partly a result many years later of the seeping into any discussion about Israel of the Zionism is racism idea. 

Second, is the trend on college campuses to move away from classic liberalism, which over the years brought positive change to America and has been good for Jews, to illiberalism under the guise of social justice. Dividing the world simplistically into categories of oppressors and oppressed, not judging behavior on individual actions but on preconceived categories, and a rejection of pluralism and diversity of thought, are all characteristics of this illiberalism.  

Once, however, these views became dominant, it was inevitable that Jews would be a target. Israel was quickly deemed an oppressor state, partly again because of the embedded Zionism is racism idea. And Jews were deemed to be part of the oppressor class, not only by being called white but because of the images of Jews as wealthy capitalists.

Third, the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish forces realized that October 7 presented a unique opportunity. This is counterintuitive, since one would have thought that it would lead to sympathy for Israel when 1,200 civilians were brutally murdered and raped, and hundreds more taken hostage by a barbaric terrorist group. 

What was missed was that a major element over the years constraining anti-Israel activity was the perception that Israel was too strong and successful a society, particularly in its military and security capabilities, and therefore taking on Israel could only go so far. 

October 7 changed that mentality. There suddenly arose a perception that the past image of Israeli strength may not have been so true. The way a terrorist group outfoxed Israeli intelligence, and committed the worst violence against Jews since the Holocaust, generated a new sense of opportunity. And the anti-Israel groups seized the moment. With it came open calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, support for Hamas and its barbarism, and assaults both figuratively and actively, on Jews. Antisemitic incidents immediately surged dramatically.

This sense of opportunity to heighten anti-Israel activity was reinforced when Iran launched hundreds of missiles at the Jewish state late in April. Though Israel successfully thwarted the attacks, this helped generate another round of opportunity in seeing Iran as testing the waters and preparing the day when it had a nuclear capability. It is no accident that the second surge on campuses, embodied in the encampments, began with days of the Iranian assault. 

In sum, the outrages on campus reflect the coming together of a long-term influence, the Zionism is racism resolution, medium-term rethinking, the conversion of liberalism into illiberalism, and short-term opportunity, a new perception of Israeli vulnerability.

Understanding these factors is important in trying to devise successful strategies to combat the dangers that are growing and spreading.