Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism
If you insist that the Jewish state is the only one that should not be allowed to defend itself against terrorist attacks, you are probably an antisemite.
The fact that anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel are not necessarily antisemitic does not mean that they are never antisemitic. Similarly, the fact that anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel are sometimes antisemitic, does not imply that they always are. Determining when anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel are antisemitism requires argument. There will be cases in which the answer is clear, and other cases in which there is scope for reasonable disagreement. In what follows, I will try to unpick the most important factors at stake in determining this.
The first step is to clarify what we mean by “anti-Zionism” and “antisemitism.” In its political form, Zionism denotes support for a movement to establish and maintain a state that serves as the national home for Jews in the land of Israel. Anti-Zionism is opposition to such a state.
“Antisemitism” is a more contested concept. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) offers the following definition:
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.
The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, which claims to be an improvement on the IHRA definition, states that:
Antisemitism is discrimination, prejudice, hostility or violence against Jews as Jews (or Jewish institutions as Jewish).
The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism
Both these definitions are flawed. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance inappropriately restricts the scope of antisemitism to expressions of “certain perceptions of Jews.” But, as we will see, an action or practice can be antisemitic in effect, even if those involved harbour no ill-will towards Jews. The Jerusalem Declaration’s definition avoids this problem because it includes the idea of “discrimination,” and discrimination can be unintentional. However, the Jerusalem Declaration is too expansive in not differentiating between “discrimination” and “wrongful discrimination.” This is important because discrimination is not always wrong. For example, it is not wrong to discriminate against Jews by deciding not to wish them a merry Christmas.
I propose the following definition:
