What is Antisemitism?

Jews as "the outsiders"

Historically, Jews have been seen as "the others," outsiders and foreigners who don’t belong to the countries they reside in — leading to their portrayal as a foreign threat. Jews have often been used as scapegoats whenever there has been internal division or conflict among the "natives." If there was conflict, the Jews were blamed.

This is the reason for the negativity and slurs that have persisted into the 20th century and even exist today — the result of being "othered."

Due to persecution, Jews have throughout history largely kept their interactions with other people at a minimum. This has contributed to them being seen as closed-off and has fostered a lack of understanding about Jewish culture and religion.

Even in the Middle East, this was the case — although the Jewish presence in, for instance, Arabia, predates Islam and the Arab conquest. The Jews from that area can rightfully be seen as native there.

"Jews are greedy"

Because they were historically barred from owning property and limited to being tradesmen and moneylenders, Jews gained the reputation of being greedy. The fact is that no one else was allowed to handle money due to Christian doctrine against usury — lending money at unreasonably high interest. Christians could not lend to each other at interest, but the Torah never prohibited Jews from lending money at interest to gentiles (non-Jews). Since Jews were the ones handling money, they developed a strong sense of financial literacy, saving, investing their wealth, and especially prioritizing the education of their children. Many eventually became successful entrepreneurs despite not owning land. This success was often met with misunderstanding and scorn from the Christian majority — long before the Enlightenment or the establishment of economics as a science.

To this day, the stereotype of Jews being greedy or tricking gentiles sadly persists — at least in the Eurocentric view of what a Jew is.

It’s worth noting that Jews, just like Christians eventually did, found justifications for lending money at interest even among themselves — not seeing interest as inherently evil but as a potential benefit to the community.

Misunderstandings about the "Chosen people"

Antisemites often twist the Jewish concept of being the "Chosen people" into a claim of Jewish supremacy.

However, the idea of Jews being the "Chosen people" is about the covenant with God — an ethical mission to heal the world spiritually — not about any divine preference or superiority. It’s not that Jews believe they are better than others.

Jewish religious tradition is an ethical framework not based on blind faith but on intention. The Torah is the guiding scripture. Its ethical basis is universal and intended for all humanity (through the Noachide Laws), while Jews themselves have additional commandments to follow: the Mitzvot.

Judaism does not exclude the possibility that other peoples have their own covenants with God and are "chosen" for different purposes. Jews are clear about this.

Despite this, the concept of the "Chosen people" has been willfully misconstrued by opponents, especially in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict: "How can you be the 'Chosen people' when you are killing Palestinians?"

"Jews are controlling the world"

The allegation that Jews control the world largely stems from a pamphlet spread in 1905 called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, originating in Russia. It was written as if "Zionists" (Jews) themselves were confessing to controlling and taking over the world from behind the scenes — "World Zionism" — supposedly infiltrating and manipulating liberal, capitalist, communist, and Freemasonic elites. Since then, this has remained one of the most common antisemitic conspiracy theories.

It has been demonstrated that the Tsarist secret police were behind the dissemination of the pamphlet, falsely claiming it to be a speech delivered at the World Zionist Congress in Basel in 1897 by Theodor Herzl, the leader of the actual Zionist movement, which simply sought Jewish self-determination through the establishment of a Jewish homeland.

This helped establish "Zionist" as a slur for Jew, a usage that continued in the Soviet Union.

"Jews are capitalist/communist"

Jews have been blamed both by the left for being capitalists and by the right for being communists. This contradictory accusation is part of the historic baggage of antisemitic bigotry. Jews are called capitalists for supposedly being greedy, and communists for supposedly caring only about their own kind. This contradiction was further cemented by The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

The fact that Jews have sought to contribute to society has disproved these claims. There are Jews on both the right and the left, with a broad diversity of opinions. Jews are known for disagreeing with each other — often passionately, but usually respectfully.

"Jews murdered Jesus"

This trope may not be as prevalent in today’s largely secular "Old World" (Europe):

Historically, Christians portrayed the Jews as collectively responsible for the death of Jesus — further entrenching the notion of betrayal and "otherness" to distance Christianity from its Jewish roots. But Jesus was himself a Jew. According to the Bible, it was the Romans who sentenced and executed him because he was seen as a threat.

Whether these events happened as described or not is a discussion for another time.

Christian antisemitism is real — a remnant from when Christianity sought to replace Judaism. To fully explore this would require a deeper dive into history, which we will leave for now.

Arab antisemitism

In the Arab world, antisemitism has its roots in a mix of religious doctrine and foreign influence.

As the famous Muslim chant goes:

Khaybar, Khaybar, ya yahud

It’s a reminder to the Jews that Muslims will repeat what they did to the Jews at Khaybar, a town in present-day Saudi Arabia, back in 629 A.D.: slaughter them.

Since most Palestinians, and indeed many Arabs, are Muslim, they are influenced by what the Quran and the Sunnah say about Jews.

One hadith states:

“Judgment Day will not come until the Muslims fight the Jews. The Jews will hide behind the stones and the trees, and the stones and the trees will say, ‘Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew hiding behind me — come and kill him.’”

To this day, Islamists and jihadists use this as a basis for rallying Arab Muslim unity against Jews, believing that once the Jews have been defeated, Islam will take over the world.

What many people don’t know is that both the Nazis and the Soviets influenced the Middle East, spreading antisemitic Nazi and Marxist ideas. This is why the Palestinian movement still often refers positively to Hitler and his mission to eradicate the Jews — believing that the Holocaust was justified. The Arabs typically say "Jews," not "Zionists."

Since the start of the war in Gaza after October 7, 2023, the Israeli army (IDF) has found numerous copies of Hitler’s Mein Kampf spread around Gaza.

Today, there are Arab Muslims in the West accusing Jewish organizations, which they see as "Zionists," of "inciting" Islamophobia (hatred against Muslims and Islam). They often march alongside leftists, who share similar sentiments against Jews.

What really is a "Zionist"?

The term "Zionist" comes from the World Zionist movement at the end of the 19th century. After the Jewish Emancipation, when Jews were granted civil rights, antisemitism increased again in Europe — once more using Jews as scapegoats for social problems and unrest. This led Jews to seek self-determination, which gave rise to the Jewish nationalist movement represented by the World Zionist Congress.

The term "Zion" comes from an ancient name for Jerusalem, specifically Mount Zion (Har Tsiyyon). This place holds special significance not only for Jews but also for Christians, who believe it to be the place closest to God. Because of this, "Zion" came to symbolize the entire Land of Israel and the Jewish longing to return there.

The goal of the Zionist movement was self-determination for the Jewish people through the establishment of a homeland in their ancestral land, the "Land of Israel," also known as Palestine at the time — a land then ruled by the Ottoman Empire, and later by the British Mandate of Palestine.

In short, Jews came together to purchase land from Arabs in what was then called Palestine, which they later settled and developed. There were multiple competing visions within the Zionist movement, but for the most part, Jews were simply fleeing persecution in Europe before, during, and after the World Wars. Some genuinely tried to coexist peacefully with the local Arab population, but tensions increased, mainly due to Arabs refusing to accept Jews as equals. Early on, the conflict became infected with Arab Muslim ethno-religious rhetoric against the largely secular and socialist Jewish settlers.

"The Evil Zionists"

As mentioned earlier, the use of "Zionist" as a slur for Jew dates back to the early 20th century.

The term "Zionist," as many antisemites use it today, was first established in Russia as a slur — marking Jews as a threat to the nation. This was before the state of Israel even existed. The term had little to do with Zionism itself but served to dehumanize and marginalize Jews by portraying them as a separate group with sinister political motives, even though most just wanted to be treated as equals.

In the Soviet Union, which officially sought to break down ethnic and class divisions, antisemitism still persisted. Many Jews in the Soviet Union were socialists, but their different approach to socialism was seen as a threat to the regime. People believed that Jews sought power.

Contemporary "Anti-Zionism"

Today, anti-Zionism often functions as antisemitism disguised as legitimate criticism of Israel. It usually references the Israel-Palestine conflict, accusing Israel of mistreating Palestinians, sometimes even comparing Israel to the Nazis — despite the fact that Palestinians themselves have a long history of attacking Jews simply for being Jewish.

Anti-Zionism is frequently used as an excuse to attack Jews for being Jewish, especially among the anti-colonialist left and parts of the Muslim world. Jews are still seen as the catalyst — blamed either for sustaining capitalism or for standing in the way of an Islamic caliphate.

With increasing immigration from Arab Muslim countries to Europe, antisemitism remains an escalating threat both to Jews and to the democratic social order.

"Zionists are controlling the world"

Some people continue to claim that "Zionist" groups wield global influence and control over entire countries, especially regarding support for Israel. The idea is that Jews pressure non-Jewish majorities into making political decisions.

But why would "Zionists" want to control the world? The claim usually rests on the argument that other countries support Israel — but why would the entire world need to "submit" to the Zionists for that?

This narrative simply plays into the old antisemitic trope that Jews, as a group, have ulterior motives to dominate the world. It is nothing more than a repackaged version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion conspiracy.

In fact, despite hesitations from the U.S. under President Joe Biden in supporting Israel’s defensive actions after October 7, Israel has shown that it is capable of defending itself on all fronts.

"Don't bring your conflict here"

There is an increasing tendency to blame both Arabs and Jews for "bringing the Israel-Palestine conflict" into other countries. But this rhetoric most often ends up blaming the Jews.

While many Jews feel connected to Israel — often through family ties — this does not mean they are participants in the conflict.

Assuming that every Jew is a Zionist, and that they are personally involved in the conflict, draws on the antisemitic trope that Jews are some kind of united collective with a shared agenda or hive mind.

Jews are individuals, as different and diverse as any other group of people.

Blatant hate towards Jews

Historically, antisemitism has shaped how Jews have been portrayed in cultural works — most notably through the malicious caricature of a bearded man with a large hooked nose and an evil grin, often shown with stereotypical Jewish attributes like payot (sidelocks) and a kippah (or hat). This archetype has often been used in depictions of evil characters, and this hateful imagery remains prevalent worldwide.

Today, especially on social media, there is a great deal of dehumanizing hate directed at "Zionists," who happen to be Jewish. In reality, they are targeted for being Jewish, as "Zionist" has become synonymous with "Jew." When someone calls a Jew a "small," "dirty," or "nasty" Zionist, they are immediately evoking antisemitic tropes, both historical and modern.

There is also hatred stirred up around Jewish terms like goy, a word sometimes used by Ashkenazi Jews (European Jews) to refer to gentiles (non-Jews). Antisemites often try to portray this as a slur, as though Jews are maliciously insulting non-Jews. But the word goy (plural: goyim) simply means "people" or "nation." In the Torah, it is even used to describe the Jews themselves, as in goy gadol ("a great nation").

Exploiting ignorance about Jewish culture — and twisting it into something malicious — is racism. And it is antisemitic.

"We have nothing against Jews, just the Zionists"

Many who claim they are not against Jews but only against Israel or "Zionists" are, in reality, targeting Jews because they associate Jews with Zionism. They believe that Jews are complicit in whatever Israel does.

To further test these "anti-Zionist" claims: if they only consider Jews to be Zionists, and see gentiles who support Israel as "useful idiots" who have fallen for "Zionist propaganda," then their position is antisemitic.

The key difference is whether someone hates a "Zionist" for being a Jew — or simply happens to disagree with a Jew who supports Zionism. But for most Jews, Zionism — the belief in Jewish self-determination in their ancestral homeland — is indeed part of their identity.

Hating Jews (or any ethnic group) for who they are is racism. Hate and harassment against Jews as a collective — for any reason, including because of Israel — must never be tolerated.

When is it legitimate criticism of Israel?

It is legitimate to criticize specific policies of Israel. But if you are unfamiliar with Israeli politics, and its many nuances and diverse opinions, you should be cautious. The dynamics there are very different from elsewhere. Not everything is black and white, or even consistent over time.

Many people who were strong proponents of peace before October 7 no longer believe peace with Palestinians is possible. Just ask the people of Kibbutz Be’eri.

Some try to place all the blame on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition, which includes ultra-Orthodox "extremist" politicians. They claim these leaders seek to control Palestinian territory.

There is indeed a political divide between the right and the left in Israel. But after the events of October 7, the country has largely united across political and ethnic lines. Nevertheless, conspiracy theories circulate suggesting that Netanyahu allowed the tragedy to happen for political gain. This narrative is often repeated by international commentators, effectively weaponizing Israeli internal politics to portray the country as weak or on the brink of collapse — playing into Palestinian and Islamist rhetoric.

A good way to understand what Israelis (as well as Palestinians) really think is to follow the Ask Project, which regularly publishes street interviews with Israelis of all backgrounds and Palestinians on the West Bank — asking them questions submitted by viewers.

Leftist "Anti-Zionism"

Leftism is a broad spectrum, but one common thread is a general suspicion of Jews, tied to the stereotype of Jews as greedy capitalists. Many on the left are mistrustful of capitalism, equating it with greed — and the malicious portrayal of the greedy Jew has often been used in propaganda to stir up socialist sentiment.

The socialist variation of antisemitism is rooted in the idea that "Zionists" are colonialists with global influence, complicit in oppressing and even "genociding" Palestinians. Socialist rhetoric often claims that a "Zionist" conspiracy is responsible for maintaining the oppressive capitalist world order, standing in the way of a more "compassionate" socialist utopia. In this narrative, what prevents the emergence of such a world order are the "Zionists."