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The Thin Line Between Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism: Unraveling the Protests
Jewish Americans and supporters of Israel gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC on Nov. 14, 2023 for the “March for Israel” rally. Photo: Dion J. Pierre/The Algemeiner
The world has witnessed a disturbing surge in antisemitic, violent protests that contrast sharply with the peaceful demonstrations in support of Israel. The juxtaposition of these demonstrations has stirred controversy and raises important questions about the so-called line between antisemitism and anti-Zionism — a line that is increasingly blurred in these troubling times.
Anti-Zionism is not merely a disagreement with Israeli policies, but an insidious form of prejudice that extends beyond geopolitical boundaries. While it is crucial to acknowledge that criticism of Israeli policies is not inherently antisemitic, there are members of various protests who have not been criticizing, but rather demonizing, the Jewish State. They are not voicing peaceful expressions of discontent or legitimate criticism; instead, they are promoting hatred and calls for violence. Large groups of protestors have called for the destruction of Israel; they also promote violence against Jews, and share antisemitic imagery.
These protestors profess anti-Zionism while practicing antisemitism; advocate for a ceasefire while remaining silent on hostage release; declare support for Palestinians without condemning Hamas; and express a desire for peace while resorting to violence.
These violent protestors are using what should be peaceful demonstrations as a cover for expressing deep-seated hatred, which is a tactic that mirrors the reprehensible strategies employed by Hamas. Just as Hamas members embed themselves in civilian populations to make Israel’s attempts at finding them more difficult (while putting innocent civilians at risk), these vicious protestors do the same, manipulating public perception by using seemingly peaceful demonstrations to mask their underlying agenda.
Not all demonstrators necessarily harbor antisemitic sentiments. Some may be misinformed, misguided, or are critical for a legitimate reason. However, even if they do not espouse antisemitism, their culpability lies in their neglect and disregard for the issue at hand. Standing by while their peers propagate inflammatory rhetoric, tear down signs of innocent hostages, and brandish flags of designated terrorist organizations like Hamas and ISIS, renders them complicit by association.
It also highlights an inherent ignorance of the situation in Israel. The ongoing conflict is not a war against the Palestinian people, but rather a response to neutralize the Hamas terror organization. While it is true that innocent Palestinians are being caught in the crossfire, both Israel and the US have offered considerable proof that Hamas is to blame for those deaths, hiding among civilians, misfiring rockets within Gaza, denying humanitarian aid, and committing further atrocities that force Israel to remove the terror group. By openly supporting Hamas at these rallies, these protesters are not actually supporting Palestinians, but rather their Hamas oppressors, and doing so with antisemitic rhetoric and vitriol.
By contrast, pro-Israel demonstrations, exemplified by the peaceful gathering in Washington, D.C., that took place on November 14, with over 290,000 in attendance, by and large advocate for hope, for shared values with the US, and a nuanced understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
These rallies focus on supporting the right of Israel to exist and defend itself against external threats, particularly from entities like Hamas, providing a counter-narrative to the violent demonstrations.
The stark contrast between the two types of protests underscores the importance of distinguishing between criticism of policies and the promotion of hatred. While violent protesters may try to hide behind the veil of anti-Zionism, now more than ever, the world must realize, that anti-Zionism is antisemitism.
Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” This statement resonates profoundly in the current context, urging us to confront antisemitism, hatred, and terror head-on.
Asher Stern, Head of Operations, International Legal Forum — an Israel-based global network of lawyers and activists around the world, standing up for Israel, and combating antisemitism in the international legal arena — holds a BA in Government, Strategy, and Diplomacy from the IDC, and an MA in International Relations from the Hebrew University.
The post The Thin Line Between Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism: Unraveling the Protests first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel to Issue 54,000 Call-Up Notices to Ultra-Orthodox Students
Haredi Jewish men look at the scene of an explosion at a bus stop in Jerusalem, Israel, on Nov. 23, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad
Israel’s military said it would issue 54,000 call-up notices to ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students following a Supreme Court ruling mandating their conscription and amid growing pressure from reservists stretched by extended deployments.
The Supreme Court ruling last year overturned a decades-old exemption for ultra-Orthodox students, a policy established when the community comprised a far smaller segment of the population than the 13 percent it represents today.
Military service is compulsory for most Israeli Jews from the age of 18, lasting 24-32 months, with additional reserve duty in subsequent years. Members of Israel’s 21 percent Arab population are mostly exempt, though some do serve.
A statement by the military spokesperson confirmed the orders on Sunday just as local media reported legislative efforts by two ultra-Orthodox parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition to craft a compromise.
The exemption issue has grown more contentious as Israel’s armed forces in recent years have faced strains from simultaneous engagements with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthis in Yemen, and Iran.
Ultra-Orthodox leaders in Netanyahu’s brittle coalition have voiced concerns that integrating seminary students into military units alongside secular Israelis, including women, could jeopardize their religious identity.
The military statement promised to ensure conditions that respect the ultra-Orthodox way of life and to develop additional programs to support their integration into the military. It said the notices would go out this month.
The post Israel to Issue 54,000 Call-Up Notices to Ultra-Orthodox Students first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Influential Far-Right Minister Lashes out at Netanyahu Over Gaza War Policy
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel’s new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, Aug. 17, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized on Sunday a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza as a “grave mistake” that he said would benefit the terrorist group Hamas.
Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to ensure that Israel’s military is following government directives in prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza. He said he was considering his “next steps” but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.
Smotrich’s comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.
“… the cabinet and the Prime Minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,” Smotrich said on X, arguing that the aid would ultimately reach the Islamist group and serve as “logistical support for the enemy during wartime”.
The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The military declined to comment.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to U.N. estimates.
Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped aid from entering north Gaza.
PRESSURE
Public pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire in his criticism of Netanyahu.
The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority, although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.
The post Influential Far-Right Minister Lashes out at Netanyahu Over Gaza War Policy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Australia Police Charge Man Over Alleged Arson on Melbourne Synagogue
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to the media during a press conference with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 16, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy
Australian police have charged a man in connection with an alleged arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue with worshippers in the building, the latest in a series of incidents targeting the nation’s Jewish community.
There were no injuries to the 20 people inside the East Melbourne Synagogue, who fled from the fire on Friday night. Firefighters extinguished the blaze in the capital of Victoria state.
Australia has experienced several antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023.
Counter-terrorism detectives late on Saturday arrested the 34-year-old resident of Sydney, capital of neighboring New South Wales, charging him with offenses including criminal damage by fire, police said.
“The man allegedly poured a flammable liquid on the front door of the building and set it on fire before fleeing the scene,” police said in a statement.
The suspect, whom the authorities declined to identify, was remanded in custody after his case was heard at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Sunday and no application was made for bail, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.
Authorities are investigating whether the synagogue fire was linked to a disturbance on Friday night at an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne, in which one person was arrested for hindering police.
The restaurant was extensively damaged, according to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, an umbrella group for Australia’s Jews.
It said the fire at the synagogue, one of Melbourne’s oldest, was set as those inside sat down to Sabbath dinner.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog went on X to “condemn outright the vile arson attack targeting Jews in Melbourne’s historic and oldest synagogue on the Sabbath, and on an Israeli restaurant where people had come to enjoy a meal together”.
“This is not the first such attack in Australia in recent months. But it must be the last,” Herzog said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incidents as “severe hate crimes” that he viewed “with utmost gravity.” “The State of Israel will continue to stand alongside the Australian Jewish community,” Netanyahu said on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late on Saturday described the alleged arson, which comes seven months after another synagogue in Melbourne was targeted by arsonists, as shocking and said those responsible should face the law’s full force.
“My Government will provide all necessary support toward this effort,” Albanese posted on X.
Homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles in Australia have been targeted by antisemitic vandalism and arson. The incidents included a fake plan by organized crime to attack a Sydney synagogue using a caravan of explosives in order to divert police resources, police said in March.
The post Australia Police Charge Man Over Alleged Arson on Melbourne Synagogue first appeared on Algemeiner.com.