Last week, three billboards promoting the idea that antizionism is antisemitism that were put up around the UC Berkeley campus were defaced by those who claimed to represent the Jewish people.  The highway advertisements were put up in response to several of the University’s Law School’s student groups signing a letter promising to not invite speakers to events if they hold pro-Israel views.

The group which claimed credit for the vandalism chose to remain anonymous, however, in a letter they called themselves ‘Jews4FreePalestine’ and then proceeded to equate Zionism with racism, along with accusing Israel of relying on the Holocaust as justification for committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is relevant to note that the criminal act was applauded by another organization identifying as antizionist Jews, Jewish Voice For Peace.

As anti-Zionist Jews, we applaud the people who corrected these billboards. Like them, we refuse to let JewBelong speak for us and try to scare us into abandoning our solidarity with Palestinians.

— Jewish Voice for Peace (@jvplive) February 1, 2023

According to the statement of 'Jews4FreePalestine':  “We are Jews who vehemently oppose the notion that anti-Zionism is anything but anti-racism.”…. “We oppose the perverse use of the historical genocide and displacement perpetrated against the Jewish people to justify the current and ongoing genocide and displacement of the Palestinian people.”

The underlying message the billboard was trying to convey was simple, saying Israel has no right to exist, calling Israel an apartheid state, and claiming the Palestinians are being slaughtered by Israel is a form of antisemitism.  Intellectualists will claim antizionism is the criticism of the political ideology behind the drive of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel and build a homeland and the actions of the State of Israel in achieving this goal. However, this definition belies the fact that antizionism often takes on antisemitic overtones and tropes. The fact is, antizionism can and frequently does cross the line into antisemitism; the statement from ‘Jews4FreePalestine’ defending their criminal defacement of property is proof of this.

The latest attack by Israeli occupation forces on the Jenin refugee camp is heartbreaking.

Even after forced displacement, Palestinians cannot live in peace under a brutal US-backed occupation.

May all those lost rest in peace.

Solidarity with the struggle to #FreePalestine🇵🇸 https://t.co/smMiawphrd

— CODEPINK (@codepink) January 26, 2023

First and foremost, it is important to understand that criticism of Israel or Zionism is not inherently antisemitic. Criticizing the policies of any country or political ideology is a fundamental right and can be done in a manner that is respectful and free of prejudice. However, when antizionism becomes a guise for denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination and spreads conspiracy theories about Jews controlling the world, it has crossed the line into antisemitism.

One common theme among anti zionists is the notion of dual loyalty, which alleges that Jews prioritize their loyalty to Israel over their loyalty to their own country. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have made these accusations over and again in their protests against AIPAC and the group’s support within the US Congress. As their own tweets and speeches have shown, the idea of dual loyalty of Jews in America is rooted in the same antisemitic conspiracy theories about Jews controlling governments and pulling the strings of influence. These theories have been used to justify violence against Jews for centuries and today is used to delegitimize the Jewish state and to undermine the legitimacy of Jews as equal citizens in the countries they call home.

A NJ shul was firebombed. This terror bot blames.......you guessed it.
Proving yet again, antizionism is really a cover for antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/k7AJ1KdeFU

— JewOC (@RUOC90177786) January 29, 2023

Another form of antizionism that frequently takes on antisemitic overtones is the use of Holocaust inversion, which involves comparing Israel's actions to those of the Nazis. This type of antizionism seeks to dehumanize Jews by equating them with the perpetrators of the Holocaust and is not only a gross distortion of history but also reinforces the idea that Jews are inherently evil.  ‘Jews4FreePalestine’ does exactly this in justifying their actions, without referencing the Holocaust by name, it calls out “the perverse use of the historical genocide and displacement perpetrated against the Jewish people.”  

Antizionism is often used as a cover for anti-Jewish sentiments in countries where open expressions of antisemitism is not tolerated. In America, where hate crime rules are enforced, had the billboard been just about Jewish people and not Israel, the defacement would have constituted a violation of that criminal statute which comes with a mandatory jail sentence upon conviction. Antizionism provides a guise for people to express antisemitic ideas through the excuse that they are merely criticizing Israel, thus perpetuating antisemitism in new and subtle ways.

When antizionism involves denying Jews the right to self-determination, spreading conspiracy theories about Jews, or making false and harmful comparisons to the Nazis, it becomes a form of antisemitism. As such, it is important to call out antizionism when it takes on antisemitic overtones and to resist the urge to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Antizionism often singles out Israel, the world's only Jewish-majority state, for criticism and condemnation that is not applied to other nations. Israel is held to a double standard, being judged by different and more stringent criteria than any other country, and it is often the target of boycotts and sanctions. This treatment of Israel as a pariah state is reminiscent of the way Jews have been treated throughout history and is therefore an expression of antisemitism.

Another way in which antizionism can be considered a form of antisemitism is through the denial of the right of Jews to self-determination. The political movement of Zionism seeks to establish a state for Jews, similar to how other nations and peoples have their own states. Yet anti zionists often deny Jews this right and call into question their legitimacy as a nation. This dehumanizes Jews and treats them as something less than other nations and peoples, and is therefore a manifestation of antisemitism.

Many ‘antizionists’ often reference the plight of the Palestinians as the reason for their objection to the State of Israel. However, often their allegations ranging from apartheid to genocide are based on false narratives and reports that deliberately leave out facts. This practice alone calls into question the integrity of the claims and objection to Israel in itself, which brings up this last point. When groups that exist solely for the purpose of delegitimizing a sovereign nation invoke the Holocaust and dredge up centuries-old tropes about Jews to help make their claim, it is antisemitism that is truly behind it.