Anti-Zionism, far from being a legitimate critique of Israeli policy, has become a sinister mutation of an ancient prejudice. Where once antisemitism wore the garb of crude stereotypes, pogroms, and outright extermination, it now parades itself as moral and political concern. This rebranding allows those who despise the Jewish people to feign outrage at the Jewish state, framing their hatred not as bigotry but as principled dissent. What is most alarming is not merely the prevalence of this rhetoric but the way it is cynically weaponised by political actors, ideologues, and radicals to manipulate narratives and inflame divisions.
The resurgence of anti-Zionism is no accidental evolution of prejudice. It is a deliberate strategy by those who understand its utility as a tool of distraction, division, and destabilisation. Whether it emanates from authoritarian regimes seeking scapegoats, Islamist groups peddling absolutist theologies, or Western ideologues masquerading as advocates of justice, anti-Zionism is rarely what it purports to be. Its very existence depends on the obfuscation of history, the distortion of morality, and, above all, the denial of truth.
In its modern guise, anti-Zionism casts Israel as a singular and unparalleled evil. The Jewish state, a democracy in a sea of autocracy, is singled out not for its actions but for daring to exist at all. Its right to sovereignty is questioned, its self-defence demonised, and its people condemned as interlopers in their ancestral homeland. This narrative, deliberately constructed, reduces Israel to a convenient scapegoat for global grievances while absolving its enemies of all responsibility.
This reimagining of Israel is not the product of ignorance but of intent. Radical Islamist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, backed by their Iranian sponsors, have woven anti-Zionism into the fabric of their ideologies. To them, the existence of a Jewish state is not a political problem but a theological affront. By aligning themselves with the Palestinian cause—often cynically and at the expense of Palestinian lives—they have successfully reframed their genocidal ambitions as a fight for justice. The mantra "From the river to the sea" is not a call for coexistence but for annihilation, yet it is enthusiastically repeated by those who fancy themselves defenders of the oppressed.
The Western left has eagerly adopted this narrative, viewing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the distorting lens of post-colonial theory. In this ideological framework, Israel is recast as a "settler-colonial" state, while its enemies, regardless of their brutality, are portrayed as heroic resistors. This moral inversion excuses the murder of civilians as resistance while condemning Israel's every effort to protect its citizens as oppression. The historical and cultural connection of Jews to the land of Israel is dismissed as inconvenient, replaced by a reductive and ahistorical binary that serves only to obscure the truth.
What begins as rhetoric inevitably escalates into action. The October 7th massacre, in which Hamas terrorists slaughtered over 1,400 Israelis in acts of unimaginable barbarity, is the logical endpoint of an ideology that denies the humanity of its targets. These atrocities were not military operations but acts of genocidal hatred. Yet the response from many quarters of the West was not the moral outrage such events demand. Instead, we saw silence from some, equivocation from others, and outright celebration from those for whom anti-Zionism is a creed.
This rhetoric does not remain confined to the Middle East. Across Western cities, the line between anti-Zionist protest and antisemitic violence is blurred beyond recognition. Synagogues are desecrated, Jewish communities harassed, and campuses turned into battlegrounds of intimidation. Social media amplifies the hate, providing a platform for extremists to organise and incite. Hashtags like #FreePalestine trend alongside open calls for violence, erasing any distinction between virtual bile and real-world harm.
At its core, anti-Zionism is not a grassroots movement but a calculated campaign by those who find it politically expedient. Islamist groups weaponise it to consolidate power, deflecting attention from their failures while perpetuating conflict for their own gain. Iran uses it as a strategic pillar of its foreign policy, funding proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas while painting itself as a champion of Palestinian liberation. This, of course, distracts from its repression at home and its imperial ambitions abroad.
In the West, populist movements on both the left and the right have also found anti-Zionism to be a convenient tool. The far-left cloaks it in the language of solidarity, while the far-right uses it to recycle age-old conspiracies about Jewish control. Both extremes, though ideologically opposed, share a willingness to exploit this rhetoric to manipulate their audiences and stoke division.
To confront anti-Zionism is to expose it for what it truly is: a denial of Jewish self-determination disguised as political critique. Governments, media, and civil society must unmask the manipulations that sustain it. They must challenge its distortions, from the misapplication of terms like "apartheid" to the erasure of Jewish historical and cultural ties to Israel. These narratives are not just dishonest; they are dangerous.
Education is paramount. Anti-Zionism must be understood as part of a broader continuum of prejudice, not an isolated phenomenon. Schools and universities must teach its origins, its intersection with antisemitism, and the ways in which extremist ideologies have appropriated it. Without this knowledge, future generations will be ill-equipped to distinguish legitimate criticism from bigotry.
Accountability must follow. Those who incite violence under the banner of anti-Zionism must face tangible consequences. Hate speech laws must be enforced consistently, and Jewish communities must be protected, with governments ensuring the safety of synagogues, schools, and cultural institutions.
Finally, the fight against anti-Zionism is not one for Jews alone. It is a battle for the principles of justice, truth, and equality. Building alliances with other minority groups, human rights organisations, and faith communities is essential. Only by demonstrating the interconnectedness of all struggles against hatred can we effectively confront this ideology.
Anti-Zionism is not just an attack on Israel; it is an assault on the very values that underpin civilisation. It corrodes the fabric of democratic society, turning hatred into virtue and violence into resistance. To leave it unchecked is to abandon the principles of justice, equality, and truth.
This battle is not easy, nor is it short. But it is necessary. Anti-Zionism thrives on lies, distortions, and the apathy of those who should know better. Confronting it requires relentless effort, moral clarity, and an unflinching commitment to truth. It is not merely a fight for Israel’s legitimacy—it is a fight for the soul of civilisation itself.
By Catherine Perez-Shakdam - Executive Director We Believe In Israel
