We Believe in Israel (WBII) has observed with deep concern a sinister rhetorical trend among critics of Israel: the deliberate conflation of the Jewish State with Jews as a whole. Increasingly, those who claim to oppose Israeli policies have abandoned any pretence of nuance, substituting the word "Jews" where "Israelis" might once have sufficed. This shift is not accidental; it is the calculated revival of an age-old hatred, dressed in the language of modern political critique.
To criticise the policies of a state is one thing; to extend that criticism to an entire people is quite another. Yet, across social media, public discourse, and even on university campuses, the line between anti-Israel sentiment and outright antisemitism has been deliberately erased. Criticism of Israel’s government is no longer framed in political or strategic terms but often as an indictment of the Jewish people at large. This is not activism—it is hatred masquerading as moral virtue.
This rhetorical sleight of hand achieves two objectives. First, it weaponises the global visibility of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to resurrect age-old prejudices against Jews under the guise of opposing Zionism. Second, it forces Jewish communities worldwide into a position of collective guilt, as if the actions of the State of Israel were somehow the responsibility of every Jew, regardless of nationality, views, or connection to Israel. Such tactics are as transparent as they are repugnant.
This conflation is not only intellectually dishonest but morally abhorrent. By likening their hatred of Israel to hatred of all Jews, these critics reveal the true nature of their animus. Their issue is not with specific policies or territorial disputes but with the very existence of the Jewish State—and, increasingly, the Jewish people. In doing so, they not only betray their own prejudice but also inflame hostility toward Jewish communities worldwide, who already face unprecedented levels of antisemitism.
WBII urges governments, institutions, and individuals of conscience to expose and condemn this dangerous trend. The distinction between legitimate political criticism and antisemitism must be safeguarded, and those who weaponise language to stoke hatred against Jews must be held accountable. To tolerate this conflation is to invite a return to the darkest chapters of human history, where Jews were targeted not for what they did, but for who they were.
The weaponisation of words against the Jewish people is nothing new, but its resurgence in the guise of anti-Israel rhetoric must be challenged with clarity and courage. WBII stands resolutely against this insidious conflation and will continue to advocate for the rights of Jewish communities to live free from fear, prejudice, and hatred.
