How do we define antisemitism?

To the editor:

(re: “ADL: Antisemitism reaches an overall high,” Feb. 2)

Your recent story repeats the claim of the Anti-Defamation League that anti-Jewish racism is the same as criticism of Israel. You quote a leader of ADL — supposedly “the leading anti-hate organization in the world” — equating “anti-Jewish conspiracy theory of belief and negative sentiments toward Israel.” 

ADL claims that many Americans say they would be uncomfortable being around a Zionist, which it defines as “a person who is loyal to the actions of the Israeli government.” In other words, a “Zionist” is not defined by the ADL as a Jew (for religious or ethnic reasons) who may be favorable to Israel as a country, but as someone who “is loyal to the actions” of Israel’s administration. 

Similarly, an antisemite is supposedly someone who may have some “negative sentiments toward Israel,” and may be uncomfortable around a supporter of “the actions of the Israeli government.”

Under Benjamin Netanyahu, the new administration of Israel is the furthest right and most viciously anti-Palestinian in the country’s history. There will be many more people of all backgrounds who will object to the actions of the Israeli government and who will have negative sentiments. To define them all as antisemites is to unnecessarily increase our enemies — speaking as a Jew.

The ADL speaker was right that anti-Jewish hatred has drastically increased. This is a major problem, and I do not underplay it. Unfortunately, the undemocratic deeds of the Israeli state — its oppression of the Palestinians — plays into the hands of the real Jew haters, giving them excuses — as if the neo-Nazis really care about the rights of Arabs. 

According to your report, the ADL speaker did not link up the rise in anti-Jewish racism with other factors in our society. This includes the general rise in white supremacist racism, Islamophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, homophobia and misogyny. 

We are living in a time of irrationality, when a large minority of our fellow citizens believe in election denial, conspiracy theories and hatreds — all stirred up by politicians and fraudsters in the service of the rich and powerful. 

The expansion of Jew hatred is not separate, but a part of this whole trend. It must be fought as such.

Wayne Price