Is anti-Zionism really antisemitism?

Feda Shahi, a Green Party candidate in the recent local elections, was criticised for claiming that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private island was ‘a symbol of the headquarters of the Zionists who are trying to control the world’. As has often been the case since October 7th, in claims about ‘Zionists’ the term appears to function as a substitute for ‘Jew’ and fits with age-old antisemitic conspiracy theories. In response, debate has grown over whether ‘anti-Zionism’ is a legitimate political critique or increasingly a cover for expressing antisemitism.

Of course, criticism of Israel is not inherently antisemitic; many Jews themselves are deeply critical of the Israeli state. But anti-Zionism in the UK appears to have taken on a broader social and cultural meaning, perhaps even developing into a quasi-religious political identity. From young people embracing the aesthetics of terrorism in their choice of dress, to student flats declaring their only rule is ‘no Zios’, this new identity-led anti-Zionism can be both aggressive and exclusionary.

The slogans heard at mass protests illustrate the moral and political ambiguity between an antisemitic form of anti-Zionism and legitimate advocacy for Palestine. ‘From the river to the sea’ is understood by some as a call for Palestinian freedom, and by others as a demand for the cleansing of Jews from the Middle East. ‘Globalise the Intifada’ may be both meant as, and interpreted as, either a call for peaceful social uprising against all injustice, or as an endorsement of violent retribution against Jews worldwide.

This creates a difficult free-speech dilemma: should liberal democracies ban political slogans that are perceived to be threatening, even when speakers claim non-violent intentions?

What is the link between anti-Zionism and antisemitism? Given the growing attacks on Jewish people – such as in Manchester and Golders Green – is anti-Zionism now a driving force in Jew hatred? When criticism of a state begins to target a people, how can one distinguish between legitimate political opposition and discrimination? Are accusations of antisemitism being used to shield Israel from legitimate criticism? When pushing back against Israelophobia, is there a danger that allies of the Jewish community drift into uncritical ‘Israelophilia’ in an effort to protect Jews from harm?