The word antisemitism has become a household topic. It is now a frequent guest on news broadcasts and across a multitude of social media platforms, particularly on X. Organizations such as the Anti Defamation League and its lesser polished cohort, Stop Antisemitism, insist that antisemitism is at an all time high, one they claim is clearly reminiscent of Germany in the 1930s.
While the hype dominating the online world appears grim, the reality in Jewish neighborhoods across the world and here in New York, which we can personally attest to, has remained desirably safe and peaceful. There have been some isolated attacks, the motives and circumstances of which remain dubious, yet these incidents were exuberantly promoted by Zionist watchdog groups. The disparity between the ominous tone used by Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL and the shrill rhetoric of Liora Rez of Stop Antisemitism, contrasted with the lived reality of Orthodox Jews, begs the question: why are Zionists so desperate for antisemitism, and what is their end goal?
Zionists have a long and well documented bromance with antisemitic and xenophobic leaders. Zionism has historically served as a convenient solution for both sides. Antisemites do not want Jews as neighbors, and Zionists need Jews to emigrate to Israel. Theodor Herzl himself acknowledged the usefulness of antisemites to his godless cause, writing in his diary, “The antisemites will become our best friends.”
But reliance on genuine antisemites does not always produce the growth Zionism needs to survive. This has led to its essential survival mechanism: the politicization of antisemitism, rebranded as Jew hatred, used to manipulate Jews into supporting Zionism, while granting Israel the privilege of avoiding accountability and using Jews as its shield.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, Zionist organizations have sounded the alarm over a supposed massive surge in antisemitism worldwide. Hundreds of incidents have been reported as threats to Jewish safety, yet upon closer inspection, these examples overwhelmingly amount to criticism of Israel. In some cases, Jews are spoken of negatively, and Zionist groups insist this is proof of innate Jew hatred, deliberately ignoring the obvious catalyst: their own relentless conflation of Jews with Israel, which positions Jews as Israeli assets in the public imagination.
While the majority of Zionist antisemitism claims amount to hysteria surrounding criticism of Israel, they desperately want such criticism to be viewed as antisemitism. Meanwhile, we continue to live peacefully in Brooklyn, thank Hashem, without being accosted by the vile antisemites they endlessly project. Instead, what Zionist organizations do create is an online culture of intimidation, branding anyone who dares oppose Israel as a horrific antisemite.
If Zionists are truly concerned about antisemitism, why would they engage in behavior that actively breeds it? The answer is simple. Despite their fervent assertions of fighting antisemitism, the bottom line for groups like the ADL and Stop Antisemitism is ensuring that antisemitism remains a constant and exploitable force, while they perform the role of moral guardians.
Zionism without the exploitation of Jews cannot survive. It requires the deliberate merging of Jewish identity with Israel, followed by a cynical waiting game, hoping Jews will be targeted as a result. When the general population refuses to fall for this conflation, Zionist groups respond by expanding their definition of antisemitism to include any criticism of Israel as full blown Jew hatred.