Do you always agree with your government? Or institutions you’re personally affiliated with — or who are meant to represent you?
Most of us would probably immediately say no.
Yet, when it comes to Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish diaspora, most people seem to have a habit of tangling everything together. Thus, a condemnation of Israel becomes an attack against Jewish people. Or a critique against AIPAC is seen as antisemitic.
Silencing Criticism, Spreading Racism
This conflation is at least partly intentional. By calling criticisms and concerns “antisemitic,” institutions and governments can silence dissent. This is incredibly dangerous for speaking truth to power.
But there’s an added layer of concern, too. Since there is a growing chorus of criticism against Israel, AIPAC, and similar entities, honest-to-god antisemitic racists are able to hitch their wagon to otherwise progressive, anti-racist interests and spread extremist ideology in new circles of influence.
It’s because of these reasons that it is incredibly important to be able to differentiate between Jewish people, the Jewish state, and what’s really antisemitic.
The Jewish State: Israel and AIPAC
The condemnation of Israel — particularly in its handling of Gaza — continues to grow louder and louder.
In April 2024, the U.N. Human Rights Council condemned Israel’s Gaza actions and urged states to stop risky arms transfers. After that, in May 2024, Colombia cut ties with Israel and called its actions genocide. Later, in November 2024, International Criminal Court (ICC) judges approved arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister. Finally, by mid-2025, multiple countries, including Spain and Slovenia, had imposed arms embargoes or broad restrictions on weapons to Israel.
There is a good reason for this, of course.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused life expectancy to plunge. Independent estimates suggest most of the dead are civilians, including many children and women. Because bombardment and ground raids destroyed homes, hospitals, schools and utilities, UN agencies say Gaza is almost unlivable. Israel has also blocked food, water, fuel and aid — essentially, using starvation as a weapon. At this point, nearly all Gazans have been displaced into crowded camps where hunger, disease, and constant fear are widespread.
The Problem with AIPAC
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a powerful pro-Israel lobbying organization in U.S. politics. Since 2022, AIPAC’s super PAC has spent tens of millions to defeat progressive Democrats like Jamaal Bowman in some of the most expensive primaries ever. Additionally, there is anger toward AIPAC because it has backed candidates who opposed certifying the 2020 election results.
What’s worse is that AIPAC tends to smear critics as “antisemitic.” This has a chilling effect on healthy debate, discourse, and free speech. Progressive groups and other organizations — including Jewish groups — say that AIPAC undermines democracy and makes it more difficult to hold Israel accountable for abuses.
Zionism and the Jewish State
Zionism is a modern Jewish nationalist movement. It essentially argues that Jewish people are a nation unto themselves — who require a secure homeland (usually historic Palestine).
Since Israel’s creation, Zionism has become deeply tied to the state of Israel — with many Jewish people seeing both Israel and Zionism as corrective for a long history of antisemitism, pogroms, and genocide. In the United States, Zionism intersects with Christian extremists who encourage Israel’s regional aggression. This is because they believe Jewish sovereignty (and often an Israeli war) will usher in the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Alternatively, many Palestinians and scholars see Zionism as a settler-colonial ideology that causes displacement, inequality, and apartheid-like systems. Certainly, Zionism has been used to advance Israel’s — and Netanyahu’s — regional aggression and Palestinian genocide.
The Jewish People: A Diverse and Varied Diaspora
While roughly half of the world’s Jewish people live in Israel, millions also live across the world (i.e. the Jewish diaspora). Jewish communities are diverse and varied, dependent on location and history. Religiously, Judaism comes in a variety of flavors — from Orthodox and Conservative to Reform, Reconstructionist, and Humanist.
While many Jewish people practice Judaism as their religion — this isn’t always the case. Many other Jewish people see Jewishness as something cultural — celebrating family traditions while forgoing and practice of Judaism. It goes without saying that Jewish people also hold a wide range of political views across the globe.
For instance, in Israel, there is vocal condemnation of Israel’s government and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu. Meanwhile, in the United States, groups like Jewish Voice for Peace oppose Israel’s occupation of Gaza — and the U.S. military’s support for it.
A Resurgence of Antisemitism (and How It Differs From Criticism)
Even while many many Jewish people readily agree that people can criticize Israel without criticizing Jewishness as a whole, they also feel a rising wave of antisemitism worldwide. Indeed, attacks against Jewish people are on the rise around the globe. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories pinning Jewish people for all manner of ills run rampant.
So what counts as a valid critique of Israel, AIPAC, and other similar entities or systems of power? And when does criticism cross into antisemitism?
Quite simply, valid criticism of Jewish institutions revolves around:
- Specific actions
- Laws and policies
- Budgets and lobbying
In short, if you’re not criticizing Jewishness, but institutional misconduct or rhetoric, you’re probably safe. This can include criticism of Zionism where it intersects with things like Palestinian genocide. Boycotts of products and services from Israel to encourage Israeli reform can also be valid in the same way boycotting American goods to encourage American reform is.
Criticism crosses into antisemitism when it:
- Blames all Jewish people for Israel’s or AIPAC’s actions and ideologies
- Invokes conspiracies (e.g. secret Jewish control of media or banks)
- Involves Nazi imagery or Holocaust denial
- Denies Jewish people equal rights
- Calls for harm on Jewish people
The Importance of Policing Ourselves and the Content We Share
As with most things in life, when it comes to Israel and other Jewish topics, it’s incredibly important to watch what we consume closely. If we don’t vigilantly police the content we’re watching, we may find ourselves falling into a hole of racism. No doubt, many well-intentioned people inadvertently share antisemitic rhetoric while trying to speak truth to power.
So, to recap:
- Israel’s Gaza actions and AIPAC’s lobbying have sparked major global criticism.
- Jewish people are not the same as Israel, AIPAC, or Zionism.
- Zionism is a political ideology, and not all Jewish people adhere to it.
- Jewish communities are diverse and many oppose Netanyahu and Gaza occupation.
- Critiques become antisemitic when they blame all Jewish people for terrible ills, use conspiracies or Nazi tropes, or call for harm.
Keep this in mind the next time you find yourself consuming content revolving around Israel or other Jewish topics. Make sure to keep your criticism grounded and focused on relevant Jewish institutions, not Jewish people.
Hopefully, together, we can all work to provide justice and peace for both Palestinians and Jewish people everywhere.
FAQ on Israel, Jewish People, and Antisemitism
Q: Are Jewish people the same as Israel or AIPAC?
A: No. Jewish people are individuals and communities; Israel and AIPAC are political institutions.
Q: Is criticizing Israel automatically antisemitic?
A: No. Criticism of Israel’s actions, laws, or policies is not antisemitic by itself.
Q: Why do some people label criticism as antisemitic?
A: Some governments and lobbies use the charge of antisemitism to silence dissent and avoid accountability.
Q: Why is Israel facing so much criticism right now?
A: Israel’s war in Gaza has killed many civilians, destroyed basic infrastructure, and caused mass displacement and hunger.
Q: What is AIPAC and why is it controversial?
A: AIPAC is a powerful pro-Israel lobby that spends big in U.S. elections and often smears critics as antisemitic.
Q: What is Zionism?
A: Zionism is a political movement that supports a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine, now closely tied to Israel.
Q: Are all Jewish people Zionists?
A: No. Many Jews support Zionism, some are non-Zionist, and others are strongly anti-Zionist.
Q: How are Jewish communities diverse?
A: Jews live worldwide, follow many traditions, and hold a wide range of political and religious views.
Q: When does criticism cross into antisemitism?
A: It crosses the line when it blames all Jews, spreads conspiracies, uses Nazi tropes, or calls for harm.
Q: How can I criticize without feeding antisemitism?
A: Focus on specific policies, laws, and lobbying, avoid stereotypes, and never target Jews as a group.