EXTREMISMAnti-Zionism Mutates into Anti-Semitism on the Political Left

Expressions of anti-Israel bias from left-leaning political organizations in four European democracies have devolved into antisemitism and even violent attacks against local Jewish communities, according to a new, four-country assessment from the ADL, with contributions from European partner organizations.

The report, Antisemitism and Radical Anti-Israel Bias on the Political Left in Europe, looks at the antisemitism and anti-Zionism of individuals and movements associated with left-wing political organizations in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom and similar examples in the U.S. 

Here are three sections from the report – “Introduction,” “United Kingdom,” and “United States.”

Introduction
Antisemitism is global and multifaceted.  One area in which ADL has seen a growth of antisemitism is within elements of the political left. This often takes the form of anti-Zionism, a movement that rejects the Jewish right to self-determination and of Israel to exist as a Jewish state, and frequently employs antisemitic tropes to attack Israel and its supporters. It also manifests through the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a campaign that promotes diplomatic, financial, professional, academic and cultural isolation of Israel, Israeli individuals, Israeli institutions, and Jews who support Israel’s right to exist.

Political actors and advocacy movements associated with some left-wing political organizations have engaged in such antisemitism both in the U.S. and in Europe. While antisemitism from individuals associated with left-leaning political organizations is generally less violent than right-wing antisemitism, its penetration into the political mainstream is cause for concern and has in some cases alienated Jews and other supporters of Israel.  Concerns are both political and physical.  As described in this report, Jews and Jewish institutions have been targeted and have suffered violent attacks, associated with anti-Zionism, often in the wake of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians, most recently in 2021.

The challenges facing Jewish communities in Europe can be a bellwether for what is to come for the U.S. Jewish community, as evidenced for example by the recent rise in violent antisemitism in the U.S., which has plagued European Jewish communities for many years, and the increase in anti-Zionism in U.S. progressive spaces, something that has existed in Europe for some time.