Israel Advocacy

What is Zionism?

Zionism is both an ideology and nationalist movement among the Jewish People that promotes the re-establishment of, and support for, a Jewish State in the territory defined as the historic Land of Israel, the indeginous land of the Jewish people. Zion is a biblical name for Israel.

Is anti-Zionism the same as antisemitism?

Criticism of the Israeli government policy is not antisemitic, and indeed is a welcomed and essential aspect of any democratic nation. However, much criticism about Israel and/or Zionism is not about government policy but about the critic’s desire that Israel, the world’s only Jewish State, will no longer exist.

An easy way to identify whether statements, beliefs, actions, or call to action, such as the BDS (Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions) movement against Israel are legitimate criticisms against Israeli government policy or are in fact antisemitic is to apply the ‘3D’ test. This is a simple test devised by Natan Sharansky, former Soviet Union Refusenik (unofficial term for individuals who were denied permission to emigrate to Israel by the authorities of the Soviet Union) and Chair of the Jewish Agency, and states that if criticism of Israel meets at least one of the following three criteria, it is antisemtic:

1. Demonisation
2. Delegitimisation
3. Double standards

In addition to Sharanski, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) developed an internationally accepted definition of antisemtism which gives 11 examples of antisemtism including those which move from legitimate criticism of Israel government policy to antisemitism.