After one of the darkest chapters in modern history, the world rid itself of gas chambers, yellow stars, and regimes that placed “the Jewish question” at the center of their political agenda. For decades, it seemed that antisemitism had been relegated to history.
But over the past decade, and most clearly after the October 7, 2023, massacre, antisemitism has reemerged on the global stage. What was once a relatively marginal phenomenon is now embedded in mainstream culture, especially through social media, academia, and activist rhetoric cloaked in slogans like “social justice” and “human rights.”
At the forefront stands BDS – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – a campaign presented as criticism of Israeli policy but aimed at delegitimizing Israel as a Jewish state.
Targeting Israel
Historically, the “Jewish problem” was not about Jews but about the refusal of societies to accept them. Zionism arose to address that failure, and the State of Israel was established in 1948 to restore Jewish sovereignty. Yet the struggle shifted – from targeting individual Jews to targeting their collective identity, Israel, and its flag, its language, its culture, and its success stories.
The new antisemitism doesn’t scream “Death to the Jews”; it whispers “Just boycott them.” It trades stones for tweets and yellow badges for hashtags like “apartheid” and “colonialism.” But the goal remains the same: to deny Jews a place among the nations.
We must draw a sharp line between legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and systematic efforts to erode Zionism itself. Israel’s existence and the Jewish people’s right to self-determination are not up for debate. Questioning them is not moral inquiry. It is a return to patterns of exclusion and rejection of Jewish rights to sovereignty and identity.
Anti-Zionism becomes antisemitism when the term “Jew” is replaced with “Israeli” or “Zionist,” but the hatred remains. It becomes antisemitism when disagreement over policy turns into wholesale denial of Jewish statehood. BDS doesn’t seek to improve Israel. It seeks to erase it.
What makes BDS so dangerous is its sophistication, institutional support, and moral illusion. It speaks the language of liberalism while recycling tactics of demonization reminiscent of the 1930s. It is not street-corner antisemitism. It is seminar-room antisemitism. Social media amplifies the campaign. Outrage spreads faster than nuance, and fabricated claims of “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing” go viral, while facts vanish.
The moral mask of BDS is a deception. One cannot claim to fight for justice while denying it to the Jewish people, especially a people that has endured centuries of persecution and genocide. Worse still, the movement recruits Jewish voices to legitimize its cause, as if Jewish identity confers moral authority. It does not.
October 7 was a wake-up call. While Israel faced a massacre, many in the West questioned whether it was “justified.” The victim became the accused. Self-defense was rebranded as aggression.
Israel must act with moral responsibility
Against this backdrop, it must be said: Israel has every right to dismantle Hamas. Yet claims like “there are no innocents in Gaza,” heard in some Israeli circles, are profoundly wrong, morally and strategically. Civilians do exist. Denying this corrodes Israel’s moral case and fuels its enemies. This is not our way. This is not our Judaism. This is not how legitimacy is earned.
Even under fire, ethical conduct is not a luxury. It is essential. Without moral responsibility toward others, our call for recognition and self-determination loses its force.
BDS doesn’t need to win. It only needs Israel to lose its way. To resist that outcome, Israel must stand not only with clarity but also with conscience. Strength must always be accompanied by justice.
As antisemitism adopts the language of human rights, Israel’s greatest weapon is not only force but unwavering moral clarity.
Public diplomacy certainly won’t help here.
The writer is a retired Israeli diplomat who served as ambassador to Hungary and Croatia, following a distinguished career in senior diplomatic and strategic roles.