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There’s lots of talk about antisemitism these days. People ask me about it all the time and I’m about to put together an edited volume on the topic. People regularly equate left-wing anti-Zionism with right-wing hate of Jews. Usually they’re wrong; once in a while they’re right.
That is, the anti-Zionism of some on the Left is ultimately (unintentionally?) annihilationist; it suggests that Israel shouldn’t exist & doesn’t concern itself with what this means for Jews. The vast, vast majority of it on the Right is; it suggests that *Jews* shouldn’t exist.
As I’ve watched this debate, I’ve started to wonder how much of the left-wing anti-Zionism is actually founded on historical ignorance. For example, consider this tweet from yesterday: 
This isn’t a good tweet. It suggests that Zionism is fundamentally racist and people of good will must oppose it just as they oppose all forms of white supremacy. Leave aside for the moment that this wrongheaded notion is apparently being championed by a Jew of African descent.
In response, since I opposed the claim of this tweet, someone asked me for my definition of Zionism. I provided it.
This is a totally non-controversial definition of Zionism. My interlocutor immediately agreed with me, but then suggested that most people who think Zionism is racism simply have a different definition of Zionism.
Their definition of Zionism isn’t actually Zionism; these are planks of the Likud (or even farther right-wing) platform. And this is why, ultimately, I think much left-wing anti-Zionism is founded on ignorance.
If you’re a 20 year old progressive, what do you know about Israel (and, consequently, of Zionism)? Nothing but Netanyahu. You don’t hate Jews and aren’t really seeking to delegitimize Israel; you hate the policies of Netanyahu’s coalition. But you think that’s what Israel *is*.
This is like looking at Trump and then saying that American patriotism is necessarily white supremacy and, as such, America shouldn’t exist. You’re mistakenly equating America with Trumpism. You likely don’t think America shouldn’t exist, just that its policies are terrible.
I might be wrong but I suspect I’m not, especially as I see it annually in my Israeli politics class. Students come in assuming I’m a strident right-wing Zionist because I’m Jewish, they don’t know anything about Israeli politics, and they think illiberal Zionism is the only kind
If I’m correct then a lot of the left-wing antisemitism that so many of my progressive Jews friends are so concerned about really boils down to the fact that people need to be educated a bit more about Israel and that Israelis should be encouraged away from illiberal politics.
OK, that’s a start. Now I just sit back and wait for the yelling to begin.
