Is being anti-Israel the same as being antisemitic?

No. Being opposed to Israel, its government or its policies is not automatically antisemitic. Antisemitism means prejudice or hatred towards Jewish people because they are Jewish.

Countries and governments are political institutions, and people are allowed to oppose them. Someone can strongly oppose the Saudi Arabian government without hating Muslims. Someone can oppose the British government without hating Christians. In the same way, someone can oppose the Israeli government, Zionism, or even Israel's political structure without hating Jewish people.

This distinction is supported by Jewish scholars and organisations that study antisemitism. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, developed by scholars of antisemitism, Jewish history and related fields, says that evidence-based criticism of Israel — including its institutions, founding principles and treatment of Palestinians — is not in itself antisemitic. It also says that opposing Zionism as a form of nationalism is not automatically antisemitic.

There is an important complication, though. Israel identifies itself as a Jewish state and has a unique relationship with Jewish history, identity and the idea of Jewish self-determination. That means criticism of Israel can sometimes cross into antisemitism.

For example, it becomes antisemitic if someone blames Jewish people everywhere for Israel's actions, attacks Jewish people or synagogues because of events in Gaza, uses old stereotypes about Jewish money or secret control, or uses “Israel” or “Zionist” simply as another word for “Jew.” The Nexus Project, a Jewish-led organisation specialising in antisemitism, makes this distinction explicitly.

There is also a real debate over accusations of antisemitism themselves. Some Jewish scholars and organisations have warned that accusations of antisemitism can be misused to suppress or discredit legitimate criticism of Israel. The Nexus Project says doing this can actually make fighting genuine antisemitism harder.

However, that doesn't mean every accusation of antisemitism involving Israel is dishonest. Genuine antisemitism can appear within pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel movements too, and it should be challenged when it does.

A useful test is: Are you criticising a country, government, ideology or its actions — or are you attacking Jewish people because they are Jewish? Those are not the same thing.