Conflation of antisemitism and anti-Zionism starts with Jews

I read with interest the article by respected Professor Milton Shain titled “Anti-Zionist left has more in common with far right than it thinks”, (SA Jewish Report, 23 October 2020).

Professor Shain makes the distinction in the article, albeit somewhat gingerly, between anti-Zionism and antisemitism: the two cannot be “axiomatically equated”, he says. That, in my view, is a salutary departure from current thinking, in my experience, amongst most members of our Jewish community, who would indeed be surprised to discover that there is any difference at all.

I would, however, be interested to learn Professor Shain’s views on the question to what extent the almost institutional conflation of those two matters by many Jews themselves all over the world, but especially in South Africa, may be responsible for the very same conflation said to feature so significantly in the utterances of the “anti-Zionist left” he criticises.

If, as a Jew, one recognises and expresses no difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and indeed hastens to blur the distinction at every turn, can one fairly expect others readily to do so? Just because many people (whether Jewish or not) may be incapable of making the distinction, this doesn’t mean that the distinction doesn’t exist or isn’t of crucial importance, keeping in mind, of course, that there can never be any justification for antisemitism properly so called. The remedy, it seems to me, is in our own hands.