This is a very serious problem. However addressing it requires context that I don’t think the article provides.

First, this study was conducted by the Community Security Trust, and you can find the full report here. It’s worth reading.

Thankfully, if you check page 23 we can see that murder or extreme violence were at zero. Less fortunately, they count 266 assaults and 305 threats. The vast majority of incidents – over 4,000 – are speech.

The Haaretz takes great pains to insist that the rise in antisemitism occurred in the week after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack but before the Israeli counter attack. I think the case they make is very thin, since I suspect the window of time is too small for reliable statistics, and this kind of attribution is notoriously subjective. Regardless, it strikes me as an attempt to dispel the obvious fact that Israeli policy fuels antisemitism around the world. To pretend otherwise is absurd.

Overall, I find it enormously frustrating as a Jewish father that many of my Zionist friends appear unwilling to reconcile the fact that for better or worse, combating antisemitism cannot be pursued while simultaneously deligitimizing criticism of Israeli crimes against humanity as pure hate speech. Additionally, we cannot operate from a starting assumption in which we believe we’re entitled to and capable of achieving widespread public goodwill irrespective of the actions of Israeli leadership, the Israeli military, and western allies. That’s not something that is possible.

Is it fair that all Jews must bear this burden? As an anti-zionist Jew, I get to be the first to say, “No, it’s absolutely fucking not fair that I have to deal with this.” And I also get to be the first to say to Zionists, “If you think it’s unfair, that do something about it: stop conflating Zionism with Judaism and then complaining when gentiles get confused. Stand up against war crimes when they are perpetrated by people insisting that they speak on behalf of Jews.”

I have this issue with friends. Frankly, we shouldn’t need to be threatened to speak up against atrocities. But with our own safety jeopardized as well, what the hell reason is there for us to run defense for fascists like Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich? Let’s protect Muslims AND ourselves by making clear: they don’t speak for us.

Absent that, it’s hard to take concerns about antisemitism from people who won’t do that seriously. If you cared, you join me in trying to actually do the obvious first step to improve this terrible situations for world Jews.