ADL Leader on X

Editor’s note: This is a series of 12 posts from the head of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 9.

1. Once again, there are folks outside the mainstream Jewish community (or outside the Jewish community altogether) who want to tell Jews what antisemitism is and isn’t, especially when it comes to anti-Zionism. Here’s what we at the ADL believe. 

2. Criticizing the Israeli government or its policies is not ipso facto antisemitic. In fact, most Israelis and Jews do it on a regular basis — including ADL. It is a complete fiction to make this assertion.

3. Advocating for Palestinian self-determination is not ipso facto antisemitic. In fact, ADL believes in this goal. It is absolutely untrue to claim that ADL or other mainstream Jewish groups state that all pro-Palestinian activism is inherently anti-Jewish.

4. By contrast, calling for the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel — home to half of all Jews worldwide — is antisemitic. It is an existential threat. It is amoral in every sense.

5. Zionism is not some obscure political theory that was bolted onto Judaism over the past 150 years. For millennia, Jews have yearned to return to Zion (aka the land of Israel). This is manifested in innumerable Jewish prayers, holidays and lifecycle events.

6. Jews always have had a presence in Israel – enduring and outlasting countless rulers, colonial regimes, and foreign empires. To deny the centrality of the land of Israel to the Jewish faith is akin to denying the centrality of monotheism to Judaism.

Jews always have had a presence in Israel – enduring and outlasting countless rulers, colonial regimes, and foreign empires. To deny the centrality of the land of Israel to the Jewish faith is akin to denying the centrality of monotheism to Judaism.

7. With the rise of the modern Zionist movement (a reaction to rising antisemitism in Europe), some elements of the Jewish community opposed it for practical, religious or other reasons. And yet, the sheer savagery of the Holocaust, the refusal of countries to accept the survivors, and the subsequent expulsion/pogroms of Jews from Arab lands only confirmed the necessity of Israel.

8. While some Jews may still argue, the practical reality is simple: the anti-Zionist movement singles out the world’s sole Jewish state & actively works to delegitimize and dismantle it, holding Israel to double standards not applied to any other country. This is antisemitic.

9. Many not only target the Jewish state, but also menace Jewish institutions & threaten Jewish individuals. They hold all Jewish people collectively responsible for the turmoil in the Middle East. They regularly employ harassment, intimidation & violence. This is antisemitic.

10. At the end of the day, like all countries on Earth, Israel is imperfect. It has deep flaws. But it is a Jewish, democratic, Zionist state with a self-corrective capability. Hypothetical academic discussions, misguided boycotts and poorly informed protests won’t change that.

11. In the Ivory Tower, there may be philosophical debates about anti-Zionism. It might make for good copy on op-ed pages. But at the ADL, we are dealing with the undeniable reality of it — and, as an org committed to fighting antisemitism, we will continue to combat it.

12. And finally, I will conclude with a pro-tip. If you would not lecture other marginalized communities on whether/how they experience bias and discrimination, don’t lecture Jews on whether/how they experience antisemitism. It is patronizing and pathetic.

Jonathan A. Greenblatt is CEO and National Director of ADL (the Anti-Defamation League).