Most arguments against Zionism formulated in the pre-state period would find few supporters today. The destruction of European Jewry during World War II and the establishment of Israel a few years later changed history in decisive ways and brought most Jews and others to recognize the need for and validity of a sovereign Jewish state. Nevertheless, in some circles publicly voiced calls for the end of Israel are becoming more prevalent. These antizionist views are emerging at a time when antisemitism is on the upsurge in Europe and elsewhere. How, if at all, are these phenomena related? What are the possible links between antizionism and antisemitism? What does “Zionism” signify to its present-day opponents? When does criticism of Israel cease to be a part of legitimate or acceptable discourse and become a form of antisemitism?

Lecture by Alvin Rosenfeld, Director, Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Irving M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies

Comment by Olaf Glöckner, Moses Mendelssohn Zentrum, Universität Potsdam

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