How to Fight Antisemitism as a BDS Supporter
When we speak up for Palestine, it’s natural that anger surfaces. We are watching in real-time as unbearable violence and suffering unfolds in Gaza, and the rage and grief are real. The anger is justified.
Anger can sometimes spill out sideways, though. In the heat of it, people occasionally reach for harmful language, falling back on old antisemitic tropes, conspiracies, or comparisons. And when that happens, it not only hurts Jewish people. My belief is that it also undermines the Palestinian liberation movement itself.
Recognizing Antisemitic Tropes
Some examples you may see in comment sections or discussions:
Conspiracies about Jewish control of media, banks, or governments.
Claims that “Jews control the media,” “Jews run the banks,” or that “Zionists control the government.”
Problem: These are centuries-old antisemitic conspiracy theories that scapegoat Jewish people as secretly pulling global strings.
Why it creeps in: Some people confuse lobbying (AIPAC, etc.) with “Jewish power” instead of “specific political organizations with influence.”
Equating all Jews with Israel, rather than holding the state accountable.
Statements like “the Jews are doing this” when criticizing the Israeli state or army.
Problem: It blames all Jewish people collectively for the actions of the Israeli government, when in fact Jewish communities worldwide are diverse, and many oppose occupation.
Holocaust inversion, where Israel is compared directly to Nazis.
Comments like “Israelis are the new Nazis,” “they’re doing to Palestinians what Hitler did to Jews.”
Problem: This trivializes the Holocaust, weaponizes Jewish trauma, and is deeply painful for Jewish listeners.
Dehumanizing language, like calling Jews or Israelis “rats” or “blood drinkers.”
References to Jews or Israelis as “child killers,” “blood drinkers,” or “rats.”
Problem: These draw from medieval antisemitic myths (e.g., Jews murdering children for ritual purposes) and racialized dehumanization.
Calls for violence against Jewish people.
Sometimes masked as “jokes” in comments, but any suggestion of harming Jewish people crosses into outright antisemitism.
These are centuries-old tropes, y’all! When they appear in Palestine solidarity spaces, they cloud the message and give ammunition to those who claim BDS is antisemitic.
How To Push Back as a BDS Supporter
As supporters of Palestinian freedom, we can and should draw clear boundaries.
Validate the anger, but draw clear lines.
Be explicit: “Yes, what’s happening in Gaza is enraging. Your fury is legitimate. Criticism of Israel is not criticism of Jewish people. Antisemitic comments have no place here.”
By saying this publicly, you model integrity and make it harder for detractors to claim “BDS is antisemitic.”
Reframe the convo.
Instead of “Jews control the media,” clarify: “Certain lobbying groups and corporations exert influence, but Jewish people as a whole are not responsible for state policy.”
Keeps critique factual, not conspiratorial.
Acknowledge Jewish diversity.
Point out Jewish voices in solidarity: Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, etc.
This highlights that BDS is about opposing oppression, not opposing Jews.
A Values Statement
When comments get feisty, I’ve started to pin a simple note under my posts to set the tone:
“This space is for solidarity with Palestinians and resistance to apartheid. Anger is valid — but antisemitism is unacceptable here. Criticism of Israeli state policies does not equate to criticism of Jewish people. Our fight is against oppression, not identity.”
