OPINION: What we face today is the “Israelification” of antisemitism
Children are taught to hate from a young age, perpetuating a cycle of violence and prejudice that pushes any hope of peace even further away, says Dov Forman to the Austrian Parliament
As I stood in the Austrian Parliament for the Never Again? Democracy Cannot Tolerate Antisemitism conference, I thought of my great-grandmother, Lily Ebert.
Lily is 100 years old, a survivor of Auschwitz, and someone who has spent her life on a mission ever since: sharing her testimony of the horrors of the Holocaust to ensure history never repeats itself.
In spite of this, here we are. 80 years on from the Holocaust, and Jewish communities in Europe and around the world are once again living in fear. This year, September 11th is particularly significant for Jewish people around the world. As we mark this anniversary of global terror, it is also the first September 11th since the atrocities of October 7th, when Hamas launched a brutal, ruthless pogrom on Israeli civilians.
This was not an isolated event. It unleashed a wave of antisemitism, with some celebrating the massacre and using it as an excuse to express hatred against Jews worldwide. Once again, Jews find themselves forced to live in the shadow of hatred. In Europe, nearly four out of five Jews now conceal their identity to avoid harassment. This is happening in the same places where, just 80 years ago, millions of Jews were deported and murdered. Austria, where this conference is taking place, was once a centre of Holocaust atrocities. Today, it stands as both a reminder of the past and a symbol of the urgency with which we must confront the present.
Wolfgang Sobotka (OVP) /
Parlamentsdirektion/Johannes Zinner
The reality that only 80 years after the Holocaust—the worst crime against humanity— Jewish communities in Europe are living in fear once again, cannot be ignored. Antisemitism did not disappear with the liberation of the gas chambers; it evolved and adapted, as it has done throughout history.
I call what we face today the “Israelification” of antisemitism. The Jewish state has become a means to an end for the same hateful rhetoric that has targeted Jews for centuries. Slogans like “From the River to the Sea,” which call for the destruction of Israel, are not calls for peace— they are thinly veiled demands for the eradication of the Jewish people, starting in Israel. When Israel is accused of being a “colonial apartheid state” or is disgustingly equated with Nazi Germany, these aren’t legitimate political criticisms—it is antisemitism under the guise of “modern politics”.
Antisemitism, and by extension, baseless hatred, is not a problem that can simply be legislated away. Laws against hate crimes are imperative, but they alone cannot dismantle deep-seated hatred. Antisemitism is more than an expression of hate—it is a worldview, passed down through generations and deeply ingrained in cultural narratives.
The real battle is to affect hearts and minds. Antisemitism is fuelled by education and indoctrination—by schoolbooks that teach hatred, by media that skews reality, and by political discourse that offers antisemitism a veneer of legitimacy.
We in the West must firmly hold institutions like the United Nations accountable for allowing antisemitic textbooks in schools in Gaza and the West Bank. Children are currently taught to hate from a young age, perpetuating a cycle of violence and prejudice that pushes any hope of peace even further away.
Traditional media, too, has a role to play. In the UK, the BBC has done more to fuel antisemitism than any other institution, using public funds to spread biased reporting that distorts the truth. Too often, the media focuses on civilian casualties in Gaza without acknowledging Hamas’ use of human shields, its vast and extensive tunnels that deliberately run beneath hospitals and schools, and its calculated use of its own population as cover for terrorism. This isn’t just irresponsible journalism—it is an active contribution towards the
growing Code of antisemitism by presenting a one-sided narrative that vilifies Jews and Israel.
In addition, we find that antisemitism is beginning to unabashedly stream in from all political corners. Antisemitism is no longer confined to the far-right, as it once was in Europe. Today, left-wing antisemitism and radical Islamist antisemitism are equally, and perhaps even more dangerous. Whether it is far-right nationalists longing for a Europe without Jews, far-left social justice warriors disguising their hatred of Jews as opposition to the State of Israel, or Islamist extremists openly chanting for Israel’s destruction—antisemitism is thriving across the political spectrum, and we must confront it head-on.
We also cannot bow our heads to the rise of antisemitism stemming from extremist Islamist rhetoric in Europe. Demonstrations across the continent, where chants of “From the River to the Sea” ring out, physical attacks against Jewish students, and the targeting of Jewish institutions make it clear: what happens in Israel is not an isolated, singular political issue. The hatred directed at Israel spills over into hatred directed at Jews across the world.
As the great-grandson of a Holocaust survivor, I will do all I can to encourage others never to turn a blind eye to this resurgence of hatred. I know all too well the cost of silence. “Never Again” must be more than a peppy slogan. It must be a commitment to action: a commitment to fight for a world where Jews can live openly, without fear, in Israel, in Europe, or anywhere in the world they choose to call home.
The shadows of the past loom large, but we have the power to dispel them. On this first anniversary of September 11th since October 7th, we must commit not only to remembrance but to effecting actionable steps. The fight against antisemitism is not just a Jewish fight—it is a fight for the future of democracy. If we fail to confront this ancient hatred in its modern form, we risk allowing it to fester once again. We must act, and we must act now, with urgency and conviction.
This is the message I delivered to the Never Again? conference in the Austrian Parliament, standing before parliamentarians from over twenty countries. Among them were the President of the Austrian National Council, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana, Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Greg Fergus, President of the Belgian Parliament Peter De Roover, and many others. Together, we affirmed that the fight against antisemitism is a global responsibility, and one that we must face with unity, strength, and unwavering fervour.
Fighting the age-old plague of antisemitism with the status quo simply isn’t working. First they come for the Jews, but history is clear: if unchecked, the whole of the West is next. When antisemitism is allowed to prosper as it has done over the past eleven months on our doorstep, democracy is at risk. As a young Jewish person, I don’t want to be on the front lines of this fight. I am 20 years old. I want to live my life like any other young person: free from fear, both online and offline.
Right now, that is not possible for me. It is up to you—civilians, leaders, and parliamentarians—to start doing more. After all, antisemitism is for democracy what the canary is for the coal mine – a warning of what’s to come.
- Dov Forman is a Holocaust educator and social media influencer
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
