Antisemitism

Regardless of political party, a majority of people see Antisemitism as an act of bigotry and discrimination against the Jewish people. As the world has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic and neo-nazi activity in the last few years, people worldwide have begun to see it as a more and more pressing issue. While people across ideology tend to agree that antisemitism is a major issue, those on the left and right may have different perspectives when using the term. 

On the left antisemitism gets looped in with many other social justice issues such as racism or sexism. They believe the Jewish people to be a societally oppressed group and will often campaign for better representation in the media. Many of these people tend to support the state of Israel in its existence and applaud it as a home for the Jewish people after the tragedies of the Holocaust. 

Others on the left are anti-Zionist. Some on the left view anti-zionism as antisemitism, others differentiate the two. Some anti-zionists on the left see opposing the state of Israel as a land dispute matter that does not represent bigotry toward Judaism or Jewish people. However, there have been some instances of anti-Jewish hatred at pro-Palestinian protests. 

However, other groups on the left harshly oppose Israel. They think of Israel as land stolen from the Palestinian people and believe that while the Jewish people suffered massive losses, it doesn't mean they are entitled to another people’s homeland. 

On the right, some have accused the left of paying lip service to fighting antisemitism, arguing that they tend to leave Jewish people out of their social justice activism or include them in a “white oppressor” class. Many in this group cite examples of violence against Jews on elite college campuses, which are traditionally liberal areas—arguing that antisemitism has not been dealt with in a similar capacity as violence against people of color or other minorities.

While those on the left tend to oppose antisemitism on the grounds that the Jewish people have been historically oppressed, some on the religious right feel a kinship with the Jewish people as fellow Judeo-Christians. Many on the religious right are much more likely to support Israel's existence no matter what. They believe it was a God-given home for the Jewish people, outweighing the Palestinian's claim to the land in their eyes. They see the active protection of the Jewish people as the most important issue when it comes to antisemitism, feeling less strongly about things like increased representation or the changing of the winter greeting of “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays”, as they don't believe that will aid the larger fight against antisemitism. 

Some on the right, however, believe that antisemitism is an overblown concept similar to how some feel about Islamophobia. These people claim that we have a right to question other religions and to hold their own religions in a higher light than others. Some also view it as a label to shut down conversation about the overrepresentation of jews in government and other areas of power.