Eva Ilouz’s article (Le Monde, December 19) suggests that anti-Zionism is inherently anti-Semitic because it denies Jews the right to have a homeland like all other peoples/religions: “Anti-Zionism questions the very legitimacy of nationalism and the Jewish national home” and is therefore anti-Semitic. Analyzing the history of anti-Semitism and the view of Jews as despicable throughout history, the culture of anti-Semitism akin to that of rape, the fake Protocols of the Elders of Zion, anti-Jewish massacres and attacks throughout history, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations abroad, the author emphasizes the intimate relationship between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. One cannot criticize Israel without being accused of anti-Semitism. Israel seems to be the only country in the world to receive this preferential treatment, as all forms of colonialism have been criticized, except for this one. Since then, the sociologist has received a grand prize from the University of Jerusalem in recognition of her dedication to Israel.
There is one important omission in this article: the Palestinians. Need we remind ourselves that:
1) anti-Semitism is a Christian (Catholic or Orthodox) invention, from the Inquisition and the massacres during the Crusades to the Inquisition and the Holocaust, and has nothing to do with the Palestinians (or Muslims for that matter)! Moreover, since the dawn of time, there have been no pogroms between the peoples living in Palestine, and since the creation of Islam, there have been no internal wars between Jews and Muslims in Palestine, until the arrival of Zionism! Wars have always been imported by the occupiers. The author of these lines was born and lived in Cairo until 1956—the year of the joint attack by Israel, France, and Great Britain—and never experienced any anti-Semitic comments or attitudes. My father, moreover, considered himself as much Arab as he did Jewish.
2) Israel has been occupying inhabited land for 80 years, not empty land, contrary to the fundamental dictum of Zionism, “a people without a land for a land without a people.” Israel carried out ethnic cleansing well before October 7. For 80 years, the Palestinians who remained in the occupied territories—considered as such by the UN and the majority of nations, more than 130 of which recognize the state of Palestine—have been living in a situation of apartheid, not to mention the incessant massacres and attacks in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria for Israel).
3) During the Nakba in 1947, more than 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from Palestine, with massacres and destruction of villages/towns and dozens of Oradour-sur-Glane. The inhabitants of Gaza and the refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria are the descendants of these refugees! An interesting fact recently revealed by Ilan Pappé, the leading historian of the Nakba, is that the villages attacked by Hamas on October 7 are the very same ones that were destroyed in 1948 by the IDF and from which the parents/grandparents of the attackers originated. This does not justify anything, but it must be remembered!
4) ALL the attacks that have taken place around the world (from Charlie Hebdo to the Bataclan, Madrid, London, and Australia) were carried out by French, Belgian, Afghan, etc. citizens, but never by Palestinians. Whether they were members of Hamas or any other terrorist organization, the attacks committed have always been confined to the territory of former Palestine. The UN, like all international organizations, recognizes the right to oppose the colonizer, including by force of arms!
5) that on 7/10, in response to a crime against humanity perpetrated by Hamas, Israel committed a crime against humanity, genocide, slaughter, as proposed by Dominique Eddé, or Génosidish (Genocidaire) by Art Spiegelman (whose family was massacred at Auschwitz). It was accompanied by urbicide and the total destruction of almost everything, with tens of thousands of babies and children massacred under a carpet of bombs at an intensity per square meter greater than the bombings of World War II. A planned destruction of access to water and food, a starving people—a few dozen trucks allowed in instead of the thousands needed to survive. An unprecedented massacre of journalists and a ban on foreign journalists—as well as NGOs—from entering Gaza. These massacres must be hidden!
6) Finally, regarding calls for intifada and support for Palestine, this is not about Jews but about Israel, even if excesses are observed here and there. The fact remains that the equation Jews = supporters of Israel is a source of the problem, which is fueled by Netanyahu and unfortunately supported unwaveringly by Jews in the diaspora!
So how can we show a little humanism without being accused of anti-Semitism? Who issues the certificate of non-anti-Semitism? The author of these lines cannot be accused of anti-Semitism, having been a young Zionist, done military service and fought in the Six-Day War, before understanding the fate reserved for the Palestinians. Israeli propaganda is very effective in ensuring that what is happening a few miles from Tel Aviv is ignored!
Is it possible that the equation of Jewish = Israeli, taken to extremes since the creation of the state of Israel, has contributed to the increase in anti-Semitism since October 7? Is it anti-Semitism to criticize the Israeli lobby, which prohibits any criticism of its policies, including by forming alliances with the least democratic regimes and far-right parties everywhere? How does protesting against Israeli policy prevent Israel from existing? Many of us criticize Israeli colonialism, not the Jewish people. Prohibiting any criticism of Israel would be racist, implying that Israelis, because they are Jewish, have rights that no one else has. This is the breeding ground that has fostered anti-Semitism since the dawn of time.
We are waiting for a proposed solution to this dilemma. For the majority of states and international organizations, the only solution is the division of the territory as planned for more than 80 years. If Israel had accepted this division of land, none of this would have happened and Israel would not be condemned to become a modern Sparta, always on guard in a hostile environment. The Palestinians would be given only 22% of the territory of former Palestine, a state recognized by more than 130 countries. But as a worthy son of his father’s party (Benzion Netanyahu), who advocated almost a century ago for the possession of all of Palestine with as few Palestinians as possible! See (https://leblogdebenari.com/2025/12/15/papa-la-reve-le-fils-la-fait-la-palestine-nexiste-plus/). Please, stop confusing Jews and Israelis and give the Jews of the Diaspora a chance to continue enriching the world with their exceptional contributions. Criticizing Israel for its policies is also essential if, like the author of these lines, you want this state to exist for decades to come, which is not guaranteed if it relies solely on force. As the prophet said, “It is not with force but with my soul that you will conquer.”
