Calling out antisemitism in Paganism

It’s true that antisemitism exists in Paganism, just as it does in other groups in society—especially when people use the phrase “Judaeo-Christian”, or assume that all Jews think the same thing. And we absolutely should call out antisemitism in the Pagan community. I’ve done so before.

But let’s be clear about what is antisemitism and what is not.

If you conflate the actions of the state of Israel with Jewish people as a whole, that’s antisemitic. If you blame the actions of Israel on some allegedly inherent trait of Jews, that’s antisemitic. If you yell at people for observing Holocaust Memorial Day (especially if they’re pointing out that Never Again means never again for anyone), that’s antisemitic. If you believe in stupid conspiracy theories about the Jews, or you’re a Holocaust denier, that’s antisemitic.

It’s antisemitic to blame the Jews for the excesses of Christianity. Some of Christianity’s worst atrocities were its persecution of Jews in Spain and Eastern Europe, of Muslims in Spain, and of Pagans in the Baltic region (in the Baltic Crusades).

It’s not antisemitic to criticize the state of Israel. It is an apartheid state. Many Jewish people and organizations, including individuals and organizations in Israel, have criticized the state of Israel. Check out Standing Together, Jewish Voice for Peace, If Not Now, and many more.

It’s not antisemitic to condemn the bombing of Palestinian civilians — 28,000 killed since 7 October — and the destruction of their homes, hospitals, schools, universities, and food supplies. Being opposed to genocide doesn’t make you a supporter of Hamas.

My list is not exhaustive. Please check out the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism prepared by a number of Jewish scholars (it’s endorsed by a number of organizations including the Religious Society of Friends, aka the Quakers).

The featured photo shows a demonstration by Standing Together.

Standing Together (Hebrew: עומדים ביחד, Omdim Beyachad; Arabic: نقف معًا, Naqif Ma’an) is an Israeli grassroots movement that aims to bring together Arab-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli communities. It is the largest Arab-Jewish grassroots movement in the country. Standing Together first became active in 2015, and has about 5,000 members as of October 2023. The movement opposes neoliberalism and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The movement aims to further LGBT rights, women’s rights, worker’s rights (including disability benefits) and full equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
— Wikipedia