Israelis Are Even Calling Holocaust Survivors Antisemitic

If I, a Shoah survivor, shout out, I'll be called antisemitic. Even when the criticism is aimed at the war in Gaza, which former Israeli defense and security chiefs now call futile, the response is always the same

July 18th, 21PM July 18th, 21PM
by Ichak Kalderon Adizes

Israel and many Israelis are increasingly weaponizing the term "antisemitism." What once denoted terrifying hatred has become a shield for deflecting legitimate criticism of government policy.

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This cheapening of the word makes it an instrument for avoiding accountability. Any critique, no matter how warranted, is brushed aside with the same tired refrain: antisemitism. It's a convenient excuse, one that spares us the painful but necessary work of looking in the mirror.

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The overuse of "antisemitism" has stripped the term of its power. Once, antisemitism drove Israel's isolation; today, Israel's actions are fueling antisemitism. What was once seen as the embodiment of the Jewish people's struggle to survive is now increasingly perceived as a global problem, and this perception is only set to deepen.

A large majority of students protesting against Israel around the world aren't antisemitic. Many of them, in fact, are Jews. They're not anti-Jewish, they're anti-Israel. And they have good reason to be. If we dismiss these voices, we'll blind ourselves to where we're headed.

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Ichak Kalderon Adizes, a Holocaust survivor, is the founder and CEO of the Adizes Institute Worldwide, which strives to help organizations implement rapid change without destructive conflict.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/israelis-are-even-calling-holocaust-survivors-antisemitic/ar-AA1IS0uG

https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025-07-18/ty-article-opinion/.premium/israelis-are-even-calling-holocaust-survivors-antisemitic/00000198-1e38-d3be-a5bc-3e7b6b140000