By Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel in Chula Vista, California
In December 2025, U.S. Vice President JD Vance posted on X: “I would say there’s a difference between not liking Israel (or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy) and anti-Semitism.” This reflects the common claim that anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic—a supposed clear line between critiquing Israel and hating Jews.
It appears reasonable: anti-Zionism as opposition to Israel’s policies or its status as a Jewish state, distinct from bigotry against Jews. But the December 14, 2025, terrorist attack at Bondi Beach exposes this distinction as a dangerous delusion that enables hatred under the guise of political critique.
On the first night of Hanukkah, Sydney’s Bondi Beach turned from celebration to tragedy. Over a thousand people gathered at Archer Park for “Chanukah by the Sea,” lighting menorahs. Then, father-and-son terrorists Sajid Akram (killed by police) and Naveed Akram (charged with murder and terrorism), armed with legal firearms and carrying an ISIS flag, opened fire. Fifteen people died, including a 10-year-old girl, beloved rabbis like British-born Eli Schlanger, a Holocaust survivor, and ordinary Australian Jews unrelated to Middle East politics. Dozens were injured, with some heroically shielding others.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism.” Global leaders agreed: this was targeted hatred of Jews. Inspired by Islamic State ideology, the attackers did not question victims about Gaza or settlements. They targeted Jewish symbols and people celebrating their faith, far from any conflict zone.
This attack was not isolated. Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Australia’s Jewish community faced unprecedented hate. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry reported 1,654 incidents in 2024-2025—nearly five times pre-war levels. These included synagogue firebombings with “Free Palestine” graffiti, assaults, vandalism like “Kill Jews,” and threats following pro-Palestinian rallies. Hatred toward Israel spilled over into attacks on Jews worldwide, culminating in Bondi’s massacre.
Theoretically, anti-Zionism opposes Jewish self-determination in their homeland, akin to critiquing other nationalisms. Some cite ultra-Orthodox groups who reject Zionism theologically as evidence of separation.
In reality, this distinction fails. For most Jews—over 90% globally—Zionism is the response to centuries of persecution, including the Holocaust. Denying only Jews this right, while accepting it for others, is a double standard deemed antisemitic under the IHRA definition, adopted by Australia and many countries. It includes labeling Israel’s existence racist or imposing unique demands on it.
Modern anti-Zionism often veers into antisemitism: recycling tropes of Jewish control over media and power, baseless “genocide” accusations, or “Zionist lobby” conspiracies. Slogans like “From the river to the sea” (calling for Israel’s elimination) or “Globalize the intifada” (endorsing violence against civilians) are presented as anti-Zionist but incite terror. After Bondi, Australian authorities restricted such chants as incitement.
Jihadists like the Akrams blend medieval Jew-hatred with anti-Israel rhetoric. Synagogues were attacked under Palestinian flags, Jewish schools targeted amid Gaza news, and diaspora Jews harassed for presumed loyalty to Israel.
This framework protects extremists—Islamists, far-left activists, neo-Nazis—who disguise bigotry as anti-Zionism. Demands to dismantle Israel, implying catastrophe for Jews, are framed as justice. Since October 7, 2023, “anti-Zionist” protests led to campus harassment, boycotts, and global attacks.
The distinction requires Jews to guess attackers’ motives: “Zionists” or Jews? At Bondi, no such nuance existed—”Zionist” has become a euphemism for “Jew,” like historical slurs.
History warns against such “distinctions”: medieval anti-Judaism offered conversion; Nazis began with anti-influence measures; Soviets used anti-Zionism for persecution. Pressuring Jews to reject Zionism for acceptance echoes this. Israel serves as a refuge against future exiles. Denying it while supporting Palestinian nationalism is hypocritical.
In Australia, pre-Bondi warnings were dismissed as overreaction stifling criticism. The massacre proved otherwise.
Studies (e.g., ADL) show strong overlap between extreme anti-Zionism and antisemitic beliefs. Morally, it forces victims to maintain a fiction ignored by attackers. Politically, obsessing over the Jewish state fosters environments for atrocities like Bondi.
The 15 lives lost—a child, rabbis, a Holocaust survivor—on Hanukkah demand we abandon this illusion. It is not principled but perilous, obstructing the fight against hatred. Confront antisemitism directly, in all forms.
This tragedy requires resolute action to uproot antisemitic terrorism.
–Strengthen immigrant screening for extremism using Australia’s Migration Act: mandate social media checks for jihadist or antisemitic content, thorough interviews, and enhanced intelligence sharing. Targeted measures to block threats while preserving values.
–Bolster security at Jewish sites—synagogues, schools, events—with armed guards, advanced surveillance, and rapid response teams. Fulfill post-Bondi pledges for funding and a national database.
–Combat online radicalization: compel platforms to remove ISIS content quickly, empower regulators, launch deradicalization programs, and require schools to teach the Holocaust, tolerance, and extremism warning signs.
–Enhance intelligence, close gun law gaps, prosecute incitement rigorously—hate speech fuels violence. Foster interfaith unity and heed Jewish community alerts. Through vetting, security, education, and enforcement, build robust defenses. Honor the victims with determination: unity defeats terror.
Antisemitism acts as a “canary in the coal mine” for broader societal decay, revealing erosion in reason, tolerance, and democracy.
In times of crisis—economic, political, or social—Jews are scapegoated, blamed via conspiracies for societal woes. This undermines trust and cohesion, normalizing paranoia and bigotry against minorities.
Historically, antisemitic surges preceded collapses: Weimar Germany’s led to Nazism; medieval Europe’s to pogroms and expulsions. Today, it signals democratic backsliding, as authoritarians exploit it. Rising antisemitism exposes failures in confronting reality, often spreading intolerance further. Healthy societies reject it; its growth warns of deeper threats.
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Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.