Ate criticism of Israel semitism looks like

between Israelis and Nazis. 47 per cent of us consider this to be “definitely antisemitic” and a further 30 per cent “probably” so. Only 6 per cent maintain such a parallel is “definitely not” antisemitic.

Together, these findings show that for many British Jews, the lines between antisemitism and antiIsraelism are not always clear, and that we tend to draw them in slightly different places. Yet more importantly in the context of the community’s dispute with the far-left, they reveal something that needs to be pointed out over and over again: most Jews do not consider simple criticism of Israel to be antisemitic. However, they maintain that it becomes so when it manifests itself as particularly hostile slurs, or indeed downright lies. In short, criticism of Israel is fine, but the moment it starts to draw on prejudicial ideas, it clearly veers into antisemitic territory.

But, claim the leftists, we can’t possibly be antisemitic — we are vehemently anti-racist. We are leftists, and anti-racism is a cornerstone of leftist ideals. Well, that may be so, but I’m afraid it doesn’t prevent some leftists from being antisemites. Indeed, evidence gathered just last year in JPR and the CST’s groundbreaking study of attitudes towards Jews and Israel, demonstrates that those who selfidentify as “very left-wing” are no less likely to hold anti-Jewish prejudices than those on any other part of the political spectrum, with the single exception of the far-right.

Moreover, the far-left are statistically more likely than any other group on the political spectrum, including the far-right, to hold the types of anti-Israel views that most Jews consider to be prejudicial. Indeed, four in five of those on the far-left hold at least one such view, which includes statements such as “Israel is deliberately trying to wipe out the Palestinian population” or “Israel is the cause of all the troubles in the Middle East.” And critically, the more likely those on the far-left are to hold ardently hostile anti-Israel views, the more likely they are to also hold more traditional anti-Jewish views.

In sum, the cries of foul play from the hard left in this country are not only offensive, but patently false.

Sound empirical assessments demonstrate that antisemitism is alive and well on the left, in its traditional forms, in its extreme antiIsrael forms, and in too many cases, in both.

The cries of foul play from the hard left are false

Jonathan Boyd is Executive Director of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR)