LIORA REZ: Antisemitic tropes masquerade as criticism of Israel
Almost daily, we are told that what looks, sounds and stinks like antisemitism is merely "criticism of the Israeli government." But when classic antisemitic tropes are recycled almost verbatim and simply mapped onto the Jewish state, we should stop pretending this is ordinary political disagreement.
What we see on campuses, podcasts and in our streets is nothing more than the resurrection of myths that long predate the modern state of Israel and have been used for centuries to target Jews as Jews.
Consider the medieval blood libel, where Jews were falsely accused of murdering Christian children for ritual purposes. The first recorded case, in Norwich, England in 1144, set off a chain of similar accusations across Europe that fueled massacres and expulsions of Jewish communities. The same falsehoods have been perpetuated in the modern era in many Arab countries.
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The spin today is accusing Israel of intentionally targeting children as a matter of policy or even harvesting organs from Arabs. These grisly allegations echo the same structure as the blood libel.
In 2009, a Swedish newspaper published claims that Israeli soldiers harvested organs from cadavers, prompting widespread outrage and diplomatic tension. Though the author admitted "he has no proof that Israeli soldiers were stealing organs," the story spread globally.
Similarly, tragic outcomes of the war in Gaza are routinely recast as accusations that Israel intentionally murdered children and presented as proof of uniquely Jewish barbarism. When Israel is involved, the rhetoric frequently slips into language about bloodthirst and child killing that mirrors medieval fantasies. Jews, now represented by the Jewish state, are imagined as deriving pleasure or advantage from the suffering of innocents.
Another ancient trope is the myth of Jewish control of the world. The forgery known as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, first published in Tsarist Russia in the early 20th century, purported to reveal a Jewish conspiracy to dominate global politics and finance. Yet despite being thoroughly debunked, this poisonous lie continues to resurface, recycled by extremists who rely on centuries-old hatred dressed up as "conspiracy."
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In 2026, this trope is often repackaged as claims of AIPAC and other Jewish interests puppeteering governments, media and financial institutions. There are many advocacy groups that seek to shape public opinion and legislation, supporting the relationship between the United States and other countries. This is true of our allies, the United Kingdom, France and Canada. Yet Israel is portrayed as uniquely malevolent and omnipotent, capable of bending entire governments to its will through clandestine manipulation.
When "influencers," podcasters and even members of government commissions like Carrie Prejean Boller declare, "I would rather die than bend the knee to Israel" — as if such a thing actually exists — it is clear that conspiracy theories about Jewish control persist. When protests feature signs claiming that "Israel controls America" or that "Zionists run the media," this is not a policy critique. It is a direct descendant of The Protocols, with Israel standing in for the Jew.
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The pattern is clear. Jews were once falsely accused of poisoning wells during the Black Death. Now Israel is falsely accused of deliberately spreading disease in Gaza. Jews were once accused of orchestrating global wars for profit. Now Israel is cast as the hidden hand behind conflicts far beyond its borders. In each case, the old narrative is preserved. Only the subject has shifted from a dispersed Jewish minority to a sovereign Jewish state.
To treat these claims as mere anger at Israel is ignorance, at best. More likely it’s intentional subterfuge.
Governments can commit crimes. Armies can violate laws. But when criticism relies on myths that long served to justify anti-Jew pogroms and expulsions, we are no longer in the realm of ordinary discourse.
Calling this out does not shut down debate but rather, exposes true intentions of vilifying and isolating the Jewish people. We will not stand by while centuries-old hatred is rebranded with trendy language and then shielded from scrutiny by slapping on the label "antizionism."
You do not get to launder antisemitism through semantics and demand immunity from accountability.