Information and Misinformation About Israel
Feeling overwhelmed with information? We’re here to help cut through the noise. Learn the most common questions about Israel — along with the accurate information to address them through dialogue and discussion:
Video: “History of Antisemitism”
Source: Hillel International
Suggesting Jews are secretly in control of massive amounts of power is a deeply antisemitic trope rooted in conspiracy theories that have been used to justify discrimination and violence against Jewish people for centuries. This notion perpetuates harmful stereotypes that depict Jews as manipulative, greedy, and seeking to dominate society from behind the scenes.
These stereotypes not only misrepresent the diverse roles Jewish people have played in various industries but also fuel baseless fears and hostility, leading to real-world consequences such as social ostracization, hate crimes, and systemic discrimination. By attributing undue influence to Jews in these industries, such rhetoric undermines the principles of equality and diversity and perpetuates a dangerous cycle of prejudice.
Advocacy by American Jews is just as appropriate as advocacy by all citizens of the United States. It’s part of democracy, and it reflects the Jewish community’s commitment to American democratic ideals.
Video: “History of Antisemitism”
Source: Hillel International
Opposing Israeli government policies does not automatically make someone anti-Zionist or antisemitic. Like any country, Israel’s government can be subject to criticism, and individuals can disagree with its policies for a variety of reasons—without attacking the legitimacy of the state or the Jewish people (which does veer into anti-Zionism and antisemitism).
Peaceful opposition to government policy is a core aspect of the Israeli democracy. In the spring and summer of 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in weekly peaceful protests with regard to aspects of government policy, exercising their rights to free speech. The same occurred in September of 2024, with Israelis protesting on behalf of the hostages held by Hamas, demanding that the Israeli government reach an agreement to bring them home.
However, it is important to distinguish between legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, and harmful rhetoric that promotes anti-Zionism or antisemitism.
Video: “Was Zionism a Form of Colonialism?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
The term “white supremacy” has often been used to target Jews and Zionists. It portrays them as alt-right radicals with similar views to neo-Nazis — aiming to stigmatize and isolate them.
But in reality, the Jewish people as a group have never supported white supremacy. And this accusation erases Jews of color — a significant group in the state of Israel and around the world. In Israel itself, 48% of Jews identify as Sephardic or Mizrahi (of Middle Eastern or North African descent).
White supremacy has in fact been one of the most dangerous ideologies that targets Jews, most notably during the 2017 “Unite the Right” Rally in Charlottesville, VA and in the 2019 shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh where 11 American Jews were murdered by a shooter espousing white supremacist ideology.
Learn more: What is Zionism
Video: “Was Zionism a Form of Colonialism?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
Some critics of Israel have accused the Israeli government of committing genocide of Palestinians. But genocide is a legal term, and Israeli policies and actions in its war against Hamas do not meet the definition of intentionally exterminating the Palestinian people, according to international law. This claim is inaccurate and misleading.
The term “genocide” has been falsely used to sensationalize the Israel-Palestinian conflict and to demonize Israel – both by anti-Israel activists, and by nations that are opposed to Israel’s actions in the current Israel-Hamas War.
In December of 2023, South Africa filed a complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), charging that Israel had violated the United Nations 1948 convention on the prevention of genocide during its current military actions in Gaza. While it will take years until the ICJ hands down a final ruling, the court did not order Israel to withdraw from Gaza or ends its military operation, and South Africa is currently struggling to find evidence to support its case.
South Africa is required to submit evidence to the ICJ by October 28, but recently asked for that deadline to be postponed due to a current lack of evidence pointing to genocide in Gaza.
Instagram: “Recognizing Problematic Rhetoric”
Sources: JCRC, ADL, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Times of Israel
No comparison can be made between the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the atrocities committed by the Nazis against six million Jews and millions of others.
While one can fairly criticize the actions of the Israeli government and its leaders, there’s a big contrast to the Holocaust. There’s no Israeli ideology, policy, plan, or movement to exterminate the Palestinian people as with the Nazi party’s “Final Solution”.
Comparing Israel to Nazis plays on old antisemitic stereotypes about the Jewish people as demonic and uniquely evil.
Instagram: “Recognizing Problematic Rhetoric”
Sources: JCRC, ADL, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, The Times of Israel
Video: “Who Are Israelis?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
While Jews form the majority of the population of Israel, the country is home to a significant Arab population (20% of citizens), primarily Muslims and Christians.
Other groups include Bedouins (an indigenous people of the Negev desert in southern Israel), the Druze — a unique ethnic group with its own religious practices — as well as smaller ethnic and religious minorities.
The Jewish population itself is remarkably diverse, reflecting the global Jewish diaspora — Jews whose ancestors were displaced from the region over the course of many centuries, and who have now returned, particularly since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Major groups include Ashkenazi Jews from Europe; Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews from Spain, North Africa, and the Middle East; Ethiopian Jews; Russian-speaking Jews from the former Soviet Union; and smaller communities, such as the Bnei Menashe from India.
Beyond ethnic diversity, Israel’s Jewish population exhibits significant religious diversity. A large portion of the population identifies as secular, maintaining a cultural or national Jewish identity rather than a strictly religious one. Religious Jews range from Modern Orthodox to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox), each with varying levels of observance and influence in society. Additionally, Masorti/Conservative and Reform Jewish communities are growing, advocating for more pluralistic forms of Jewish practice.
Video: “Who Are Israelis?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
Video: “Is Israel an Occupying Power?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
Like every country, Israel faces societal challenges — including issues such as bias, discrimination, inequity, and racism. But the “apartheid” label doesn’t hold up.
Safeguards in the state of Israel are aimed at ensuring the equal treatment of all citizens, Jewish and Arab. Israeli Arab citizens, who make up about 20% of the population, serve as judges, legislators, ambassadors, journalists, professors, and artists, and in other prominent roles.
The situation for Palestinians living in the West Bank, which was captured by Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967, continues to be a source of conflict. There are ongoing disputes about land, settlements, and sovereignty.
It’s important to acknowledge that the situation is complex, with a complex history.
You should also know that this accusation is often used to argue that the world’s only Jewish state doesn’t have the right to exist, now or in the future, a view that many hold to be antisemitic.
Video: “Is Israel an Occupying Power?”
Source: Unpacked for Educators
Instagram: “Is Zionism Colonialism?”
Source: Jewish Unpacked and @that_semite
Many anti-Israel activists use the term “settler colonialism” to refer to the changes in the state of Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip over the past 150 years.
This accusation compares Israelis to Europeans who colonized the Middle East, North Africa, Australia, and North and South America. But those European colonists were not native or indigenous to those lands.
Jews are native and indigenous to the land. And the land of Israel is central to Jewish religion and culture dating back thousands of years. If you traveled back in time to Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, you would find Hebrew to be the predominant language spoken, Judaism the predominant religion practiced, and the indigenous Jewish population living under Roman colonial rule.
Learn more: Israel and Colonialism
Instagram: “Is Zionism Colonialism?”
Source: Jewish Unpacked and @that_semite
Instagram: “What is Zionism”
Source: Hillel International
Zionism is the Jewish people’s desire for self determination in their ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel — the word “Zion” refers to one of two hills where King David established the ancient city of Jerusalem. After the founding of the modern state of Israel in 1948, Zionism became the national movement of the Israeli people, and a movement to support Israel. Zionism is a core component of Jewish identity for the majority of Jews around the world.
Modern Zionism emerged in Europe in the 19th century in response to antisemitism, anti-Jewish violence, and persecution. It was rooted in the idea that the Jewish people needed a physical place to be safe, and that Jews would be safest by repatriating their spiritual, cultural, and ancestral homeland in Israel.
Zionism is not a white supremacist movement, nor inherently anti-Arab or anti-Palestinian. The Declaration of Israel’s Independence (1948) calls for peace and cooperation among its neighbors: “We offer peace and unity to all the neighboring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all.” While early Zionists envisioned peaceful coexistence, the rise of competing Jewish and Palestinian nationalism has led to significant tensions and conflicts in the region.
Today, many Zionists advocate for a two-state solution, believing that Israel and the Palestinian people can coexist peacefully, while others emphasize the need for Israel to remain a secure Jewish state with careful consideration of demographic and security concerns. Contemporary Zionism often stresses the importance of peace and coexistence, though achieving this remains complex and challenging.
On college campuses, in recent years the word “Zionist” has sometimes been used by anti-Israel and antisemitic activists as a pejorative for anyone with a connection to Israel, or for anyone who is Jewish. As a result, many colleges and universities are clarifying or updating their codes of conduct to explicitly note that using the word “Zionist” as an insult could be a violation of the school’s non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies.
Instagram: “What is Zionism”
Source: Hillel International
Website: Pre-State Israel: Under Ottoman Rule – 1517-1917
Source: Jewish Virtual Library
The area that is now the State of Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the Kingdom of Jordan has been inhabited for thousands of years by a variety of populations, including Jews, Arabs, Christians, and others. Jews have lived in the land now known as Israel for over 3,000 years, with a continuous presence dating back to ancient times.
Despite periods of exile, particularly after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 135 CE, Jewish communities have persisted in the area throughout history. The modern Zionist movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to increased Jewish immigration, culminating in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
For centuries from the Ottoman conquest in the 1500s until their defeat in World War I, the area was controlled by the Ottoman Empire, which allowed Jews to live in relative peace in the area as second-class citizens known as dhimmi (a term for non-Muslims living in an Islamic state), with restricted rights and individual freedoms. From 1917 to 1948, the region was part of the British Mandate of Palestine, which had a mixed population of Jews, Arabs, and other groups. The land was sparsely populated in certain areas, but had established communities in others.
Website: Pre-State Israel: Under Ottoman Rule – 1517-1917
Source: Jewish Virtual Library
Anti-Israel activists sometimes accuse Israel of “pinkwashing,” which alleges that Israel highlights its progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights in order to distract from its treatment of Palestinians. Critics argue — without evidence — that Israel uses its strong LGBTQ+ rights record as a way to improve its image internationally and deflect criticism of its policies toward Palestinians.
LGBTQ+ rights in Israel are considered to be among the most progressive in the Middle East. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Israel in 1988, and since then, the country has taken significant steps to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Same-sex couples in Israel have been able to adopt children since 2006. And Tel Aviv is well-known for hosting one of the largest annual Pride parades in the world. However, while Israel is the only country in the Middle East that recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other countries, same-sex couples cannot yet legally marry in Israel.
Israel’s LGBTQ+ rights records stand in stark contrast to that of many other countries and territories in the Middle East, where homosexuality is considered a criminal offense — in some cases even punishable by death. In some Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, LGBTQ+ citizens exist in a legal gray area, with homosexuality neither explicitly criminalized nor protected by law. In 2023, in a televised speech in Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah told viewers that “sodomy” should be punishable by death, urged followers to boycott businesses with Pride flags, and alleged that the United States that the United States was spearheading a campaign to change curriculums around the world to “promote a culture of homosexuality in schools and universities.”