Criticism of Israel is not Antisemitic: UW Faculty and Staff Commit to a Clear Definition of Antisemitism

PRESS RELEASE

December 21, 2023

Today, a group of faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, made public a statement expressing their belief that “criticism of the state of Israel or the political ideology of Zionism is not in and of itself antisemitic” and shared it with UW administrators. The statement expresses concern that “if criticism of Israel is defined as antisemitic speech, then we will silence all critique of that state – including voices about Palestinian self-determination and human rights.” Such conflation, say the signatories, “obstructs the ability of colleges and universities to educate and facilitate important civic discourse.”

Over 175 faculty and staff from 59 different UW departments and centers signed the statement, along with 49 graduate students. It was sent to Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, Vice Chancellors Cynthia Czajkowski (Interim, for Research and Graduate Education), LaVar Charleston (for Diversity and Inclusion), Charles Lee Isbell (for Academic Affairs and Provost), and Lori Reesor (for Student Affairs), with a request for a meeting to dialogue about this issue further.

The statement points to confusion in the public sphere caused by competing definitions of antisemitism – some of which include criticism of Israel and Zionism while others do not. In order for colleges and universities to educate and facilitate critical thinking, say the signatories, there must be a clear distinction “between condemnation of a people (or race, ethnicity, or religion) and condemnation of a state or a political ideology.” They assert that “just as it is not Islamophobic or evidence of anti-Muslim bigotry to criticize or even condemn Islamism or self-declared Islamic governments like Iran and Pakistan, it is also not antisemitic to criticize (or even condemn) the self-declared Jewish state of Israel.”

The statement insists that “free and spirited conversations about states and state actors are crucial to academic discourse” and that “the freedom to criticize governments and political actors must extend to criticism of foreign states, including the state of Israel.”

The urgency of this statement is motivated by “the alarming rise in harassment and intimidation of students who criticize Israel today,” citing cases of students being physically attacked, doxxed, losing their jobs based on expressions of Palestinian solidarity or criticism of Israel.

Acknowledging that “Zionism has historically been closely connected to the Jewish people,” the statement notes the difficult position facing universities and colleges dedicated to fighting antisemitism. Nevertheless, the signatories insist that protecting academic freedom on the topic of Israel need not conflict with combating racial and religious bigotry on their campus. For example, they say, “Using stereotypes about Jewish people in criticism of Israel would indeed be antisemitic, but simple critique (or even condemnation) of the state of Israel must be protected as part of a healthy educational discourse.”

The statement reaffirms the importance of institutions of higher education to be “important training grounds for people to practice healthy dialogue with those who hold very different ideas and beliefs from their own” and suggests that colleges and universities can lead the way on this important topic by clarifying the meaning of antisemitism on their campuses to protect speech that is critical of Israel.

Read the full statement, titled “Criticism of Israel is not Antisemitic,” here.

Press inquiries regarding this statement can be directed to uwantisemitismstatement@gmail.com.