Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus issued a written statement referring to “the emergence of untypical antisemitic rhetoric in public discourse in Cyprus” and calling on what he terms “responsible voices” in public life to reject “the language of antisemitism, fear mongering and collective demonisation — clearly, firmly, and without ambiguity”.
Throughout history, for religious, economic and other reasons, prejudice and hatred existed against Jews (though not in Cyprus), culminating in the Holocaust. Hence the term antisemitism, meaning hostility, hatred, prejudice and dangerous discrimination against Jews.
At present, however, the term is being used to suppress criticism of Israel and expressions of support for Palestinians. Both in America and Europe, academics have lost their jobs and students have been expelled from universities with the stigma of antisemitism and terrorism sympathy—because they condemned the genocide in Gaza. “There are indeed many antisemites and racists,” British journalist and author Robert Fisk (1946-2020) once said, “but if this campaign of defaming decent people (who criticise Israel) continues, the term antisemitism will become ‘devalued’ in people’s eyes. And then they will have strengthened those who want to burn synagogues.”
This is proving true in practice. The more Israeli officials and organisations, and Western governments, attempt to suppress criticism of the Netanyahu government’s barbaric acts, the more anger against Israel grows. Consequently, Israelis themselves cultivate sentiments they subsequently interpret or artificially characterise as antisemitism.
Greek journalist Aris Chatzistefanou speaks of imaginary antisemitism, citing Italian historian Enzo Traverso’s book “Gaza Faces History”: “We are not talking about the old antisemitism that targeted Jews, but about a new, imaginary antisemitism that serves to criminalise criticism of Israel.”
Even UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has not evaded the antisemitism label, whilst the organisation itself is—according to Netanyahu—”a swamp of antisemitic bile” that must be “drained”.
The Israeli ambassador’s intervention fits this pattern, reminding us that “What truly threatens social cohesion and democratic stability is the obsessive ongoing spread of made-up stories about “Zionist plans”, “buyouts”, and “ghettos”. The distortion of reality to undermine an entire ethnic or religious group is not political opinion; it is hate speech”.
The genocide of Palestinians, however, is not a myth but tragic reality. Just as the Holocaust was reality, powerfully conveyed by Italian actor Roberto Benigni in “Life is Beautiful”, but who now asks: “Why do we continue to kill children? A cry of pain gets up everywhere, not just Italy, around the world. If you don’t feel it, then you are no longer men. No more human beings.”
They are not, and we are not antisemites.