Let me say this clearly: criticising violence is not antisemitism. Naming injustice is not hate. And standing up for human rights no matter who commits the abuse is not bigotry.
There’s a dangerous silence creeping into our public discourse. A fear that speaking out against the actions of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), especially when it results in the deaths of civilians, children and journalists might be labelled antisemitic.
This is not only wrong, it is deeply unjust to all involved, including Jewish people who stand for peace. It should not need to be said: Judaism is not the Israeli government, just as the IDF is not the Jewish people.
The state and the faith are not one and the same. Many Jewish voices across the world, including within Israel, are among the loudest and bravest in condemning state violence, occupation, and apartheid.
So when the IDF bombs hospitals, destroys homes, or restricts food and water to a besieged population, and we name it for what it is – that’s not antisemitism. It’s moral clarity. It’s bearing witness. It’s refusing to let political language hide human suffering.
I say this not from a place of taking sides, but from a place of truth. As a man who has served in war and seen the weight of command, I know the difference between defence and domination, between security and suppression. No people, no matter their history of trauma, are beyond accountability.
Antisemitism is a vile hatred that must be opposed wherever it appears. But weaponising the charge of antisemitism to shield a state from criticism not only distorts the word; it diminishes its true victims. And it silences those crying out for justice in Palestine.
Let’s have the courage to tell the truth. Not in hate. Not in division. But in the name of peace, and in reverence for every sacred life caught in the fire.
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