The Roots of Anti-Israeli Attitudes | Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The reasons for the dislike of Israel are numerous and often reinforce each other. Christianity and Islam, the religions adhered to by most of the world, are critical of Judaism for its rejection of their terms for redemption, while Israel’s unique story of an ancient people returning to the homeland is not easily accepted. Part of the West and the Muslim world see the establishment of Israel through a colonialist prism, by which Western powers have planted a Jewish state in the Middle East to enhance their control of this region. Moreover, post-nationalist attitudes in the West are critical of Jewish nationalism. Furthermore, the radical Left, traditionally hostile to Zionism, has become more influential in many countries. The Red-Green alliance, whose main glue is anti-Americanism, rightly perceives Israel as an US ally. In addition, the memory of the Holocaust for non-Jews is becoming more distant. Finally, animosity toward Israel is fueled by the activities of misguided Jews.