Apply the lessons of centuries of lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories directed against the Jewish people to understand how such hate has morphed into double standards, delegitimization, and demonization of Israel and the liberation movement of Zionism.

This course is made up of three sections:

• Part I: Jewish Peoplehood, History of Antisemitism and Precursors to Zionism — How the Jewish people formed their identity based upon belief in Torah, ethics and values and precariously held together as an oppressed minority wherever they lived, endured centuries of physical and personality stereotypes and conspiracy theories, and eventually responded by embracing the long-held dream of returning to their ancestral homeland to be free from oppression and violence and to practice and preserve self-determination.
• Part II: Definitions, Distortions and Demonization of Israel — How antisemitic tropes morph and mutate to target Israel, and how a flexible definition works with the test of the three D’s — demonization, double standards and delegitimization — to differentiate between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
• Part III: Jew-Hatred Expressed Today — How modern antisemitism infects foreign governments and international institutions and is catalyzed by politicians for advancement where political systems do not push back. How radical political Islam radiating from Iran rejuvenates anti-Israel and antisemitic forces. How, after 76 years of the State of Israel, the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuring surge in global antisemitism demonstrate that normalization of Jewish life among non-Jews remains a struggle requiring vigilance and Jewish communal self-reliance.

What You’ll Learn

Upon completing this course, you will have a deep and clear understanding of antisemitism’s many expressions through the centuries and its increasing application to Israel, including:

• Hatred of Jews as individuals and as a collective has ancient origins that have morphed into many expressions over centuries.
• Recurring and mutating stereotypes and conspiracies abound regardless of location, in autocracies and in democracies, and across the political spectrum.
• Zionism’s emergence as a response to Jew-hatred has provided a territory that must be secured from intolerant neighbors.
• Hatred of Jews is applied to Israel.
• Denial of Jewish self-determination is antisemitism because it refuses to recognize that Jews as a people have the right of free expression.
• Rejection of the existence of a Jewish-majority state and refusal to accept Jewish protection against violence often displace legitimate criticism of Israeli politics and politicians, as seen in a wide range of responses to Hamas’ war against Israel.
• Theological antisemitism remains an enduring belief among some political leaders, including those in Iran.
• If people tell you that they want to kill you, it is best to take their threats seriously.

And much more.

Estimated Completion Time: 1 hour*

* Those who want to dive deeper into these and ancillary topics will find accompanying sources that can keep you learning for hours on end.