Global Anti-Zionism Surge Amid Israeli War on Gaza

The events that unfolded in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, on November 7 and 8, 2024, served as a stark reminder of the rising global tide of anger and animosity directed at the Israeli Occupation, fuelled by its ongoing, bloody war on Gaza that has persisted for more than a year.

Amsterdam was gripped by chaos as riots and violent clashes erupted, which was started by supporters of the Israeli football club Maccabi “Tel Aviv.”

But it was the city's local population — particularly its Muslim and Arab communities — who confronted the Israelis, with footage circulating online showing members of the Israeli fanbase fleeing into the city's canals to escape the wrath of the angry crowds.

The unrest resulted in at least 10 Israeli nationals being injured, according to Dutch authorities.

Amsterdam riots underscore the deepening hatred directed at the Israeli Occupation across the world, particularly in Europe, which has long afforded Jews a special status and robust protections against “anti-Semitism” through strict legislation. 

Even in the United States, the Israeli primary ally in its relentless wars against Gaza and Lebanon, the rise of anti-Israeli Occupation sentiment has surged to unprecedented heights, prompting world leaders to issue warnings about the growing and dangerous scale of the backlash.

Israeli Safety Crisis

In the wake of the Amsterdam riots, the Israeli Occupation government took a series of precautionary measures that underscored the growing concern over the targeting of Israelis across Europe.

Among the steps taken were the deployment of counter-terrorism units to Amsterdam, increased monitoring of social media comments across Europe, and the filing of complaints with authorities in various countries against those labeled as "inciters against Israel."

The government also issued directives advising fans of Israeli sports clubs to refrain from traveling to upcoming matches in Italy, Poland, and France. 

Security measures were also heightened around Israeli diplomats and embassy staff throughout Europe.

“In accordance with the assessment of the situation, it was decided to ban all [IOF] servicemen from flying to the Netherlands until further notice,” the Israeli military radio station noted.

The flight ban was reversed on November 10, but its initial announcement highlighted the deep anxiety within the Israeli Occupation leadership.

The Israeli National Security Council (NSC) also issued a public warning, urging Israelis to "avoid attending Israeli sports/cultural events abroad, and specifically the Israeli teams’ upcoming match in Paris (November 14)" and to “stay away from demonstrations and protests of any kind.”

Despite these measures, political and media discussions in “Israel” continued to focus heavily on the ongoing military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.

The tension reached a point where one opposition leader, Avigdor Lieberman (Israeli former War Minister in 2018), called on all Jews to leave Europe and immigrate to “Israel,” out of fear of a "new Holocaust," as he put it.

The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), based in Brussels, reported “a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents across multiple European countries.”

“A number of European countries have experienced soaring levels of antisemitism. In several countries, the number of reported antisemitic incidents for the last three months of 2023 by far exceeded the numbers usually reported for a whole year and was, in some cases, even much higher.”

“Antisemitic acts covered a wide range of incidents, from hate speech, both online and offline, to acts of vandalism and physical attacks against Jews,” as reported by ECRI. 

Serpa Rautio, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), stated, “To this end, the EU’s Digital Services Act will be a true test for the effective takedown of illegal online content – including incitement to violence and hatred against Jewish people.”

“In France, 74 percent of Jews felt the Middle East conflict affected their sense of security, the highest rate among the countries surveyed,” while “Across Europe, 76 percent reported hiding their Jewish identity ‘at least occasionally’ and 34 percent avoid Jewish events or sites ‘because they do not feel safe’,” Al-Jazeera reported.

Serpa Rautio said that the “survey data collected by my Agency – based on responses from 8,000 people – show that 96% of Jewish people in the EU had experienced antisemitism before these tragic events took place.”

A Surge in Anti-Zionism

In the United States, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced on October 6, 2024, that incidents of anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli hatred in the country had tripled in just one year.

This surge in anti-Israeli Occupation came in the wake of the Israeli assault on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, and left tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians dead.

The ADL reported that a major organization advocating for Jewish rights “more than 10,000 antisemitic incidents” occurred between October 7, 2023, and September 24, 2024 — a sharp rise from 3,325 incidents the previous year. 

“This is the highest number of incidents ever recorded in any single year period since ADL started tracking in 1979,” as cited by ADL.

The ADL’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, said “Today, we mourn the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, marking one year since the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. From that day on, Jewish Americans haven’t had a single moment of respite”

“Instead, we’ve faced a shocking number of antisemitic threats and experienced calls for more violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere,” Greenblatt noted.

U.S. officials were "stunned by the rise in anti-Israel fervor and the growing enthusiasm for left-wing activism on campuses like Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania," according to Ther Hill. 

"These events, along with others at American universities, signal that the Jewish community is facing an unprecedented crisis not seen in generations," as reported by Al-Estiklal.

Monitors from al-Monitor also revealed that “spiraling pro-Palestinian protests that are rocking universities across the United States spread to more campuses,” despite strict police measures aimed at suppressing them. 

Many of the demonstrators, including a number of Jewish students, distanced themselves from accusations of anti-Semitism, arguing that opposition to Israeli Occupation should not be conflated with hatred of Jews. 

A previous report by Al-Estiklal also revealed how the Israeli Occupation has tried to make anti-Zionism equivalent to anti-Judaism in a propaganda ploy.

As cited by Al-Estiklal, one Jewish graduate student, Josh, was quoted as saying, "People here are supporting the Palestinian people from all backgrounds, driven by a sense of justice."

The Times of Israel reported that Professor Uriya Shavit, head of the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute wrote in a press release, warning that “if current trends continue, the curtain will descend on the ability to lead Jewish lives in the West; to wear a Star of David, attend synagogues and community centers, send kids to Jewish schools, frequent a Jewish club on campus, or speak Hebrew.”

Satire on ‘Israel’

It was once rare for an Israeli to attend an event or activity, even a light-hearted or artistic one, and be subjected to mockery and ridicule. 

However, that has begun to change in recent times.

On June 21, 2024, British comedian Patrick Spicer made fun of an Israeli war crimes investigator in Ukraine who was attending his show.

During his performance, Spicer engaged in a humorous conversation with a member of the front row, asking him about his profession. 

The man responded, "I’m an investigator." Spicer then asked, “Is that for real? What do you work on now?”

The man explained that he was working on investigating war crimes in Ukraine. Spicer inquired, "Are you from the UK? [...] Where are you from?"

To Spicer’s surprise, the man replied, “I’m from Israel.” Spicer burst into laughter and quipped, “Of all the places you could’ve said […] You’re a war crimes investigator from Israel looking at Ukraine. I think the call may be coming from inside the house,” referencing the need for accountability for the war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Romanian comedian Victor Patrascan posted a promotional video for his upcoming stand-up tour in Germany.

In his standup comedy, he asked one of the audience about his country and he said “Palestine” Patrascan turned to the audience and asked, “Do we have any Israelis here? Please, sit in his chair.”

He asked the audience if they knew any street jokes and one of the audience said "An Israeli comes to an airport, and the border police ask him, 'What’s your name?' He replies, 'Eli.' 'Family name?' they ask. 'Cohen,' he says. 'Occupation?' they inquire. 'No, just visiting' he answers."

The joke, like Spicer’s earlier remark, drew attention to the increasingly widespread and often pointed criticism of Israeli actions on the global stage, even in spaces that are typically apolitical.

As reported by Al-Estiklal, in an interview with Anadolu Agency, Mourad Yakoubi, a professor of Islamic history at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences in Tunisia, stated that "Western reactions to the Israeli war in Gaza have triggered profound shifts in Western mental frameworks."

"The sympathy of Western elites represents the biggest blow to the Zionist narrative since Israel began its war on Gaza."

"The most significant loss for Israel has been the erosion of its narrative of victimhood, along with the perception that it is the ‘only democracy’ in the Middle East," Yakoubi mentioned.

Meanwhile, Egyptian activist Alaa Rushdi, who resides in the UK, argued that "the growing hatred and anger towards Israelis in the West represents the greatest threat the state of Israel has ever faced since its establishment, and will require the development of a new strategy to counter this emerging sentiment."

Speaking to Al-Estiklal, Rushdi noted that "the current situation is drastically different from the post-World War II era, when Jews and Zionists operated under the cover of the Nazi Holocaust and laws prohibiting antisemitism, which made it nearly impossible to criticize or deny their actions."

"The current climate is marked by a shift in the attitudes of younger generations, particularly Generation Z. The widespread media blackout and disinformation campaigns that once prevailed are no longer effective, and many young Arabs, Muslims, and Europeans have grown up in the shadow of Israel’s ongoing crimes—from the Gaza and Lebanon wars to the current conflict, which is among the bloodiest."

“The brutality of the current Israeli war has led many Jews themselves to criticize and oppose Israel.” 

"Without a doubt," Rushdi said, "the profound shift in global perceptions of the justice of the Palestinian cause and the growing international empathy for it will leave an indelible mark. This will undoubtedly have lasting implications, not only for the establishment of a Palestinian state but also for the preservation of Palestinian identity and their historical rights."