Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc., reaffirms its commitment to countering antisemitism, including antisemitism masked as anti-Zionism, and to denouncing the exclusion of Jews and Zionists from professional associations, publications and civil society groups in the US and worldwide.
Globally, antisemitism continues to rise at alarming rates, including an unprecedented spike following Hamas’ brutal October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. In the months since, Israelis, Zionists and Jewish people have been increasingly targeted with antisemitic harassment, violence and other efforts to isolate, demean and demonize them around the world. The inflammatory rhetoric, discrimination and microaggressions can have a deep impact, resulting in mental health effects, social exclusions, lost relationships and professional ramifications.
Anti-Zionism villainizes Jewish and non-Jewish individuals who believe Israel has a right to exist, normalizes antisemitism and encourages hatred. Historic antisemitic tropes and themes are embedded in the rhetoric used to demonize Israel, delegitimize indigenous Jewish connections to the land of Israel and deny the Jewish people’s right to self-determination. At the extreme, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS), in calling for the isolation of Jews, Zionists and Israeli and Jewish institutions, has an end goal of eliminating Jewish self-determination and destroying the State of Israel.
Town councils and professional associations are among the institutions that have adopted biased, one-sided declarations against Israel and the current war, which often fail to acknowledge Hamas’ role and culpability as terrorist aggressors, rapists and kidnappers who have continually refused hostage releases and ceasefire proposals. These types of policy statements apply an unfair double standard on the Jewish state. When governments, civil society groups, and academic, medical and other professional associations release such statements and resolutions, their actions do not help further peace in the Middle East. They ultimately divide communities and alienate or intimidate Jewish constituents. They run counter to the core values of these professions.
Hadassah Medical Organization’s two Jerusalem hospitals exemplify the best in medical care, research and shared society. Hadassah hospitals are renowned for building bridges to peace through their diversity of patients and staff, international collaborative partners and humanitarian relief efforts around the world. Hadassah doctors and nurses are also leading health projects to share research and help train Palestinian doctors, nurses and health care providers, including a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian mental health professionals to enhance their skills in providing trauma-informed psychosocial care to improve the mental health of conflict-affected Israeli and Palestinian children and adolescents. Hadassah rejects isolation and polarization and embraces collaboration as the pathway to building peace.
In the face of the unprecedented global spike in antisemitism and antisemitism masked as anti-Zionism, Hadassah calls on leaders in organizations, associations and governments to help fight the global rise in antisemitism by:
- Denouncing and refusing to engage in efforts to isolate or exclude Jews and Zionists from civil society groups, professional associations, publications or other organizations.
- Encouraging collaboration and cross-cultural ties, especially through the sharing of research, technology and best practices to help advance understanding, innovation, economic growth, cultural connection and peace.
- Rejecting and denouncing growing antisemitism, raising awareness about antisemitism disguised as anti-Zionism and working to ensure antisemitism does not become normalized.