Quick Answer
Right-wing antisemitism usually portrays Jews as racial outsiders, national enemies, or hidden manipulators, while left-wing antisemitism more often casts them as symbols of capitalism, colonialism, privilege, or systemic power. The right’s classic texts include the forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Nazi race theory; the left’s include Marx’s 1844 essay and Soviet anti-Zionist propaganda. Both forms rely on conspiracy thinking and on treating Jews as a collective problem. A third source, Islamist antisemitism, draws on both. This article argues that both forms matter and that anti-Zionism has become the main channel for left-wing hostility.
Key takeaways:
- Antisemitism comes from both the far right and the far left.
- The right tends to see Jews as racial or national outsiders.
- The left tends to see Jews as symbols of capital or power.
- Both forms rely on conspiracy thinking about Jewish influence.
- Islamist antisemitism borrows themes from both traditions.
- Recognizing all forms is necessary to fight any of them.
Two Traditions of the Same Hatred
Antisemitism is often discussed as though it comes from only one side of the political spectrum. Historically, however, hostility toward Jews has emerged from both the far Right and the far Left, often using very different language, symbols, and ideological justifications. Understanding the distinction matters because modern antisemitism frequently changes form depending on the political movement expressing it. Right-wing antisemitism traditionally portrays Jews as racial outsiders, national enemies, or conspiratorial global manipulators. Left-wing antisemitism more commonly frames Jews as symbols of capitalism, colonialism, privilege, or systemic power. The rhetoric differs. The underlying hostility can overlap. This historical evolution is explored in The History of Left-Wing Antisemitism: How Progressive Ideology Turned on the Jews, from Marx to October 7.
What Is Right-Wing Antisemitism?
Right-wing antisemitism is historically associated with ethnic nationalism, racial theories, fascism, and conspiracy movements. It typically portrays Jews as:
- Foreign or disloyal outsiders
- Threats to national identity
- Controllers of banks, media, or governments
- Participants in global conspiracies
- Responsible for immigration, communism, or social decline
This form of antisemitism defined much of European antisemitic ideology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, culminating in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.
Common Themes in Right-Wing Antisemitism
- Racial purity
- Ethnonationalism
- “Great replacement” conspiracy theories
- Holocaust denial
- Claims of Jewish global control
- Neo-Nazi ideology
Modern far-right antisemitism often spreads online through extremist forums, white nationalist movements, and conspiracy networks.
What Is Left-Wing Antisemitism?
Left-wing antisemitism usually emerges through anti-capitalist, revolutionary, anti-colonial, or progressive ideological frameworks. Far from portraying Jews as racially inferior, it often portrays Jews as:
- Symbols of wealth or capitalism
- Representatives of “privilege”
- Beneficiaries of systemic power
- Colonial oppressors through Israel
- Obstacles to revolutionary politics
This tradition has roots in parts of early socialist thought, Soviet anti-Zionism, and later New Left activism.
Common Themes in Left-Wing Antisemitism
- Jews associated with finance and capitalism
- Zionism portrayed as uniquely evil
- Israel framed as a colonial project
- Jewish identity reduced to “whiteness” or privilege
- Antisemitism dismissed as politically secondary
- Revolutionary violence against Jews rationalized as resistance
Critics argue that this form of antisemitism often hides behind political language that makes it appear morally legitimate.
The Major Difference Between Right and Left-Wing Antisemitism
The central difference is ideological framing.
Right and Left Antisemitism Side by Side
| Feature | Right-Wing Antisemitism | Left-Wing Antisemitism |
|---|---|---|
| How Jews are imagined | Racial outsiders, disloyal aliens, puppet masters | Capitalists, colonizers, privileged power brokers |
| Key historical texts | The forged Protocols of the Elders of Zion (first published 1903); Nazi race theory | Marx’s On the Jewish Question (1844); Soviet anti-Zionist literature after 1967 |
| State-level examples | Nazi Germany’s Nuremberg Laws (1935) and the Holocaust | Stalin’s anti-cosmopolitan campaign (1949) and the Slánský trial (1952) |
| Typical vocabulary | “Globalists,” “Jewish control,” “replacement” | “Zionist lobby,” “settler colonialism,” “privilege” |
| Recent examples | The 2017 Charlottesville rally chant “Jews will not replace us”; the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre | The 2020 finding against Britain’s Labour Party; campus exclusion of Jewish students over Zionism |
| Self-image | Defending the nation or race | Fighting oppression and racism |
The last row may matter most. Right-wing antisemites often accept the label, or come close to it. Left-wing antisemitism usually presents itself as anti-racism, which is why those who express it often deny it is antisemitism at all.
A Third Source: Islamist Antisemitism
Many researchers point to a third tradition that does not fit neatly on the left-right spectrum. Islamist movements have drawn on religious sources and on European antisemitic literature alike. Hamas’s 1988 charter, for example, cited the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a forgery produced in Tsarist Russia. Hamas issued a revised document in 2017 that distinguished between Jews and Zionists, though critics argued the change was largely cosmetic. Islamist antisemitism matters to this discussion because parts of the far left have formed political alliances with Islamist groups in the name of anti-imperialism, while parts of the far right share its conspiracy theories. It is one reason some observers see the extremes converging.
What Right-Wing Antisemitism Says
Jews are dangerous because they are outsiders weakening the nation.
What Left-Wing Antisemitism Says
Jews are dangerous because they are insiders controlling systems of power. One casts Jews as alien infiltrators. The other casts Jews as privileged oppressors. Yet both frequently rely on similar assumptions:
- Jews possess hidden influence
- Jews manipulate institutions
- Jewish power is illegitimate
- Jewish suffering is exaggerated or politically useful
Historically, these narratives sometimes converged despite originating from opposing ideologies.
How Anti-Zionism Changed the Debate
After the creation of Israel in 1948, hostility toward Jews increasingly became redirected through hostility toward Zionism. Critics of modern left-wing antisemitism argue that anti-Zionism can become antisemitic when:
- Israel is held to standards not applied to other nations
- Jews alone are denied self-determination
- Jewish identity becomes collectively tied to political guilt
- Violence against Israeli civilians is justified or minimized
This debate intensified dramatically after October 7, when some activist groups framed the Hamas attacks as legitimate “resistance.” For many Jews, the reactions revealed how anti-Israel activism could rapidly slide into open hostility toward Jews themselves.
How to Recognize Antisemitism From Either Direction
Because the two traditions use different vocabularies, people often notice antisemitism from the other side of the spectrum more easily than from their own. A few simple tests work for both. Does the claim treat Jews as a collective with a single will? Does it explain complex events through hidden Jewish influence? Does it hold Jews in one country responsible for the actions of another government? Does it apply a standard to Jews or to the Jewish state that is applied to no one else? If the answer to any of these is yes, the claim deserves scrutiny, whatever the politics of the person making it.
For the full history of the left-wing tradition, see John Ward’s The History of Left-Wing Antisemitism on Amazon.
Why Both Forms Matter
Public discussion often treats antisemitism selectively depending on political affiliation. Some institutions focus heavily on far-right extremism while minimizing antisemitism within progressive movements. Others do the reverse. Historically, both forms have caused enormous harm. Understanding antisemitism requires recognizing that hatred toward Jews adapts to the political language of each era:
- Nationalism on the far Right
- Revolutionary ideology on the far Left
- Conspiracy culture online
- Anti-colonial rhetoric in activist spaces
The vocabulary changes. The patterns often remain recognizable.
A Historical Examination of Left-Wing Antisemitism
While right-wing antisemitism is widely documented, fewer books explore the intellectual history of antisemitism within progressive movements. The History of Left-Wing Antisemitism examines:
- Marx and the “Jewish Question”
- Socialist hostility toward Jewish capitalism
- Soviet anti-Zionist propaganda
- Stalinist antisemitic campaigns
- The New Left and anti-colonial ideology
- Modern campus activism after October 7
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between right-wing and left-wing antisemitism?
Right-wing antisemitism usually portrays Jews as racial or national enemies, while left-wing antisemitism more often portrays Jews as privileged oppressors tied to capitalism, colonialism, or systemic power.
Is anti-Zionism always antisemitic?
No. Criticism of Israeli government policies is not inherently antisemitic. However, anti-Zionism can become antisemitic when it denies Jews the right to self-determination or uses anti-Jewish stereotypes.
Which political side has more antisemitism today?
Antisemitism exists across the political spectrum. Far-right extremism remains a major threat, while concerns have also grown about antisemitism within progressive activist and academic spaces.
Did the Soviet Union promote antisemitism?
Officially, the Soviet Union condemned antisemitism. In practice, Soviet authorities frequently targeted Jewish intellectuals and promoted anti-Zionist propaganda that many historians view as antisemitic.
Why do some people call anti-Israel activism antisemitic?
Critics argue that some anti-Israel activism crosses into antisemitism when Jews collectively are blamed for Israel’s actions, or when Israel is treated differently from every other nation.
What book explains the history of left-wing antisemitism?
The History of Left-Wing Antisemitism: How Progressive Ideology Turned on the Jews, from Marx to October 7 explores the historical roots of antisemitism within socialist, Soviet, and modern progressive movements. The History of Left-Wing Antisemitism: How Progressive Ideology Turned on the Jews, from Marx to October 7
Did Hamas’s charter cite the Protocols of the Elders of Zion?
Yes. Its 1988 charter cited the forged text. A 2017 policy document softened the language, though critics called the change cosmetic.
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