Last chance for a better EU anti-racism strategy on antisemitism

The European Commission’s public consultation on the EU anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 closes on Tuesday (8 July).

Recognising that antisemitism is part of the wider landscape of racism in Europe will bring racialised communities together rather than against each other.

On the other hand, addressing antisemitism in isolation from other forms of racism and creating unnecessary hierarchies between different groups has the adverse effect of isolating Jews within the broader antiracist movement and of pitting racialised communities against each other. 

In order to effectively combat antisemitism it should be incorporated into the larger fight against racism rather than singled out, exceptionalised or elevated above other forms of racism in Europe.

The European Commission’s upcoming anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 is an opportunity to do exactly that - to address all forms of racism, including antisemitism. 

Antisemitism, or anti-Jewish hatred, is a form of racism.

Obviously, it has its own particular history and expressions, like all other forms of racism.

To fight against antisemitism in an effective way it is essential to address it alongside anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim racism, anti-Asian racism and anti-gypsyism. In fact, combating antisemitism without placing it within a broader anti-racist strategy is ineffective and even counterproductive.

Antisemitism is often labeled as a unique phenomenon. This view can only be sustained by ignoring the devastating and enduring impact of racism against various racialized peoples at the hands of Europe’s powerful colonial empires.

But singling out antisemitism is not only historically inaccurate. It also isolates the struggle against antisemitism from its natural allies and partners — other racialized groups who also suffer from racism and who are fighting for the same vision of racial justice and equality. 

In paticular, both Jewish and Muslim communities living in Europe are constantly stereotyped and pitted against each other, and even more so since 7 October 2023. 'The Jews' are often being cast as the helpless victims of a new pogrom or even a new Holocaust, while 'the Muslims' cast as the ultimate threat against Jews, the new antisemites, the new Nazis.

Then, due to Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza, 'the Jews' became a target, collectively blamed for Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians, also becoming the new Nazis.

All these stereotypes are racist and dehumanizing to both communities. 

Conflation of Jews and Israel

This stereotyping against entire groups are related to other false ideas — that all Jewish people support Israel, that Israel’s interests are aligned with the interests of Jews, that defending Israel is somehow defending Jewish people wherever they are, and, lastly, that harsh criticism of Israel is, in fact, antisemitism.

These are not only theoretical notions. There are concrete efforts across Europe to institutionalise this false framework around antisemitism into legislation and policy. 

To be clear, these notions that equate all Jewish people with the State of Israel are themselves antisemitic since they paint the diverse Jewish population as a monolith.

These notions also deny an ever-growing segment of the Jewish population — Jews who stand in solidarity with Palestinians — of their agency and voice, if not of their sheer identity as Jews. 

The conflation between Jews and the State of Israel divides the Jews in Europe into those who are deemed legitimate, deserving of protection and support — Jews who support Israel — and those who are not — Jews who do not fully support Israel and even criticise it publicly.

This actually creates an additional hierarchy among Jews, with Jews who criticise Israel being accused as being somehow ‘less’ Jews than others, as if unconditional support to Israel is the ultimate test of Jewish identity.

This is deeply false.

All Jewish people, regardless of their political position towards Israel, are worthy of the same rights and opportunities to participate in Jewish and public life in the countries where they live as well as at the European level of decision-making.

Moreover, state policies which institutionalise this false equation of criticism of Israel with antisemitism are actively repressing freedom of expression and assembly in Europe under the guise of the fight against antisemitism.

This is extremely dangerous since European governments justify their increases policing of pro-Palestinian activism by claiming that they do it in the name of Jewish safety, with the aim to protect the Jewish population.

The consequenece is that all Jews then become associated with state violence and anti-Palestinian oppression. These dynamics actually increases resentment towards Jews and makes the Jewish communities becoming even more of a target for frustration and hate. 

The European Commission’s upcoming anti-racism strategy 2026-2030 is an opportunity to fix these false notions and dangerous conflations. By seizing this opportunity, we will be better equipped to face the challenge of combating antisemitism, addressing it for what it is — a form of racism.  

The new EU anti-racist strategy should tackle structural racism and discrimination against all racialised groups, including Jews. This opportunity to integrate the fight against antisemitism in a broad and comprehensive anti-racist approach will allow a much more effective policy of combating antisemitism. 

Finally, the new strategy should create incentives for various groups which are victims of racism and discrimination to come together as allies and partners. This will allow all of us to focus on the actual ideologies, institutions and policies which reproduce racism and discrimination against racialized persons — rather than dividing racialized groups from one another and putting them against each other. 

This year, we turn 25 and are looking for 2,500 new supporting members to take their stake in EU democracy. A functioning EU relies on a well-informed public – you.