Nadiya Al-Noor
Yesterday at 11:36am ·

Israel is not above criticism. Like every country, it has its flaws, and we need to address them in order to make the country better. However, there are legitimate ways to criticize Israel's policies, and there's "criticism" that's actually seeped with antisemitism.

Here's how to tell if your "criticism" is actually antisemitism:

Demonization: Do you portray Israelis as monsters? As cold, unfeeling, hateful entities? Do you use common antisemitic tropes, such as "Israelis are gleefully killing children" "Israelis are stealing all the money" "Israel controls the world's media" "Zionism is racism" etc.?

Delegitimization: Do you target Israel's very existence? Do you say things like "Israel has no right to exist" "Jews have no roots in the area"?

Double-standards: Do you single out Israel for alleged human rights violations? Do you cry and scream about every little thing Israel does, but are largely silent about other conflicts and issues in the world? Do you make excuses for terrorism when Palestinians do it while wholeheartedly condemning Israeli violence?

And, most importantly, do you criticize to hurt Israel and her citizens, rather than aiming to find peaceful solutions that benefit everyone?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, congratulations, you're an antisemite!

It's okay to criticize Israel, but only if it's legitimate criticism based in facts and with the intent to solve problems (which should be the rule for criticism in general).