The smell of antisemitism is in the air, or is it the smell of misled patriotism, or is it simply toxic smoke intended to divide us?
The attacks in Boulder on the protesters supporting Israeli hostages stirred questions of antisemitism. Run for Their Lives, a group that aims to draw attention to hostages taken by Hamas, organized the event. The protest was interrupted by a person throwing a makeshift flamethrower and combustible devices, and shouting “Free Palestine.”
The incident reminds us how antisemitism is melted into politics. Can I want a free Palestine without smelling of antisemitism?
Many of Colorado’s politicians denounced the attack. Democratic representative Jason Crow characterized the attack as “targeted political violence at the Jewish community meant to spread fear,” adding, “Antisemitism is real. Sadly, it’s on the rise in America.” (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/02/us-leaders-condemn-attack-pro-israel-rally-colorado )
The Boulder event was after the earlier shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, DC. No wonder we smell antisemitism in our air.
Still, questions linger – when does anger about the treatment of Palestine become antisemitism?
Anger and violence go both ways. In April at UCLA, counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment with pepper spray, sticks, and fireworks, injuring 15 people. (https://www.nytimes.com/ippeaenteractive/2024/05/03/us/ucla-protests-encampment-violence.html ) It is obvious, people on both sides have strong feelings.
When does an action become antisemitism? According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “Antisemitism is a set of dehumanizing and hostile beliefs and behaviors that target Jews, both as individuals and as a group, because of their Jewish identity. It takes on many forms, including overt acts of violence, discrimination, harassment, and vandalism, as well as more subtle codes, tropes, and assumptions.”
What constitutes antisemitism gets complicated, especially when Jewish faith and the state of Israel are linked. The lines between pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism become blurred.
Can I feel grief for the conditions of the Palestinians without being antisemitic?
Can I want my country to stop sending weapons to Israel without being antisemitic?
Can I protest what is happening in Gaza without being antisemitic?
Can I even defend Harvard without being antisemitic?
How do we make our feelings known without dehumanizing the other side?
How do we care for our enemies?
It’s hard not to care about Palestinians who lack water, medicine, and food. Two million people are camped in the wreckage of war. Dozens, including children, are killed and wounded daily by Israeli shells, drones, bullets, and bombs. (https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/06/10/genocide-by-starvation/ )
Jews and Christians know that extending kindness includes reaching beyond one’s own tribe. The Five Books of Moses mention concern for the stranger 36 times. It tells us that the God of the Jews cherishes all people.
Most Americans and Israelis want the war to end. The lines between anti-Israel action as a country and feelings toward Jews can get blurred, but let’s not be fooled. Let’s not be manipulated into unnecessary divisions.
Can we be against the nation of Israel’s treatment of Palestine and not be antisemitic?
Can we separate Israel as a state from the Jewish religion?
Can we think our nation should stop sending weapons to Israel, and not be antisemitic?
Not everything is a simple either-or.
If I’m against our nation’s present deportation tactics, does that make me anti-American?
If I’m against the rampant use of farm chemicals that fill Iowa air, does that make me anti-farmer?
If I’m against Bible study in schools, does that make me anti-Christian?
Jewish faith is distinct from Israel. Christian faith is distinct from the United States.
Do we like divisions too much? Do we feel good when we start thinking I’m correct and they are wrong?
Antisemitism exists. So does racism. So does misogyny. So do a lot of biases. Can we learn to make space for others without villainizing them?
Now and then, I smell hope in the air. I smell divisions evaporating. Let’s find ways to fill our air with more understanding and less violent rhetoric.
Jane Yoder-Short is a guest columnist from Kalona, Iowa.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: The smell of antisemitism is in the air | Guest Opinion
Reporting by Jane Yoder-Short / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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