Anti-Zionism and the Controversy About the Definition of Antisemitism

The starting point of the article is the intense controversy in academia and politics about the definition of antisemitism. A critical review of the various proposed definitions as well as of common typologies of the forms of antisemitism reveals relatively similar problems in determining the subject matter. These problems are particularly evident in the classification of antisemitism directed against Israel. Based on these findings, it is proposed that the definition of antisemitism should be based less on individual stereotypes and more on the underlying basic patterns of anti-Jewish semantics that are common to the different variants of antisemitic world views. These basic patterns can allow for an improved analysis and evaluation of potentially antisemitic statements; the patterns can also be productive when dealing with questions such as the difference between racism and antisemitism, or the ideological specifics of the Shoah.