Doing research for a book—what’s a left-wing antisemitic take that’s left you feeling unwelcome?

Hey everyone, I’m working on a book about antisemitism on the left and would love to hear your experiences.

Have you ever been in a progressive space and suddenly felt like your Jewish identity didn’t belong? Like the same people fighting for justice and equality somehow saw you as the exception?

I’m looking for those frustrating one-liners that sound righteous on the surface but erase Jewish identity, deny history, or hold Jews to impossible standards.

Some that come to mind:

  • “Anti-Zionism isn’t antisemitism.”
  • “Jews are white, so they have privilege.”
  • “Israel is a European settler-colony, just like South Africa.”
  • “Jews lived fine in the Middle East before Israel existed.”
  • “Zionism is just another form of white supremacy.”

What’s a comment that made you think, “No, you’re wrong, and here’s why,” but required way too much explaining?

If you’ve got a story, I’d love to hear it. No judgment, just a space to share what’s been hard to say out loud.

And even if you don’t have a specific one-liner, have you ever felt like your Jewish identity wasn’t seen as part of the broader fight for justice—like it didn’t ‘count’ as something that also deserves allyship? Or have you ever felt that you had to distance yourself from Israel just to be accepted in progressive spaces?

EDIT:

Thank you all for the responses so far. I want to clarify that I’m not ignoring right-wing antisemitism. The far right openly hates Jews—they don’t pretend otherwise, and their antisemitism is well-documented.

But that’s exactly why antisemitism on the left is harder to fight. It comes from people who claim to care about justice, equity, and marginalized communities—but often exclude Jews or hold us to impossible standards. It’s more subtle, often well-intentioned, and wrapped in progressive language, which makes it easier to dismiss.

Jews have been at the forefront of social justice movements, yet today, many of the very spaces we helped build are pushing us out. While there are countless books and discussions on neo-Nazis, antisemitism in progressive spaces is often ignored or excused.

This isn’t about politics—it’s about real experiences. Have you ever felt unwelcome, erased, or held to a different standard in spaces that claim to fight for justice?