Anti-Zionism is just a modern form of anti-Semitism

The argument

The argument identifies a pattern in how hostility toward Jewish people has historically been expressed, and applies that pattern to the present. Proponents observe that throughout history, anti-Semitism has manifested itself as accusing the Jewish people of possessing the trait that society perceives as the worst. The content of the accusation changes while its function does not: what stays constant is that Jews are charged with the specific vice their society holds in greatest contempt, which is what gives the charge its force in that setting. This was evident in the Soviet Union and in Nazi Germany, where the accusations differed from one another but each was calibrated to the prevailing standard of what was most contemptible. The argument then applies that pattern to the present. In today's tolerant and liberal society, proponents argue, the worst thing a person can be is racist. It is the accusation that most reliably removes someone from respectable standing, and so it occupies the position previously held by other charges in other societies. The final step is the identification. Anti-Zionism, on this view, accuses Jews of being precisely that. If hostility toward Jews has always taken the form of the era's worst available charge, and the worst available charge today is racism, then a movement that levels that charge at Jewish national self-determination is performing the same operation with different material. The continuity, proponents hold, lies in the structure rather than in the vocabulary. That is why, on this account, anti-Zionism is clearly anti-Semitism in its most modern format, and why the two are held to be the same thing.

Context

In the Soviet Union under Communism, the worst perceived trait to have was to be a capitalist. Anti-Semites called Jews capitalist. In Nazi Germany, the worst charges to have against a group was to dilute the Aryan bloodline. Jews were accused of diluting the bloodline. In modern society, the worst trait to have is racism. Anti-Zionism accuses Jews of being racist.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Anti-Zionism does not accuse all Jews of being racist. It only accuses the Israeli state of adopting racist and prejudiced policies. To assume Israel represents all Jews is incorrect. Many oppose it and explicitly denounce its policies. To automatically assume all Jews are Zionist and are politically aligned with Israel is to fall into the same trap of generalisation and stereotyping that racists and anti-Semites do.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Anti-Zionism is not ant-Semitism because it does not make sweeping generalisations about all Jews. It is limited to criticism of Israel.