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Short answer
Zionism is distinct from racism, which is the belief in the superiority of one race over others. Zionism aims for a Jewish homeland, not racial superiority.
Israel’s Declaration of Independence guarantees equal rights regardless of religion, race, or gender. The “Zionism is racism” trope originated with the Soviet Union as a Cold War tactic and gained traction with UN Resolution 3379 in 1975, which was repealed by the UN General Assembly in 1991. This false equation is weaponized to isolate and demonize Israel.
Long answer
Zionism is distinct from racism. Racism is the belief in the superiority of one race over others, coupled with discrimination or antagonism. Zionism is not a movement to exclude or harm Arabs. It is the Jewish national liberation aspiration originating in response to European antisemitism, that aims for a Jewish homeland in the historical land, not racial superiority. Israel’s Declaration of Independence guarantees equal rights regardless of religion, race, or gender.
The “Zionism is racism” statement originated in the Soviet Union in the mid-1960s, initially as a tactic during negotiations for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Soviet Union’s condition for condemning antisemitism was also condemning Zionism and Nazism. This idea gained traction in 1975 with UN General Assembly Resolution 3379, declaring Zionism “a form of racism and racial discrimination.” Passed during the Cold War, this resolution was part of a Soviet-Arab strategy to delegitimize Israel.
Heavily criticized, the resolution was seen as a distortion of Zionism as a Jewish national liberation movement. It was repealed in 1991 by the UN General Assembly, with opposition only from some Arab and Muslim states, Cuba, North Korea, and Vietnam. Despite the repeal, the concept persists in debates about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Zionism’s nature.
This historical trope is linked to contemporary antisemitism, where Israelis and Jews are labeled “Nazis” and “racists.” The Israeli war in Gaza, in response to the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the taking of hostages, has fueled a resurgence of this rhetoric and amplified the equation of Zionism with racism. Whether used in academic or activist circles, including by some Jewish organizations, or in anti-Israel propaganda, this narrative is used as a political tool to deny the Jewish people’s right to self-determination.
Its presence on campuses and in discussions about systemic racism and settler colonialism with respect to Israel shows how this false equation is weaponized to isolate and demonize Israel. Therefore, equating Zionism with racism is not only misleading but also a dangerous form of antisemitism, inciting hatred and violence against Jews.
