How the left can fight anti-Semitism, according to these authors

People gather in New York City on August 14 to protest a campaign rally of Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

By Arno Rosenfeld
20 August 2024

In their new book, Shane Burley and Ben Lorber make the point that the political left's stance on Israel and anti-Semitism is not only wrong to alienate a majority of Jews—it is a political strategy doomed to failure.

The question of how to confront anti-Semitism on the political left has been simmering for years and reached a boiling point after the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel. Some leftists celebrated the violence, while many others refused to condemn it in energetic words or at all. And Hamas symbolism has become more visible in pro-Palestinian actions in recent months.

These tendencies have encouraged a migration of some liberal Jews to the right, often shifting the focus of the progressive movement to Intersectionality And oppression as a threat to Jewish security. The Jewish establishment responded by portraying the problem as a problem of political extremes. Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, Description of a “radical left” that is “the photo counterpart to the extreme right”.

Those who support this argument are aware that leftists rarely make openly anti-Semitic statements, as is common on the right, and therefore they try to define the form of anti-Zionism that is widespread on the left as a form of anti-Semitism.

These definitions do not stick often. But they provide Israel's defenders with ammunition to level accusations against the country's harshest critics. makes it more difficult for some Jewish progressives to address what they believe is actual anti-Semitism in their movement.

“The left remains paralyzed,” write Burley and Lorber. “Many activists are annoyed by the flood of accusations and reject any discussion of anti-Semitism. They are convinced that the issue is completely fabricated.”

Security through solidarity is an attempt to break this deadlock and the most comprehensive left-wing perspective on anti-Semitism that I have ever encountered.

An appeal to the left

The book's most notable section is a defense of the Jewish majority's attachment to Israel, often derided by the left: “The majority of Jews worldwide currently support Zionism because they view Israel – quite understandably – as a lifeboat on a cruel, stormy ocean.”

This is an unusual statement from two leftists who remain active in a movement that increasingly sees “Zionists” as a kind of insult. Lorber spent years as a campus organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace, one of the country's leading anti-Zionist organizations, while Burley's previous book was an anthology of anti-fascist essays.

They refer to Israel's actions in the Gaza war as “genocide” throughout the book and offer no defense of Israel other than their sympathy for Jews who have positive feelings toward the country.

Burley and Lorner's attempt to create a progressive framework that both supports anti-Zionism and welcomes Jews who are not themselves anti-Zionists is a tricky proposition, and they fail to address all of the potential pitfalls. For example, they excuse the lack of “historical empathy” for Jews among Palestinians, but condemn it among non-Palestinian activists who often take their cues from Palestinian leaders.

In other respects, however, their conclusions speak for themselves.

“We cannot dismiss broad sections of a marginalized community as a priori enemies, unworthy of relationships and solidarity, unless they immediately agree to a radical critique that goes against their entire socialization,” they write. “Activists must meet people where they are, treat them as if they are worth more than just their political approval, and work to move them forward on important issues.”

I should add that Security through solidarity It's about much more than just how anti-Semitism intersects with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I hope you'll join me tonight as I discuss the book with Burley and Lorber. We'll also cover their analysis of conspiracy-theoretical anti-Semitism on the far right – which takes up most of the book – and how they think their left-wing counterparts can better respond to anti-Semitism.