It’s not all antisemitism

May 8, 2026

This analysis is welcome in recognising the impact of “the devastation of Gaza” on antisemitism. But it fails to recognise that much of what is commonly read as antisemitism can be seen in many cases to be merely an expression of anti-Israel sentiment. The case of anti-Israel graffiti on a wall illustrates the point. When the graffiti is on a wall in a public place, the graffiti is just anti-Israel graffiti. The same applies when it’s on, say, an Israeli consulate building. When the graffiti is on a building linked to Israel by religion, it becomes problematic. In terms of motivation (not necessarily law), it could be antisemitic or it could simply be anti-Israel sentiment. The point is that we don’t know. It follows that we shouldn’t assume that this behaviour is necessarily antisemitic in motivation. It follows further that much of the so-called rise in antisemitism can be seen merely as a rise in anti-Israel sentiment. One hopes that Commissioner Bell is able to discern this crucial difference.