Pope reaffirms that calls for the destruction of Israel are antisemitic
On the fiftieth anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican declaration which put an end to the centuries-old official antisemitic theology of the Catholic church, the Pope has condemned antisemitism, including that which masquerades as political discourse about Israel.
Pope Francis said: “To attack Jews is antisemitism, but an outright attack on the State of Israel is also antisemitism. There may be political disagreements between governments and on political issues, but the State of Israel has every right to exist in safety and prosperity.”
The statement echoes the globally-recognised EUMC definition of antisemitism which states that “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour” is antisemitic.
Our Antisemitism Barometer survey earlier this year found that 77% of British Jews “have witnessed antisemitism that was disguised as a political comment about Israel”.
