Federal government identifies anti-Zionism as driver of anti-Jewish hate in policy shift
Ottawa's move to recognize anti-Zionism as a manifestation of antisemitism has drawn mixed reactions, with disagreement over what the term actually means.
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The federal government announced September 24 that it would recognize anti-Zionism as a driver of anti-Jewish hate, marking a significant policy shift on antisemitism. The declaration came in a progress report from Public Safety Canada on federal antisemitism efforts promised in January.
The move has sparked disagreement over what anti-Zionism actually means. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs defines Zionism as supporting the Jewish people's right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Opponents of Zionism argue it embodies a colonial mentality that allows the Israeli government to subjugate Palestinians.
Carleton University political scientist Mira Sucharov found in a 2022 survey that how Jews view Zionism depends entirely on the definition. "Self-proclaimed Zionists (Jewish or otherwise) and anti-Zionists (Jewish or otherwise) are talking about completely different things," Sucharov said in an interview with Haaretz. She found Jews embrace Zionism when defined as "a belief in a Jewish and democratic state" but reject it when defined as "the belief in privileging Jewish rights over non-Jewish rights in Israel."
The independent Jewish Voices organization, which identifies as anti-Zionist, defines anti-Zionism as "the rejection of Jewish settler-colonialism in Palestine and belief that Palestinians deserve dignity and safety like all other people."
The Association for Canadian Studies, in a report commissioned by Ottawa, defined anti-Zionism as "a movement that calls for the erasure of Israel and denies the Jewish people the right to self-determination in part of their ancestral homeland." That definition prompted criticism from left-leaning groups.
The Network of Engaged Canadian Academics, a group of mostly Jewish academics, argues that "the latest incarnation of Jew hatred is anti-Zionism (which) relies on libel and distortion to claim that the Jewish collective, Israel, rather than the individual Jew, is uniquely evil."
By the numbers
When did the federal government announce its policy on anti-Zionism and antisemitism?
The federal government announced on Thursday, September 24, 2026, that it would recognize anti-Zionism as a driver of anti-Jewish hate.
What does the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs define Zionism as?
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs defines Zionism as supporting the Jewish people's right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland.
