What I want to emphasize here, and what I’d like rational people to consider, is that the word “Zionist” has become a euphemism for “Jew”: a way to normalize Jew hatred while pretending to promote an unbiased political or ideological view. Likewise, I would suggest that instead of using the term “anti-Zionist,” we use the term “antisemite” or “Jew hater.”
There was a time when Jews did debate whether there should be a Jewish state, but that was before the UN voted 33-13 (10 abstentions) to create a Jewish state—as well as an Arab state and an “international zone” for Jerusalem. Note that instead of accepting an Arab state (the Jews accepted Israel), the Arab League rejected the plan, just as Arabs have rejected a Palestinian state several times since. Instead five Arab states attacked Israel the day before the state was to declare independence, trying to wipe out the Jews. Instead, the Arabs lost.
Arabs and Palestinians have never accepted this loss (it’s exemplified in the word “Nakba”, meaning “the catastrophe”), and, as Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf have emphasized, these opponents have since demanded the “right of return” of displaced Arabs and their descendants, a tactic envisioned to wipe out Israel. (Note that the Arabs left the Jewish state in 1948 because Arabs fighting Jews were expelled, while most of them left under orders of Arab states, who thought they’d win the war but wanted Arab residents temporarily out of the way while they conquered Israel.)
But I digress. There are two reasons why the term “Zionist” is both inappropriate and confusing.
A. The first I’ve mentioned before. The vast majority of Jews are Zionists in the sense I and many others use: “those who believe that the state of Israel has a right to exist as a place where Jews can exercise self-determination.” (Of course the 20% of Israelis who are Arabs also participate in this self determination.) Although many Jews don’t characterize themselves as “Zionists” (see below), As the Jewish Democratic Council of America notes,
“A study released by the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) found that only 37% of American Jews today identify as Zionists, while 86% believe that Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state. Zionism means different things to different people, and – when considering what it means to be “pro-Israel” in 2026 – we should focus less on labels and more on values.”
And those are American Jews. I suspect that close to 100% of Israeli Jews think Israel has a right to exist.
The confusion about what Zionism means is one reason why “Zionist” has become synonymous with “Jew”. When the many people who go after Jews make their verbal or physical attacks (as they are doing in Philadelphia today), they don’t ask the objects of their ire if they favor the existence of a Jewish state, nor do they ask them if they self-identify as “Zionists.” No, they simply target Jews, but call them “Zionists” because it’s more acceptable. Seriously, though do you think these people even care whether a Jew supports the existence of Israel? If they did, they wouldn’t be attacking schools or businesses just because they are Jewish, or committing physical hate crimes against random Jews on the street.
The reason the term “Zionist” is used, as it is in today’s Philadelphia Bike Boycott, is because it’s a way to say “Jew” without seeming to be antisemitic. Below is the poster for today’s demonstration. Note that it names the businesses to be boycotted as “Zionist establishments,” though at least two and probably three of the six restaurants have not explicitly said they are “Zionists”. The thing these eateries have in common is not that they’re owned by “Zionists,” but that they’re owned by Jews. The bikers are simply Jew haters, which has been implied by people ranging from the governor of Pennsylvania to the mayor of Philadelphia.
B. Second, there are plenty of Zionists who are not Jewish—people of other backgrounds who nevertheless think that Israel has a right to exist as a self-determining Jewish state. If you’re going to go after “Zionists” in that sense, well, you should be going after these people, too:
Winston Churchill
Harry Truman
Justin Trudeau
Boris Johnson
Douglas Murray
Mike Huckabee
Nikki Haley
Ritchie Torres
Marco Rubio
Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Bassam Eid
Jon Voigt
John Fetterman
I could go on and on, because the West is full of people who are “Zionists” in the sense above, aligning with the views of 86% of American Jews. I suspect many of the non-Jewish readers here also hold that view. Bloody Zionists all! Boycott them!
Note that “Zionist” in the sense I mean above does not mean you agree with Israeli government policies or, in particular, with Benjamin Netanyahu. The equation of “Zionist” with “supporter of Israeli government policies” is one of the big deliberate lies that opponents of Israel bandy about.
It’s time to start calling out people who use the word “Zionist” to characterize their opponents. Stand up to them and say that they are really “antisemites” or “Jew haters”. The state of Israel is already in existence, and it’s nonsensical to demonize those who think that that UN decision should be taken back.
Finally, I asked Grok the question at hand, and here’s its answer (indented):
My question: Does “Zionist” in today’s political discourse really mean “Jew”?
Grok’s answer:No, not literally or always — but in large parts of today’s political discourse, especially activist, campus, and online left-leaning spaces, it frequently functions as a euphemism, dogwhistle, or code word for “Jew.”
Definitions matter (Zionism is the Jewish national movement for self-determination in the historic Jewish homeland (the Land of Israel). Its core modern form holds that Jews, as a people, have the right to a sovereign state — the same principle applied to many other groups. It is a political/national ideology, not identical to Jewish ethnicity or religion.
- Not every Jew is a Zionist (small minorities of ultra-Orthodox groups like Neturei Karta and some secular leftists reject it).
- Not every Zionist is Jewish (there are Christian and other non-Jewish Zionists).
In principle, one can criticize Israeli government policies without rejecting the existence of a Jewish state. The IHRA working definition of antisemitism (widely adopted, including by the U.S. State Department) distinguishes ordinary criticism of Israel from antisemitism, while listing as examples denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination (e.g., claiming the existence of Israel is a racist endeavor) and applying double standards.
How the word is actually used. In practice, “Zionist” is often deployed far more broadly and pejoratively:
- As a slur or exclusionary label (“Zionists not allowed,” “Death to Zionists,” signs equating Zionism with racism or Nazism).
- As a substitute in classic antisemitic tropes: “Zionists control the media/government/banks,” dual loyalty, bloodthirstiness, or collective blame for Israeli actions (or global ills).
- On campuses, in protests, and online, hostility is directed at “Zionists” in ways that track Jewish people, Jewish institutions, or anyone with a connection to Israel — while speakers insist they only oppose an “ideology.”
Jewish organizations (ADL, AJC, CST) and others document this pattern. The term has long been used this way by far-right figures (e.g., David Duke) and has been widely adopted in some progressive and anti-Israel activist circles, especially since October 7, 2023. A common diagnostic: replace “Zionist” with “Jew” in a statement — if it becomes clearly bigoted, the original was likely antisemitic.
Martin Luther King Jr. is often quoted (from a 1967 conversation) observing that criticism of “Zionists” in that context meant Jews and amounted to antisemitism. NYU’s conduct guidance has noted that “Zionist” can function as a code word targeting Jews.
The polling gap reveals the issueRecent data show a mismatch between the label and the substance:
- A 2025 Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) survey found only about 37% of American Jews identify as “Zionist.” Yet 88% affirm that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish, democratic state. Self-identified anti-Zionists are a small minority (~7% overall, higher among the youngest adults). Many avoid the label because opponents have redefined “Zionism” to mean uncritical support for every Israeli policy or something extreme.
- Earlier surveys (e.g., JPPI) showed higher self-identification with the term or support for its content. In Israel, large majorities of Jews identify as Zionists.
This gap exists because the word has been successfully pejorativized in some milieus. The substance of basic Zionism — Jewish self-determination — remains mainstream among Jews. Targeting “Zionists” therefore lands on the overwhelming majority of the Jewish people while offering deniability.