'Woke' culture has become a breeding ground for antisemitism - opinion

Progressive movements that claim to fight injustice are increasingly fostering hostility toward Jews and Israel, from college campuses to social media.

A MACCABI Tel Aviv soccer fan is comforted upon returning to Ben-Gurion Airport on an El Al rescue flight from Amsterdam after Israelis were attacked following a match with Ajax in November. (photo credit: Jonathan Shaul/Flash90)
A MACCABI Tel Aviv soccer fan is comforted upon returning to Ben-Gurion Airport on an El Al rescue flight from Amsterdam after Israelis were attacked following a match with Ajax in November.
(photo credit: Jonathan Shaul/Flash90)

Last week, a young Jewish Israeli woman living in Berlin was violently attacked. I am certain that most of my readers did not even notice the small news item that appeared on the Mako website. I, too, had overlooked it until I learned about it because the victim was the daughter of close friends. Hardly any media outlets, either in Israel or in Germany, mentioned this antisemitic incident – one of many such occurrences happening daily in countries that pride themselves on being enlightened and justice-driven.

Even Soli, the young woman who was the victim of the attack, a kind and well-meaning individual, active in a peace organization advocating for justice for our Palestinian neighbors – never imagined she would experience such violence. She was wearing a coexistence pin on the subway, shaped like a heart with the flags of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

And yet, we keep asking ourselves: What is the root of this intense hatred and antisemitism that Jews and Israelis encounter across the United States and Europe?

The incident in the Netherlands, where Muslim immigrants viciously beat Israeli fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv until they were bleeding profusely, is a direct result of being taught to hate from an early age. What can we expect from a young Muslim man who, at home and in school, is exposed daily to the poisonous idea that Jews are “descendants of apes and pigs”?

During my meetings in Europe and the US with well-educated individuals, I find myself puzzled by the one-sided criticism of Israel – not just among Muslims. This criticism is often laced with subtle antisemitism that grows more apparent as the conversation unfolds.

 Dutch police patrol after riots in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 11, 2024. (credit: Mizzle Media/Handout via REUTERS)
Dutch police patrol after riots in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 11, 2024. (credit: Mizzle Media/Handout via REUTERS)

What was once dismissed as fringe radicalism has now grown significantly. In recent years, the term “woke” has become a central element of public and political discourse worldwide. Originally, “woke” referred to a heightened awareness of social injustice and inequality, particularly in the context of racism, discrimination, and minority rights.

However, in certain circles, it has acquired a negative connotation, associated with an extreme wave of political activism aimed at enforcing a social agenda at the expense of opposing viewpoints. Some have gone as far as to label the movement a “cultural terrorist organization,” due to its suppression of free speech, influence on public policy, and punitive actions against dissenting voices.

Jewish-Canadian scholar Prof. Gad Saad, formerly chair of Evolutionary Behavioral Science and Darwinian Consumption at Concordia University in Canada, argues that extreme progressive ideas originating from academia – such as the “woke” movement and post-modernism – have led to the loss of common sense and dangerous phenomena, including the ousting of scientists and the justification of terrorism.

It didn’t take long for this “awakening” to result in alarming, and sometimes violent, incidents.

Until last year, events such as students barricading themselves on Ivy League campuses, street anarchy, looting, TikTok users idolizing Osama bin Laden, and even the dismissal of scientists and tech executives – citing research inconsistent with identity politics – were largely confined to the United States.


Stay updated with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter


Since October 7, however, these phenomena have reached our doorstep. Hamas operatives have been described as “freedom fighters.” Jewish students have been forced to barricade themselves on campuses, fearing pro-Palestinian protesters, whom even the heads of prestigious institutions have refused to condemn.

What was once seen as “progressive insanity,” confined to the margins, is now recognized as something much deeper and more significant.

In an interview with Globes, Prof. Saad explained that these phenomena stem from a parasitic infiltration of distorted thought patterns into Western consciousness. 

In his groundbreaking and controversial book The “Parasitic Mind”: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense, recently translated into Hebrew and published by Shibbolet Library, Saad examines how progressive herd mentality erodes rational thinking, allowing harmful ideologies to thrive – ranging from eating disorders to antisemitism. For most social scientists, he explains, “this was considered outrageous talk.” 

In the book’s sixth chapter, titled “Parasitic Ostrich Syndrome,” Saad compares the behavior of biological parasites infiltrating a host to the progressive ideologies that have overtaken the West. According to him, instead of confronting these destructive ideologies, the West chooses to ignore them.

Following October 7, he writes, “I realized something: These individuals will always prioritize their own culture while justifying every problem within the other culture.”

“Reality has a way of hitting you with common sense,” Saad observes, “and the challenging environment Israelis face provides them with a natural vaccine.”

Still, some Israelis, despite personally experiencing the horrors of October 7, continue to draw false equivalences between Israelis and Palestinians – whose spokespeople remain openly committed to Israel’s destruction.

Israeli academics and intellectuals have consciously or unconsciously embraced woke ideology, calling for economic and academic boycotts of Israel. Even in the Knesset, some members have brazenly labeled Israel an apartheid state and demanded sanctions against it.

Many woke movements focus on inequality and portray themselves as progressive, yet they frequently rely on anti-Israel or anti-Zionist narratives that lead to overt antisemitism. Activists often describe Israel as an “apartheid state” and compare its actions against Palestinians to war crimes. This approach not only delegitimizes Israel but also fosters hostility toward Diaspora Jews affiliated with Israel.

Woke movements often employ “cancel culture” tactics, silencing voices that challenge their ideology. Jews who support Israel or critique the woke agenda often find themselves targeted. Examples abound of Jews losing their jobs or being forced to step down from public positions due to statements deemed incompatible with woke values.

Dissolving individual identities

The woke ideology often seeks to dissolve individual identities in favor of universal values. This stance can clash with Jewish identity, rooted in tradition, religion, and nationality. The “woke” demand for absolute equality can lead to the rejection of specific religious values and restrictions on religious freedom.

Woke organizations actively support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, believing it to be a fight for human rights. However, this support both harms Israel economically and fosters a hostile environment for Jews worldwide, particularly on university campuses and within progressive communities.

The activities of woke movements create substantial challenges for Jews. In Israel, they amplify international criticism of the state and contribute to a rise in antisemitic incidents on campuses and in global politics. Diaspora Jews often find themselves walking a tightrope between integrating into progressive circles and defending their Jewish identity and Israel.

The battle is difficult, but we cannot afford to give up, even if it feels like the Dutch boy plugging a hole in the dike with his finger but, unlike in the tale “Hero of Haarlem,” the trickle is becoming a torrent.

Now, more than ever, advocacy efforts on social media and campuses in the US and Europe are crucial. The Israeli government must allocate appropriate budgets to support this vital mission.

The author is the CEO of Radios 100 FM, honorary consul general of Nauru, president of the Israeli Radio Communications Association, deputy dean of the Consular Diplomatic Corps, and vice president of the Ambassadors Club.