Rabbi Doron Perez, president of the World Zionist Organization, has argued that although anti-Semitic rhetoric has changed over the past 90 years, its underlying objective has remained the same.
According to a video published by JNS on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Perez cited Israeli author Amos Oz in drawing a historical comparison between anti-Semitic messages in 1935 and those he says are expressed by some critics of Israel today.
Perez said that in 1935, anti-Semites in Germany urged Jews to leave for Palestine, whereas some contemporary critics now call for Jews to leave Palestine and return to countries such as Germany. He argued that this shift suggests the issue is not where Jews live, but opposition to Jews living securely or having a sense of belonging.
He added that the comparison supports his view that modern anti-Semitism is increasingly directed at the existence of a Jewish state. Perez said recognizing this distinction is important in separating legitimate political criticism of Israeli policies from rhetoric that, in his view, constitutes anti-Semitism.
