In a tense and closely watched showdown, a majority of audience members at the prestigious Munk Debates were persuaded Monday night that anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are one and the same.
As reported by The National Post, after an often fiery exchange between the two sides, the proposition that rejecting the idea of a Jewish state is a form of discrimination against Jewish people gained ground . While 61% initially supported that view, it grew to 66% by the debate's conclusion.
Leading that charge was British author Douglas Murray, who came out wearing a yellow ribbon - a symbol expressing solidarity with Israelis impacted by the October 7th Hamas attacks. "You would've thought there would be some sympathy from the world...But no, there was immediate outpouring of rage against the state that had been attacked," Murray said, accusing anti-Zionists of a double standard. He added, “If you are zoning in on Israel and not bothered by everything else in the world, you’re not motivated by anything other than being antisemitic.”
UK lawyer Natasha Hausdorff, argued that "modern blood libels" falsely accusing Israel of civilian massacres, ethnic cleansing, apartheid and genocide directly replicate ancient anti-Semitic tropes used to persecute Jews. She said, “There is no difference between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and there must be a zero tolerance for this phenomenon. ... This debate is about racism and creating a double standard, where you make an exception for the Jews."
On the opposing side, former Al Jazeera host Mehdi Hasan and Israeli journalist Gideon Levy countered that conflating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is a tactic to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies.
Concerns over potential protests prompted enhanced security measures for the Munk event. But it ultimately proceeded smoothly before a large crowd filing into downtown's Roy Thomson Hall.
The semi-annual Munk Debates, run by the Aurea Foundation, have certainly achieved their goal of sparking substantive dialogue on that most intractable of topics.
However, as the final votes were tallied, it was clear that Douglas Murray had convincingly swayed the audience. His compelling arguments and passionate defense left a lasting impression, ultimately leading to a decisive victory. The Toronto showdown provided a significant moment of clarity, affirming that for many, the line between legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and outright anti-Semitism remains distinctly drawn.
