AJC's Tough Questions Series

To even begin to solve the problem of antisemitism, there must be clarity about what it is and what it isn’t. That's why the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) built international consensus around a non-legally binding definition.

Despite its dynamic democracy and thriving economy, Israel is perhaps the most misunderstood and mischaracterized country. As the world’s only Jewish state, it is unfairly singled out in global forums for condemnation over its policies and even mere existence. American Jewish Committee explores this in its tough questions series.

The Gaza Strip is a 141-square-mile Palestinian enclave located near Israel’s southwestern tip. After the Israeli withdrawal in 2005, the coastal territory has been under the control of the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group. Hamas has launched several significant attacks against Israel from its base in Gaza, including in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2021, and most recently the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 Israelis, wounded over 12,000, took 134 hostages, and thousands of rockets.

What are the origins and sources of antisemitism, what is the antisemitism definition, what does it look like today, and what does Israel have to do with it? Here are the answers to 10 tough questions about Jew-hatred and a look at "why people hate Jews."

What is the meaning of BDS? Why do people boycott Israel? The anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement markets itself as a non-violent movement to get Israel to withdraw from its pre-1967 borders. While many members of the movement sincerely want peace and are lured in by this human rights façade, BDS leadership in fact seeks nothing less than the elimination of Israel as a Jewish state.

In July 2023, the majority of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) began what many anticipate will be Israel’s judicial overhaul, passing legislation that would limit the Israeli Supreme Court’s ability to review the “reasonableness” of government decisions. This contentious legislation is part of a larger debate over Israel judicial reforms. Learn More.

Questions submitted by parents on our Advocacy Anywhere program “For Parents: Advocating for Effective Responses to the Israel-Hamas War” which took place on October 17, 2023.