A group of Jewish people have expressed concern over the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland’s endorsement of an event entitled: “Anti-Zionism as the new anti-Semitism”.The virtual event, due to take place this Thursday, bills itself as training that provides practical tools for people to “directly confront and combat anti-Zionist hate by directing our attention at its perpetrators, naming the cycle of libel, and setting boundaries”.It is run by international group Movement Against Antizionism, which says it is “leading the fight” against anti-Zionism “as the new anti-Semitism”. The organisation describes anti-Zionism as a “modern ideological hate movement that treats Jewish peoplehood as an inherent crime” and “fixates on Israel through accusations of colonialism, apartheid, and genocide”.It says anti-Zionism is “not criticism of Israeli policy” but portrays Israel itself as “illegitimate and criminal” and advances “not for policy change but for elimination”.A flyer for Thursday’s event bears the logo of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland (JRCI), which said the workshop has been organised in response to “hostile narratives and, at times, threats” increasingly encountered by Jewish people across Ireland. The training is not intended to define Zionism, but responds to repeated requests from members of the community for guidance on responding to situations where “the language of anti-Zionism is used to mask or justify hostility towards Jews”, the JRCI said in response to queries.In a letter to the JRCI, a group of 21 Jewish people in Ireland said they learned of the council’s endorsement of the event with “profound disappointment”.“It was our understanding that JRCI were a representative body for all Jews in Ireland, not only those who support Israel,” they wrote.The group noted members of Israel’s parliament and defence forces stand accused of war crimes by the United Nations. [ Israel continues to commit genocide by targeting children in Gaza, UN commission findsOpens in new window ]“Israel’s actions have directly impacted the Jewish diaspora, who face collective judgment and rising anti-Semitism by association. Those of us who identify as non-Zionist or anti-Zionist Jews are not anti-Semites,” they said.Among the signatories was Ria Czerniak-LeBov, an artist and lecturer living in Dublin who is a member of the group Jews for Palestine Ireland. Her father is Israeli, she said, adding that when she describes herself as non-Zionist, this means she opposes the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the idea that Jewish people have a greater entitlement to the land than any other group. Anti-Semitism is “rife” at the moment, she said, adding that there is so much cynicism from people who are not Jewish. However, being targeted and labelled as a traitor by people of her own faith for speaking out against Israeli actions is also a form of anti-Semitism, she said.The JRCI said its role is not to ensure that every member of the Jewish community agrees with every event or initiative. It must identify issues affecting the community and respond to these, it said.“For clarity, we understand Zionism, in its essential sense, as the belief that the Jewish people have the same right as other peoples to national self-determination in their ancestral homeland. It does not require support for every policy, action or government of the State of Israel,” the council said. “Some Jewish people are, of course, anti-Zionist, and that is their prerogative. Jewish identity does not require political conformity. We believe, however, that some contemporary opposition to Zionism is based on distorted and politically loaded meanings that have been attached to the term, rather than on Zionism’s fundamental premise.”[ EU accused of stalling the ball on trade ban with illegal Israeli settlementsOpens in new window ]The JRCI said it has “consistently” advocated for peace in the Middle East and for a negotiated two-state solution that would allow Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side peacefully.“We have also called for a more balanced public discourse in Irish society, in which different perspectives can be heard and examined rather than silenced or excluded. Regrettably, what we are witnessing in this instance appears to be yet another attempt to prevent a particular perspective from being heard,” the council said. In a statement, Ireland’s chief rabbi, Yoni Wieder, said criticism of the actions or policies of the Israeli government was not inherently anti-Semitic. “I don’t know anyone in the Jewish community here who says otherwise. What we have seen repeatedly over the past couple of years, however, is the language of anti-Zionism being used to mask outright hatred and hostility towards Jewish people in Ireland,” he said. “I’ve heard repeated requests from members of the community for guidance on how to respond to such situations, and this is precisely what the workshop is intended to address.”