Aren’t Anti-Zionist Jews Considered Self-Hating Jews?

Michael Laitman
3 min readSep 17, 2024

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In recent years, we have observed increasing hostility between Israelis and Jews who strongly criticize the Jewish people and the State of Israel. If accusations against the State of Israel could endanger the status of Jews, self-hating Jews would not hesitate to help make Israel disappear. And they would do it with pleasure.

As an oxymoron, with all their disparagement and denunciations, such Jews feel that they are doing something very positive. They think that the way Israel and Jews are going is wrong, and therefore, they are willing to engage and take measures that are perceived as restrictive, hostile, and even hateful toward other Jews.

The social pressure that produces a negative attitude on the part of members toward their own group, particularly Jewish self-hatred, was addressed by German-American psychologist Kurt Lewin who is considered one of the pioneers of social, organizational, and applied psychology in the United States. In his book Resolving Social Conflicts, he writes that a self-hating Jew “will dislike everything specifically Jewish, for he will see in it that which keeps him away from the majority for which he is longing. He will show dislike for those Jews who are outspokenly so and will frequently indulge in self-hatred.”

A negative attitude between Jews arises from the tearing apart of the Jewish identity, which manifests itself in mutual rejection to the point of shame over belonging to the Jewish nation and people or association with fellow Jews.

Conversely, in such a condition, there is also the opposite tendency to be as close as possible to Jew-haters, not only to seek contact with them but even to love them. As we have seen, self-hating Jews feel safer and more comfortable with them and are willing to invest themselves in just about anything against Jews and Israel and even assume high positions in organizations or lead campaigns with such objectives.

They do not realize that no one in these anti-Zionist movements wants to be associated with the Jews. They may be willing to receive financial and other support from Jews, but deep down, they view Jews, Zionism, and the Jewish religion as disgusting. This is how the world works, and it will not change until Jews themselves unite. Unfortunately, there is no recognition or awareness of the evil inclination of the Jews that exists among them, and therefore Jews as a whole remain unmotivated to come closer to each other, which would bring a correction of the state of self-hatred and internal division if they were to do so.

Moreover, it is important that our unity is not just one group uniting for the sake of opposing another group. The latter will only serve to increase division and hatred, which ultimately will not lead to a positive result.

We Jews must reach a point where we become partners with each other so that our future does not depend on external factors. When we are connected to each other, we succeed. If we forget who we are and fall into separation and hatred, our enemies will come upon us. Therefore, the importance of unity is a matter of our survival and determines whether we live our lives harmoniously or painfully.

Based on the book “Jewish Self-Hatred: The Enemy Within — An Overview of Jewish Antisemitism” by Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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Michael Laitman

PhD in Philosophy and Kabbalah. MSc in Medical Bio-Cybernetics. Founder and president of Bnei Baruch Kabbalah Education & Research Institute.