Norman Finkelstein says Israel's Gaza war fuels global anti‑Jewish sentiment

Political scientist Norman Finkelstein, the son of Holocaust survivors, told Brazil's Folha de S.Paulo that Israel's conduct in Gaza has revived worldwide hatred toward Jews. He argued that within a month of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Israel lost much of its international public support and that the war has spurred a rise in antisemitic incidents, citing attacks on Jews in London and a deadly synagogue shooting in Australia.

Finkelstein said the conflict has linked the Israeli state with the Jewish people in the eyes of many, restoring “the world’s hatred of Jews.” He also warned that Gaza has “no future,” noting that Gaza’s health ministry reports about 71,000 Palestinian deaths – roughly 3.5 % of the enclave’s pre‑war population. While acknowledging atrocities by Hamas, he said he does not feel morally positioned to condemn the group.