ABSTRACT
In the late 1970s, the radical left in the UK created a surprisingly successful mass movement, the Anti-Nazi League, to combat the rising force of the far right. Much of the drive for this appeared to come from a commitment to combat antisemitism, and indeed support from the Jewish community was an important factor in winning support for that struggle. Then, the antizionism of some on the radical left was not taken that seriously, either by many in the movement or by the Jewish community. Over time, however, as the hopes of the radical left have been repeatedly disappointed, an antizionism which is fundamentally antisemitic has become increasingly mandatory, effectively substituting itself as a way of thinking about the world for the original radical leftist one. Within this frame of reference, the state of Israel and the very large majority of Jews who support it are seen as responsible for all the major evils that afflict the world today and in direct opposition to all the progressive forces seeking to change it. This was not inevitable, although there are certainly some powerful undercurrents that can be traced back to the origins of the left itself, which have pulled it in this destructive, and self-destructive direction.
