One of the most troubling aspects of the global surge in antisemitism since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack against Israel has been a corresponding rise in Catholic antisemitism. Antisemitism is always evil, but Catholic antisemitism is particularly egregious because Christians worship the God of Israel. Jesus, our Messiah and Lord, along with Mary and the apostles, were and remain forever Jewish. Jesus declared that "salvation is from the Jews" (John 4:22), and St. Paul cautioned Gentile Christians against arrogance toward their Israelite roots, noting that, regarding election, the Jews "are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable" (Rom 11:28-29).

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has made significant strides toward reconciliation with the Jewish people. Yet, Catholic antisemitism is resurging, evident in the vitriolic comments beneath Catholic articles and videos on the topics of Jews, Israel, Zionism, or antisemitism. The intensity and volume of such rhetoric from some Catholics underscores a disturbing trend.

The Case of LifeSiteNews

A case in point is LifeSiteNews (LSN), a pro-life organization that describes itself as "a non-profit Internet news service dedicated to issues of life, family, and many related issues." I once respected LifeSiteNews for its staunch defense of human life and resistance to authoritarian COVID-19 measures. However, in recent years, I noticed an alarming trend: LSN began publishing numerous articles that were sharply and unfairly critical of Israel. My respectful comments engaging their narrative proved futile and were promptly deleted.

Now I know a thing or two about Israel, having lived there for more than a decade. I earned my Ph.D. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I am fluent in Hebrew and conversational in Arabic. I have engaged in countless conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Jews and Arabs, Christians and Muslims, religious and secular, liberals and conservatives. I lived through the Second Intifada, enduring the daily threat of Palestinian suicide bombings targeting civilians in buses, cafés, and nightclubs. I have also taught a course on the relationship between Israel, Islam, and the Church.

Like anyone familiar with Israel, I acknowledge that its society and policies are not immune to criticism. No nation is perfect. However, I also recognize the distinction between fair criticism and antisemitism. Since its founding in 1948, Israel has faced extraordinary challenges, including relentless hatred, terrorism, and wars waged by jihadist neighbors committed to its annihilation. Surviving in such a volatile region has forced Israel into complex ethical dilemmas, often requiring difficult decisions to protect its citizens from implacable enemies. While Israel has made mistakes, it has generally shown remarkable restraint and resilience.

Over time, LSN's coverage of Israel raised red flags. Even after the horrific October 7 Hamas attacks, LSN remained largely silent about Hamas's radical ideology while escalating its criticisms of Israel to a fever pitch.

LSN's co-founder, Steve Jalsevac, has repeatedly denied accusations of antisemitism, asserting that their critiques of Israel are "not antisemitic." This claim demands scrutiny. While legitimate criticism of Israel is possible, denying antisemitism does not automatically absolve one of it. As the ADL notes, many modern antisemites mask their prejudice as anti-Zionism, embedding historic antisemitic tropes in their rhetoric about Israel.

Does LifeSiteNews have an antisemitism problem? Let's investigate. To answer, we must first define antisemitism.

What is Antisemitism?

What exactly is antisemitism? The ADL defines antisemitism as "a form of prejudice or discrimination directed toward Jews as individuals or as a group," often rooted in "age-old stereotypes and myths that target Jews as a people, their religious practices and beliefs, or the Jewish State of Israel." The IHRA definition, adopted by many governments, similarly identifies denying Jewish self-determination as antisemitic.

Criticism of Israel is not inherently antisemitic. Most Israelis and Jews routinely critique Israeli policies without being antisemitic. However, as the ADL notes, criticism becomes antisemitic when it relies on traditional stereotypes or conspiracy theories, such as claims of Jewish world domination, holding all Jews accountable for Israel's actions, or denying Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. For instance, attributing global conflicts to Israeli influence echoes antisemitic tropes of disproportionate Jewish power.

What is Zionism?

What is Zionism, really? The Jewish Virtual Library defines Zionism as "the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel." Though modern, Zionism is grounded in biblical and historical ties, originating in the Bible and sustained by the Jewish people's enduring connection to the land. Thus, Jews of all persuasions—left, right, religious and secular—have united in the Zionist movement to achieve its goals.

Zionism does not claim that Israel is exclusively for Jews. Since 1948, Israel has strived to balance its identity as a Jewish and democratic state, a complex endeavor. Despite its Jewish character, Israel is highly diverse, with Jews coexisting alongside Arabs—including Muslims and Christians, Bedouins and Druze—and others from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds. Arab Israelis, about 20% of the population, have full citizenship and Knesset representation.

Anti-Zionism and Supersessionism

How does anti-Zionism relate to antisemitism? The ADL defines Anti-Zionism as "a prejudice against the Jewish movement for self-determination and the right of the Jewish people to a homeland in the State of Israel." It may stem from or lead to antisemitism, creating a climate where such prejudice becomes more acceptable.

Anti-Zionism often manifests as calls for Israel's destruction, unfounded claims of Israeli global influence, or holding Israel to ethical standards not applied to other nations. For instance, accusing Israel of causing global instability while ignoring similar actions by other states reflects this bias.

Many anti-Zionists mischaracterize Zionism, accusing Israel of systemic discrimination against non-Jews or branding it as "a form of colonialism and racism aimed at appropriating Palestinian land and systematically disenfranchising the Palestinians." Concerns for Palestinian rights are legitimate. However, these characterizations often distort Zionism's historical and biblical roots.

Some Catholic and Christian anti-Zionists justify their stance through the heresy of supersessionism (replacement theology), which erroneously claims that Jesus's New Covenant nullified God's covenant with the Jewish people, including their connection to the land of Israel. This view spiritualizes biblical promises, denying their ongoing relevance to Jews.

Though never an official magisterial doctrine, supersessionism was historically prevalent among Catholics and fueled Christian antisemitism. Since Vatican II's Nostra Aetate, the Church has rejected this error, as affirmed by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews in the document "The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable," which grounds a better theology of Israel in St. Paul's teachings (Rom 9-11).

Scripture affirms that God dwells uniquely in Zion—Jerusalem (Ps 76:2)—and shines forth from there (Ps 50:2; see also Ps 132:13-14). The prophets describe God as the "Holy One of Israel," who loves His people with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). Despite their failures, God promises to remain faithful to His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, granting their descendants the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession (Gen 17:7-8) and restoring them to the land after their exile (Ezek 36:24-28). Biblical or Christian Zionism simply holds that God remains faithful to these promises, a view consistent with Catholic teaching.

Is Anti-Zionism Antisemitic?

Does anti-Zionism mask antisemitism? While not all criticism of Israel is antisemitic, anti-Zionism often serves as a veil for antisemitism. With nearly half of the world's Jewish population living in Israel and most Jews worldwide feeling a deep connection to it, delegitimizing the Jewish State while claiming no prejudice against Jews is logically inconsistent. Some claim anti-Zionism is solely political, but its reliance on antisemitic tropes, as seen in movements like BDS, belies this.

The U.S. State Department outlines several anti-Zionist behaviors as antisemitic, including:

• Accusing Jewish citizens of prioritizing Israel or alleged Jewish global interests over their own nation's interests.
• Denying the Jewish people's right to self-determination by labeling Israel's existence as inherently racist.
• Holding Israel to double standards not applied to other democratic nations.
• Using antisemitic tropes (e.g., blood libel or blaming Jews for Jesus's death) to depict Israel or Israelis.
• Equating contemporary Israeli policies with Nazi Germany.

Some anti-Zionists claim they oppose only Israel's policies, not Jews. Yet, when criticism denies Israel's right to exist or uses antisemitic stereotypes, it becomes prejudice, as these examples show.

Unmasking the Antisemitism behind Anti-Zionism

Can we identify antisemitism in LifeSiteNews's coverage? To assess whether LifeSiteNews exhibits antisemitic patterns, we need clear, objective criteria. Drawing from established definitions of antisemitism, I propose the following indicators. An organization or individual may be considered antisemitic if they:

1) Consistently portray Israel negatively, engaging in relentless, distorted characterizations of the Jewish nation.

2) Exaggerate Israel's flaws while ignoring or minimizing its strengths, achievements, and contributions.

3) Downplay or ignore acts of aggression, terrorism, or war against Israel while focusing solely on Israel's responses.

4) Apply a double standard, condemning Israel's actions while overlooking similar or worse conduct by other nations.

5) Rely primarily on anti-Israeli sources, avoiding perspectives that offer a balanced or sympathetic view of Israel.

6) Present fringe or extremist Jewish and Israeli voices as normative, disregarding mainstream Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist perspectives.

7) Misrepresent or demonize Zionism or question Israel's legitimacy as a Jewish state.

8) Spread unfounded accusations or conspiracy theories targeting Israel or Zionism.

9) Promote anti-Zionism using antisemitic tropes that denigrate Judaism, its faith, or its sacred texts.

10) Endorse supersessionism, claiming that God nullified His covenant with the Jewish people and revoked their divine promises.

If several of these criteria are met, antisemitism is evident. With these in mind, we now evaluate LifeSiteNews's coverage.

LifeSiteNews's Coverage of Israel

1) LSN consistently portrays Israel in a negative light, engaging in relentless, obsessive mischaracterizations of the Jewish nation.

Does LifeSiteNews's coverage show antisemitic patterns? Let's examine the evidence: LifeSiteNews's coverage of Israel raises serious concerns. At the time of this writing, a search on LSN's website yields 2,194 hits for "Israel"; 2,089 hits for "Jewish"; 394 hits for "Judaism"; 196 hits for "Zionism"; and 291 hits for "Zionist." LSN's focus on Israel is evident.

But is their coverage fair? Among hundreds of reports, they claim that Israel engages in a "genocidal bombing campaign" against the people of Gaza including targeting Christian hospitals; intentionally killing medical workers; committing genocide, ethnic cleansing , and a "war of extermination" against Palestinians, whom it is "starving." Israel is "sadistic"; using "atrocity propaganda" to justify Gaza's destruction; Israeli rabbis instruct soldiers to "kill all Gazan children"; Israel "sodomizes and kills Palestinian detainees"; censors and kills journalists; Israeli soldiers even "attacked their own people on October 7." The list goes on.

On diplomacy, LSN claims "Israeli expansionism" is dragging the world towards World War III; Netanyahu is "leading Israel towards self-destruction"; the Israel lobby wields "enormous power" over the Trump administration; Trump is a "puppet" of Netanyahu; Mossad "intimidates the international community" to hide Israel's "crimes"; the US should not back Israel; and Israel intentionally attacked the USS Liberty in 1967.

Regarding Christians, LSN alleges Israel mistreats Christians in the Holy Land; persecutes Gaza Christians; evicts Christian families from Bethlehem; threatens to "erase Holy Land churches"; and fuels the elimination of Christianity in the Middle East. Moreover, they claim that Holy Land Christians view the "Israeli occupation of Palestine" as a "sin against God".

As for Zionism, LSN calls it "incompatible with Christianity" and a "rebellion against God". "Zionist ideology" is the "principal cause" of the Middle East conflict; it is a "cardinal sin," and the creation of Israel is "satanic." Contrary to Scripture's testimony, LSN denies Israel is the "true Israel", labeling Christian Zionism a "heresy" and "immoral."

Before refuting these distorted claims, which often stray from reality, the point is clear: LSN's relentless vilification of Israel suggests a troubling bias rather than balanced reporting.

2) LSN constantly exaggerates Israel's flaws while disregarding its qualities, strengths, achievements, and sacrifices.

LifeSiteNews spares no effort in criticizing Israel, but does it ever highlight its strengths?

One struggles to find any LSN article expressing even a neutral view-let alone a positive one-toward Israel. Readers search in vain for mentions of Israel's excellence in scientific research and innovation, including 13 Nobel Prizes in chemistry, economics, literature, and peace; its resilience and courage in a region surrounded by enemies; its vibrant arts and culture; its ecological achievements in reviving the desert; its humanitarian and disaster relief programs for other nations; its medical and agricultural aid to developing countries; its rich Jewish and intellectual life; or its religious and cultural diversity, fostering coexistence among all faiths. LSN also omits Israel's democratic framework, which grants Arab citizens full voting rights and parliamentary representation.

While LSN frequently condemns the so-called Israeli "occupation," it omits Israel's many attempts to achieve peace with Arab and Palestinian neighbors, often at great cost, including territorial concessions and security risks. This includes the "land for peace" Oslo Accords and offers for a Palestinian state in 2000 and 2008, which Palestinian leaders rejected, raising questions about their goal of eliminating Israel rather than building their own state.

LSN also ignores Israel's unilaterally withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, which led Hamas to seize control and launch relentless attacks on Israeli cities.

LSN has used a highly deceptive map to claim Israel "stole" Palestinian land, a narrative contradicted by historical facts.

While LSN alleges Israel "persecutes" Christians, it fails to acknowledge that Israel's Christian population is growing and thriving, with most Israeli Christians preferring life in Israel over neighboring Middle Eastern countries.

3) LSN ignores or downplays acts of aggression, terror, and war against Israel while magnifying its responses to these threats.

Consider this: LifeSiteNews claims its criticism of Israel stems from concern for Palestinians, especially Palestinian Christians, in Gaza and the West Bank, and distress over Gaza war casualties. That's a valid concern. Many Jews, Israelis, and Zionists also grieve Palestinian losses and pray for peace. Yet, LSN mischaracterizes Zionism as a "violent heresy," ignoring that most Zionists seek an end to conflict in the Holy Land.

LSN consistently downplays Hamas's role in starting the war—with strong support from most Palestinians civilians who celebrated and participated in the October 7 attack. A November 14, 2023 poll revealed widespread support for Hamas and Israel's destruction, with 75% of Palestinians endorsing the attack and only 13% disapproving.

Israel has stated the war would end the day Hamas releases all Israeli hostages and lays down its arms. Has LSN echoed this call? One searches in vain for any plea on their website to free the hostages or end Hamas' rule in Gaza. Nor do they acknowledge Hamas's 1988 charter, which explicitly calls for Israel's annihilation, a key driver of the conflict.

LSN ignores the long history of Palestinian terrorism, predating Israel's 1948 founding, including hundreds of murderous suicide bombings and other attacks against Israelis over the past century. They remain silent on tens of thousands of rockets attacks against Israeli civilians from Gaza since 2001. Echoing the discredited Kairos Document, LSN frames violent Palestinian terrorism as "resistance" while ignoring constant Palestinian incitement to terror and genocide.

Instead, LSN accuses Israel of "genocide," "ethnic cleansing," and "crimes against humanity"—charges that are inaccurate and misleading, relying on lies of omission that are demonstrably false and easily debunked .

LSN fails to explain how a supposed "genocide" aligns with the steady growth of the Palestinian population since 1967:

These figures show consistent population growth, contradicting claims of systematic genocide. In fact, Israel's actions in Gaza suggest efforts to spare civilians. If Israel is engaging in genocide, why does it send Arabic-language warnings before attacks, evacuates civilians through humanitarian corridors, and facilitates humanitarian aid deliveries?

Recent reports indicate Hamas dropped thousands of deaths from Gaza casualty figures. The Henry Jackson Society notes the claim that 70% of Palestinian deaths are women and children is "nonsense," with 72% of fatalities aged 13-55 being men, likely Hamas combatants.

Even accepting Hamas's questionable 50,000 casualty figure, up to half were armed combatants, yielding a remarkably low noncombatant-to-combatant ratio-at most 1.4 to 1, perhaps 1 to 1. By urban warfare standards, this reflects a significant effort to minimize civilian deaths against an implacable enemy that uses civilian shields. A civilian toll of 25,000—1% of Gaza's population—is tragic but expected in a war where Hamas embeds operations in civilian areas. Thus, LSN's genocide claim is demonstrably false.

LSN shows little sympathy for thousands of Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism. Even a mild condemnation of Hamas's October 7 atrocities is hard to find. Worse, Jalsevac has claimed that these atrocities "did not occur":

Despite overwhelming evidence of Hamas atrocities—hundreds of photos, videos, and terrorist testimonies—LSN assures us that these "did not occur," citing… wait for it...  Electronic Intifada, a site named after the violent Palestinian uprisings that killed thousands of Israelis.

Even if some initial reports were exaggerated, one wonders what Jalsevac and LSN aim to achieve by their denial of undeniable Hamas atrocities and lack of sympathy for the 1,200 murdered Israelis. Israel's social security data confirms the unprecedented scale of the violence. A UK parliamentary group's 318-page report details Hamas's murders, rapes, kidnappings, and torture, countering denials like LSN's.

While good Palestinians and flawed Israelis exist, LSN's fixation on portraying Israel as a ruthless genocidal state and the Palestinians as innocent victims betrays a serious lack of journalistic integrity.

4) LSN applies a double standard, obsessively condemning Israel's actions while overlooking similar or worse conduct by other nations.

Let's compare: LSN's intense focus on Israel's actions, including baseless claims of genocide and ethnic cleansing, stands out. How does this compare to their coverage of other recent conflicts? Consider an unscientific but revealing comparison of the world's deadliest conflicts over the past decade, with LSN's mentions of conflict-related countries per 10,000 casualties:

Though approximate (as not all LSN articles focus solely on conflicts), this table reveals LSN's disproportionate focus on Israel. Their coverage ratio for Israel per death is nearly ten times higher than for the Russia-Ukraine war, despite Ukraine's sevenfold higher casualties. Moreover, LSN's coverage of other conflicts lacks the inflammatory rhetoric used for Israel. LSN rarely applies terms like 'genocide' or 'ethnic cleansing' to conflicts with far higher casualties. The double standard is striking.

Another example: LSN repeatedly claims Israel persecutes Christians. Yet, Israel is absent from the World Watch List of countries persecuting Christians. It's the only Middle East nation where Christians feel safe, with their population growing annually. So why does LSN single out Israel, ignoring nations like Yemen, Iran, Egypt, China, and North Korea?

As Aramean Israeli Christian Shadi Khalloul writes, "most of us 180k Christian Israelis prefer to live under Israel freely rather than under a Palestinian Islamic Authority regime controlling Bethlehem. Israel gives us freedom while living under Arabs has been genocidal for Christians all across the Middle East." LSN's silence on this perspective speaks volumes.

5) LSN relies primarily on anti-Israeli sources while avoiding perspectives that provide a balanced or sympathetic view of Israel.

What sources does LifeSiteNews rely on? Their choice of anti-Zionist and antisemitic outlets, like Electronic Intifada and Al Jazeera, raises red flags. For the Gaza war, LSN uncritically accepts casualty figures and skewed statistics from the Hamas-run "Gaza Health Ministry," known to fabricate casualty numbers.

LSN aligns with globalist organizations like Amnesty International, credibly accused of spreading antisemitic narratives, and Human Rights Watch, criticized for ideological bias against Israel and unsubstantiated claims. They also echo the International Court of Justice, which has faced corruption allegations, in claiming Israel commits "genocide" - a charge we've shown is unfounded.

When citing Israeli media, LSN amplifies the far-left Haaretz or cherry picks critical voices, ignoring broader Israeli societal debates.

LSN promotes the "Kairos Document", a propagandistic text by a small group of Palestinian anti-Israel clerics, as if it represents mainstream Christian views. Meanwhile, they overlook Arab Christians in the Holy Land who identify as Israelis and much prefer living in Israel than under the Muslim Palestinian Authority.

LSN also highlights Palestinian pastor and agitator Munther Isaac, labeled by some as "the high priest of antisemitic Christianity." LSN pushes his work Christ in the Rubble which, predictably, demonizes Zionism and accuses Israel of apartheid and genocide while downplaying Palestinian terrorism. LSN advertises this tendentious work as "essential to understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict" without offering any balance, ignoring works like Mitchell Bard's excellent Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict.

Moreover, LSN regularly publishes articles by Patrick Delaney and Frank Wright, authors with obvious anti-Zionist and antisemitic biases who seem to have nothing better to do than to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Israel, vociferously accusing the Jewish State and Zionist movement of nearly every conceivable crime at every opportunity.

Delaney is the writer behind some of LSN's most egregious lies such as the claim that Israel is waging a "war of extermination" against Holy Land Christians. LSN never reports on the many Arab Christians who support Israel or the Israeli Arabs—Christians, Muslims, Bedouin, and Druze—serving in the IDF. They wholly ignore pro-Israel Arab voices like Muslim Israeli journalist Lucy Aharish, Palestinian analyst Bassem Eid, or ex-Hamas militant Mosab Hasan Yosef, known as the "Son of Hamas."

Has LSN invited a Catholic sympathetic to Israel for balance? A conversation with a Hebrew-Catholic about Israel would be straightforward. LSN also ignores organizations like the Philos Project or Catholics for Israel, which offer nuanced perspectives on the conflict. I would gladly have that conversation publicly.

6) LSN regularly presents fringe, anti-Zionist Jewish or Israeli sources as normative while ignoring the vast majority of moderate, mainstream Jewish and Israeli Zionist voices.

Who does LSN quote as representative of Zionism and Judaism? While Jalsevac claims to use a range of sources, LSN consistently prioritizes anti-Zionist and antisemitic voices.

For example, LSN cites Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro as a legitimate voice of Judaism. Yet, Shapiro is a fringe anti-Zionist who denies the Jewish people's nationhood or Jerusalem's status as Israel's capital, arguing that Israel's secular governance invalidates its existence. This ignores Scripture, where God's love for his people persists regardless of their government's religiosity. Moreover, while Israel is a secular state, many Israelis are devout Jews.

Following Shapiro, Jalsevac drive a wedge between Zionism and religious Judaism, portraying Zionism as alien to traditional Judaism. He presents the fringe views of a tiny anti-Zionist minority as normative, overlooking that most Jews worldwide—religious or secular—feel deep religious, historical, and cultural ties to Israel. LSN overlooks voices like Israel's Chief Rabbi David Lau or ADL's Jonathan Greenblatt, who represent mainstream Jewish support for Zionism.

Even more concerning, LSN platforms Neturei Karta—a radical sect with only 1000-2000 members worldwide who oppose Israel's existence. Seen as extremists even among ultra-Orthodox Jews, Neturei Karta has ties to Holocaust deniers, the Iranian government, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members. Yet, LSN portrays them as representative of Judaism!

7) LSN constantly misrepresents and demonizes Zionism and denies Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State.

How does LSN view Zionism? They routinely mischaracterize it, denying the clear biblical and historical ties of the Jewish people to Israel, instead portraying it as a sinister movement. One searches in vain for any LSN acknowledgment of Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. LSN ignores Israel's establishment via the 1947 UN Partition Plan, a globally recognized mandate for a Jewish state. On the contrary, Jalsevac undermines Israel's legitimacy, calling it a "supposed" and "alleged" nation of the Jews.

LSN doesn't just critique Israeli policies—it attacks Zionism itself, falsely labeling it as a "rebellion against God."

Notably, Jalsevac has called Israel "a satanic, violent, racist-supremacist Zionist cult that at least a few million of the world's authentic Jews also strongly oppose":

Such inflammatory rhetoric far exceeds criticism of Israeli policies or concern for Palestinians.

8) LSN spreads unfounded accusations and conspiracy theories targeting Israel and Zionism.

What about conspiracy theories? LSN promotes several antisemitic ones targeting Israel and Zionism. For instance, they claim a secret 'Zionist editing' of Wikipedia:

They have also argued that "the Kennedy assassinations ushered in a Zionist occupation of America":

LSN even suggested that Israel helped establish Hamas to undermine a two-state solution:

Most shockingly, LSN claimed the murderous October 7 Hamas attacks were an "inside job":

Clearly, LSN's coverage of Israel leans more toward tabloid sensationalism than serious journalism.

9) LSN frequently denigrates the religion, faith, and sacred texts of Judaism.

Does LSN respect Judaism? Jalsevac and LifeSiteNews assure us they are merely anti-Zionist, not antisemitic. However, their frequent misrepresentations of Judaism suggest otherwise.

To begin with, LSN has strongly opposed a USCCB-sponsored document, "Translate Hate," aiming at combating antisemitism and hatred of Jews. Why oppose an initiative against antisemitism? Because "Translate Hate" states that accusations of settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing in Palestine are "categorically false." This assessment is demonstrably correct, yet LSN sides with radical activists upset at the USCCB's balanced perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. LSN also disregards Catholic-Jewish dialogue efforts, such as the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison Committee, which fosters mutual respect.

Jalsevac has not only described Zionism as "satanic"; he also dissociates "Talmudic Israel" from biblical Israel and pushes classic antisemitic tropes, claiming the Talmud legitimizes lying, theft, and the murder of Gentiles:

Antisemites often selectively quote the Talmud to "prove" the alleged degeneracy of the Jews. They invariably fail to mention that the Talmud is not a doctrinal text or "Jewish catechism" but a vast corpus of rabbinic opinions and debates—many of which were never accepted into mainstream Judaism. Cherry picking the Talmud's most controversial statements and presenting them out of context to misrepresent Judaism is a hallmark of antisemitic propaganda that has fueled anti-Jewish hatred for centuries.

This is precisely what Frank Wright does, misrepresenting the Talmud as promoting hostility toward Christians, cursing Christ, deceiving, dispossessing, and even killing non-Jews, among other outrageous claims. This caricature ignores the diversity of Jewish thought and the complexity of Judaism's approach to Christianity.

Wright's claims echo medieval tropes of Jewish treachery, used historically to justify pogroms and expulsions. By promoting such ideas, LSN undermines the Catholic Church's post-Vatican II commitment to mutual respect with Jews.

Jalsevac also demonizes Judaism by falsely claiming that mainstream Orthodox Jewish groups like Chabad consider non-Jews to be "subhuman animals" and "Amalek":

According to LSN, Chabad promotes an extreme doctrine of racial supremacy.

LSN even mischaracterizes as "anti-Christian" the seven Noahide laws—basic prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, adultery, and theft traced to God's covenant with Noah.

Despite Jalsevac's insistence that LifeSiteNews is merely anti-Zionist, not antisemitic, its constant misrepresentations and vilifications of Judaism and its sacred texts suggest otherwise.

10) LSN actively endorses and promotes the heresy of supersessionism, holding that God abrogated his covenant and promises to the Jewish people.

Does LSN align with Catholic teaching? Steve Jalsevac explicitly promotes the theological error of supersessionism, contradicting Catholic teaching by stating that "the role of the Chosen People ended with the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Contrast this with St. John Paul II's statement—rooted in Scripture—that the Jews are "the people of God of the Old Covenant, never revoked by God" (cf. Rom 11:29), a truth affirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 121).

LSN regularly provides a platform to Dr. Matthew Tsakanikas, a vocal anti-Zionist who claims that the Church has replaced Israel as God's people and describes religious Zionism as ‘anti-Christ’. But why stop here? Delaney and LSN escalate their supersessionist rhetoric and anti-Israel bias into full-blown apocalyptic hysteria, warning that "the heresy of religious Zionism has naturally led to profound anti-Christ outcomes including a barbarous rejection of universal moral standards, genocidal and even sadistic atrocities, and now the real possibility of a nuclear Armageddon."

Such hyperbolic fearmongering isn’t just inflammatory—it reinforces LSN’s underlying supersessionist conviction that Israel, as a nation and people, is no longer part of God's plan. This rhetoric naturally extends into LSN’s broader rejection of Zionism and its insistence that the true "Israel" is no longer the Jewish people but exclusively the Catholic Church.

Echoing other supersessionist voices—such as Brother André Marie, who similarly demonizes Christian Zionism as a "warmongering heresy"—LSN further pushes replacement theology by declaring that "The Israel which God blesses is not that of the Zionist state, but the Catholic Church, the bride of Christ."

In contrast to this supersessionist perspective, the notion of the Church as a "new" or "true" Israel is absent from the New Testament, where the term "Israel" consistently refers to the Jewish people, never the Church. Concerning Israel, St. Paul affirms unequivocally: "God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew" (Rom 11:2). As the document The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable clarifies, "the Church does not question the continued love of God for the chosen people of Israel. A replacement or supersession theology which sets against one another two separate entities, a Church of the Gentiles and the rejected Synagogue whose place it takes, is deprived of its foundations."

The Verdict: LifeSiteNews and Antisemitism

What's the verdict on LifeSiteNews? Jalsevac claims that LifeSiteNews has written "courageously" on Israel's war in Gaza—a questionable assertion given their alignment with the global anti-Israel narrative. Joining the chorus of anti-Israel voices hardly qualifies as courageous.

Moreover, his claim that LSN's relentless vilification of Israel and Zionism constitutes "factual news reporting" is difficult to take seriously for anyone even minimally informed about the Middle East.

Jalsevac bizarrely claims that "shockingly few Catholics and other Christians have even the most basic true understanding of Zionism"—missing the irony that LifeSiteNews itself falls into that category. LSN does not merely lack a basic understanding of Zionism—it actively propagates egregious misrepresentations of it.

Even with a modest understanding of Israel's modern history, one senses troubling bias behind LSN's demonizing of the Jewish State. Despite a thin veneer of research and supposed "objectivity," their portrayal of Israel, largely reliant on anti-Zionist sources and fueled by antisemitic rhetoric, is fundamentally disconnected from reality.

In short, LifeSiteNews' "coverage" of Israel is not only severely flawed—it is misinformed, defamatory, and libelous, reminiscent of harmful stereotypes that fueled medieval blood libels, hatred, and violence against Jews for centuries.

The Consequences of LifeSiteNews' Antisemitism

What are the repercussions of LifeSiteNews's rhetoric? Their anti-Zionism and antisemitism have grave consequences, affecting their credibility, alignment with Catholic teachings, and Jewish-Christian relations.

1. LifeSiteNews Undermines its Own Credibility

If LSN demonstrates such blatant bias against Israel, it raises serious doubts about their credibility on other topics. Their selective use of highly biased sources suggests a troubling disregard for journalistic integrity and honesty.

Ironically, through their anti-Israel bias, LSN aligns itself not only with the antisemitism of the fringe extreme right but also with the globalist left that they otherwise claim to oppose.

2. LifeSiteNews Embraces the Anti-Biblical and Anti-Catholic Heresy of Supersessionism

By vilifying Israel, LSN actively promotes supersessionism, an anti-biblical doctrine rejected by the Catholic Church. In doing so, they undermine the Catholic faith they claim to uphold.

LifeSiteNews's anti-Zionism is not just antisemitic. It is anti-Catholic and anti-Christian.

3. LifeSiteNews Alienates the Jewish People from Christ and Christianity

LSN's inflammatory anti-Zionism and antisemitism makes the Catholic Church—and thus Christ—repugnant to Jews. LSN's rhetoric obstructs their path to salvation and their reconciliation with Christ, Christianity, and the Church.

4. LifeSiteNews Risks the Curse of Abraham

By opposing God's promises to Abraham and to his descendants, and by teaching Catholics and Christians to do the same, LSN risks a biblical curse, spiritually aligning with those who oppose God's promises—echoing God's warning in Genesis 12:2 "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse."

This blessing and curse reappear throughout Scripture, as seen in Numbers 24:9. Throughout the Bible, individuals and nations are blessed (Ruth 1:16-17) or cursed (Ezek 35:1-15; Joel 3:1-8) according to how they have treated Israel. Just as the Palestinians have brought a curse upon themselves through their relentless hatred of Israel, LSN risks similar consequences.

5. LifeSiteNews Spits on Christ Himself

French philosopher Jacques Maritain captured the tragedy of Christian antisemitism:

Jesus Christ suffers in the passion of Israel. In striking Israel, the anti-Semites strike Him, insult Him and spit on Him. To persecute the house of Israel is to persecute Christ, not in His mystical body as when the Church is persecuted, but in His fleshy lineage and in His forgetful people whom He ceaselessly loves and calls. (Jacques Maritain, "The Mystery of Israel")

Maritain's words reveal a disturbing truth: those who strike, insult, and spit on Israel strike, insult, and spit on Christ himself. This is the predicament in which Christian antisemites place themselves.

Therein lies perhaps the most tragic trend in the long history of Catholic antisemitism: Christian antisemites—like LifeSiteNews—not only deny their antisemitism; they justify it as a defense of Christ, all while spitting in the face of the Jewish Messiah they claim to love and serve.

The irony is that while Christian antisemites castigate the Jews for their "blindness" towards Christ, they themselves remain blind to Christ's presence in the mystery of Israel.

A Call to Teshuva (Repentance)

How can we respond? The 1998 Vatican document We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah expressed the Catholic Church's "deep sorrow for the failures of her sons and daughters in every age." It called for teshuva—repentance—so that "the spoiled seeds of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism must never again be allowed to take root in any human heart."

Sadly, LifeSiteNews has strayed from this pledge through its anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Let us hope and pray that they may have a change of heart.

To the Friends and Supporters of LifeSiteNews

This is a call to action for all Catholics and Christians of good will: It is time to stop supporting LifeSiteNews—financially or otherwise—until they renounce their supersessionism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism.

Reach out to LifeSiteNews and urge them, with firmness and respect, to do teshuva—to repent and turn away from spreading the poison of antisemitism in the Church. Pray for their conversion, that they may recognize their infidelity and return to the Gospel of our Jewish Lord by showing greater respect for his people.

To LifeSiteNews

To Steve Jalsevac and LifeSiteNews: While you claim to stand for life and truth, your antisemitic rhetoric tells a different story. No one needs your hatred of Israel. It does not help Israelis, struggling for survival and disillusioned towards Christianity due to the age-old "teaching of contempt" you help perpetuate. It does not help Palestinians, whose cause is better served by taking responsibility for their embrace of violence and terrorism, not a narrative of victimhood and hatred that only harms them. It does not help Catholics and Christians, who need apostolates to combat antisemitism, not perpetuate it.

The choice is yours. You can double down, deluding yourselves that your antisemitic rhetoric is "courageous" while aligning yourselves with globalist forces of antisemitism on both the left and right—together with violent groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad—against the Jewish State.

Or you could change course, sever ties with antisemites like Patrick Delaney and Frank Wright, and begin to engage Catholics and Jews, historians and theologians who offer informed, balanced perspectives on Israel. Why not invite Hebrew-Catholics to discuss the mystery of Israel? Supporting Palestinians and peace in the Middle East does not require modern-day blood libels against Israel.

True courage lies in humility: publicly repent of the grave sins of anti-Zionism and antisemitism you have scandalously promoted among your Christian readers. Return to the life-giving truths of Scripture, which consistently affirms God's promise of the land to the people of Israel. Why choose the curse of Abraham when you could embrace his blessing?

As St. Paul reminds us:

It is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. Do not become proud but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you… As regards election, [the Jews] are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:18-21, 28-29)

And as the Lord declares through the prophet Jeremiah:

Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night…
"If this fixed order departs from before me, says the Lord,
then shall the descendants of Israel cease
from being a nation before me for ever." (Jer 31:35-36)

Dr. André Villeneuve is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Commission in Rome. He is the author of Divine Marriage from Eden to the End of Days (2021), the director of Catholics for Israel, and on the Board of Directors of the Association of Hebrew Catholics.

• Why Israel Matters: The Biblical Roots of Catholic Zionism
• Zionist vs Palestinian Debate on Israel/Hamas Conflict
• Dr. André Villeneuve on Israel and the Church
• Remember Amalek: Israel and Hamas, Divine Mercy and Divine Justice
• When Neutrality is Immoral: Israel, Hamas, and Christian Moral Equivalence