David Draiman has equated opposition to Zionism with “anti Jewish racism,” according to an October 5, 2026, report from The Mosh Network, which reproduced his October 4 statement on X.
The Disturbed singer explained his Zionism as support for Jewish self determination in Israel. He described the country as the Jewish ancestral homeland and rejected the suggestion that his belief had a sinister or nefarious meaning.
His equation of opposition to Zionism with antisemitism is contested. The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, published in 2021 by scholars working in Jewish studies, Holocaust history and related fields, distinguishes opposition to Zionism as a form of nationalism from prejudice against Jews.
The declaration also identifies holding Jewish people collectively responsible for Israel’s actions as antisemitic. Its guidelines emphasize that context matters when assessing statements about Israel and Zionism, including whether they express political criticism or hostility toward Jewish people.
