Writer Josh Sheldon’s new book, “The Zionists Who Hate Jews,” makes contested claims about the history and aims of the Zionist movement. In a report published on July 30, 2026, Sheldon is described as arguing that leaders of a movement presented as protecting Jews historically held hostility toward Jews themselves. The book runs to more than 300 pages and is organized in 11 chapters.

The report says Sheldon draws on material from historians Tom Segev, Avi Shlaim and Ella Shohat. It attributes derogatory descriptions of Jews to Theodor Herzl, Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Moses Hess, and presents Sheldon’s view that Zionism and antisemitism are two sides of the same coin. It also says writer Karl Kraus warned in 1898 that Herzl’s movement represented Jews’ own antisemitism.

The book also addresses the Holocaust, including an alleged agreement involving Hungarian Zionist official Rudolf Kastner and Nazi officials. The report further cites statements attributed to David Ben-Gurion to support Sheldon’s claim that Zionist leaders prioritized state-building over saving Jews. According to the report, the book has prompted renewed discussion of Zionism’s historical foundations and underlying purpose.