Writing for Current Affairs, Ruqaiyah Zarook says that while the usage of the phrase is recent, critics of left-wing Zionists argue the phenomenon has existed for decades.
She brings up French leftists Jean-Paul Sartre and Michel Foucault as early examples of the PEP phenomenon, noting their lack of public sympathy for Palestinians.
[1] Zarook lists several progressive American politicians as examples of PEP: Ayanna Pressley and Ro Khanna for being anti-BDS by voting against House Resolution 246, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for being insufficiently pro-Palestinian, Tulsi Gabbard for being silent on Israel's bombardment of Gaza, Beto O'Rourke for being too pro-Israel, and Kamala Harris for insisting that Israel meets international human rights standards.
[2] Philip Mendes, a professor at Monash University, has criticized the phrase as a buzzword and a jibe that demonizes the State of Israel.
[3] Andrew E. Harrod, writing for The Detroit Jewish News, dismissed the term as "anti-Israel propaganda" and "Israel-hatred" that is rooted in lies about the Israeli state.