“Extremists exploited social media to spread antisemitic lies to massive audiences,” said Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism. Antisemitism is everywhere, affecting every part of the world, and is only getting worse. Why? One simple reason: social media.
From brainwashed influencers to antisemitic politicians, these are the voices inspiring hatred toward Jews around the world and are spreading hate through the algorithm. Social media is, without a doubt, the leading cause of why antisemitism is getting worse every day.
Furthermore, there is a spread of antisemitism by specific political leaders with a large following. Zohran Mamdani, an influential politician who recently became the mayor of New York, is one such example.
According to the New York Post, in multiple interviews and debates posted on X, Mamdani refused to support Israel’s right to exist specifically as a Jewish state. Mamdani said he “would not recognize any state’s right to exist with a system of hierarchy based on race or religion.”
Additionally, New York Times reported that Mamdani “accused Israel of committing genocide, vowed to arrest its leader and said he could not support the country as long as it is an officially Jewish state that gives lesser rights to Palestinians.”
Social media influencers are arguably as, or even more, effective in spreading antisemitic propaganda. According to The Wall Street Journal, “In a global antisemitism survey, antisemitism among younger generations was attributed significantly to social media influence.”
Instead of young people getting their information from credible sources, it was coming from individuals’ opinions and biases.
Someone like Kanye West, who is highly influential, was provoking Jewish hate that many people listen to or believe. West stated on his X account that he loves Hitler and claims to be a Nazi. Furthermore, West said, “Some of my best friends are Jewish, and I don’t trust any of them,” attempting to imply that Jews are not trustworthy.
Elon Van Pelt, a proficient teenager on social media, states, “Antisemitism is getting worse every day, on my TikTok ForYou page, comments are saying ‘kill the jews’ and ‘bring back gas chambers. He says it makes him feel “scared” and “uncomfortable”.
Social media is a detrimental and precarious platform for spreading false and hateful information. Whether it’s a politician or an influencer, these are ways people are receiving propagandistic news. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this issue.
First, people should not engage with hateful resources. Giving these individuals and outlets attention only boosts them to create more and more false and hateful content. Second, people should speak out. They should not be bystanders; instead, denounce antisemitism and show solidarity toward the Jewish community. Finally, promoting accurate information is essential.
Redirecting people from false resources to credible ones helps improve understanding of what is right and true about the Jewish people.
