Study: Online hatred of Jews spiked 36.6% in 11 months after Oct. 7 attacks

(JNS) The antisemitism watchdog group Cyberwell released a report on the evolutions of online hate both before and after the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The organization’s research suggests that in the 11 months after the atrocities committed by Hamas, the antisemitic content tracked by its technology rose 36.6% with an 86% spike in the first three weeks. Cyberwell explains that its monitoring programs flagged 135,556 posts that were likely antisemitic in the 11 months before Oct. 7; in the 11 months that followed, it captured 185,229.

Cyberwell found that narratives demonizing Jews shifted after the attacks. In the 11 months before then, the claim that Jews dominated or controlled the world increased the most in antisemitic social-media discourse with 33% of posts. In the 11 months after, that trope fell to 13.8% while “Jews are evil” rose from 16.3% to 21.5%, and “Jews are an enemy” increased from 15.9% to 29.2%.

Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, CyberWell founder and executive director, said Hamas “hijacked our favorite social-media platforms leveraging gaps in existing policies and moderation efforts to turn these apps into weapons of mass psychological warfare and to normalize hate against Jews worldwide.”

She added that “it is clear that the challenge of online antisemitism has taken a dark turn and must be addressed. Our latest report underscores not only the urgency of the situation but also the necessity for continued vigilance and proactive measures in countering hate speech.”

Calling it “critical” for online platforms to “be held accountable,” Montemayor urged for companies to “implement robust strategies to counteract the spread of hate. While we’ve seen progress in the removal rates of antisemitic content, there remains much work to be done.”