Next week’s edition of “From the Command Center” will not be released due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The newsletter will return with a new edition on Friday December 1st.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered in Washington, D.C. earlier this week for the March for Israel, a rally in solidarity in the fight against Hamas and growing antisemitism around the world. Advocates from across the country arrived in the nation’s capital waving Israeli flags, chanting their support, and carrying signs including some that featured #StandUpToJewishHate and the Blue Square #🟦.

 

The event featured a powerful lineup of speakers demonstrating support for Israel and the Jewish people. Congressional leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), affirmed the United States’ bipartisan support for Israel and pledged to champion an aid package in Congress. Johnson noted that support for Israel is one of the rare issues that unite members of Congress across the aisle.

Al-Shifa Hospital has been trending on social media this week due to a series of raids conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The hospital was targeted with the IDF asserting that it is being used by Hamas as a command center and for weapons storage, claims that have been corroborated by U.S. intelligence officials​​​​. As the largest hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa plays a critical role in providing medical services to thousands of Palestinians, which has drawn extra scrutiny to the IDF’s actions.

 

The ongoing raids have prompted widespread discussion and debate on social media, with some users calling for an end to the violence and advocating for the protection of hospitals in conflict zones. Others are highlighting Hamas leaders’ confirmation that they are based in the hospital. The issue has fostered a passionate response, with some arguing Israel is targeting healthcare services, with others noting Hamas is using Palestinian civilians as human shields.

Three universities have suspended Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters in response to growing antisemitic activity on college campuses. SJP is a national student organization that has repeatedly incorporated rhetoric calling for the destruction of Israel and celebrating the October 7 terrorist attack. Brandeis University was the first to ban SJP last week, with Columbia University and George Washington University announcing shorter suspensions for violations of university policies and codes of conduct. Columbia also suspended Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP), a Jewish group advocating for an immediate ceasefire. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also called for a ban of SJP chapters on state-funded universities. 

 

Antisemitic incidents have been reported this past week at The Ohio State University, University of Maryland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Pennsylvania, among numerous others. The incidents range from anti-Israel demonstrations to the intimidation of Jewish students, making some students feel unsafe on campus. The U.S. House of Representatives held two hearings this week concerning antisemitism on college campuses, with student witnesses, legal experts, and Jewish community leaders sharing their experiences and suggesting solutions. 

 

Conversation online includes widespread condemnation of antisemitism on college campuses, with discussions on what can be done to combat it.

 

Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America,” written by the former al Qaeda leader to justify the group’s attack on 9/11, went viral on TikTok this week. Users said the letter, which contains virulent antisemitism, homophobia, and anti-Western views, changed their views on the American government and Bin Laden himself. This content received an estimated 14 million views, prompting concerns over progressive TikTok influencers and the platform’s algorithm potentially pushing dangerous content to its young users.

 

Bin Laden spews antisemitic hatred in his letter, claiming a “devastating Jewish control of capital” in America influences the country’s support for Israel, justifying al Qaeda’s murder of Christians in the United States. He further states that Jews are antithetical to humanity and calls for Palestine to be handed over “from the sea to the river.” 

TikTok said Thursday it is actively removing all content related to the letter for promoting terrorism, and is investigating how this content got onto its platform.

 

There has been significant discourse since the Israel-Hamas war started on whether anti-Zionism is considered antisemitism. “Hate Jews” was one of the most mentioned phrases tracked by FCAS’ Command Center this past week, as seen above in the weekly word cloud. The phrase is trending not for people declaring hatred for Jews, but for discussing if declaring support for Palestine is similar to hating Jews.

On one side, pro-Palestinian activists claim that criticism of Israel and its government policy is not antisemitic. But pro-Israel activists counter that there is a double standard where Israel is criticized more than other countries because it is a Jewish state. Conversations online have become tense, with several users crossing the line into personal attacks and hate.

 

 

 

 

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