The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan on Monday. This was the council’s first resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas since the war began. The United States abstained from voting instead of exercising its unilateral veto, also for the first time since the war began, which many people have seen as a major change in the relationship between the United States and Israel. 

 

Many social media users advocating for the state of Israel’s right to defend itself decried the one-sided nature of the resolution and the double standard that is being imposed on Israel. To this point, users pointed out that although the resolution calls for the release of the hostages, the terrorist organization Hamas is not a UN member state and the UN has no power to hold them accountable. Others highlighted that the resolution did not include any language denouncing Hamas or any of their actions and have pointed out that Hamas released a statement celebrating the resolution and stated its intention to abolish the state of Israel.  

Others who have been advocating for a ceasefire saw the UN’s resolution as a small win but not enough. These users were disappointed that the resolution’s calls for a ceasefire only during the holiday of Ramadan. These activists encouraged more people to continue boycotting and protesting Israel, saying that the advocacy for Palestine does not end with a ceasefire, but a liberated country. In response, other users pointed out another double standard where the UN asked for a ceasefire during a religious Muslim holiday but Hamas intentionally chose October 7, the day of Jewish holiday Simchat Torah to launch their attack.

After an ISIS terror attack at Crocus City Hall outside of Moscow, where more than 130 people were killed, antisemitic conspiracy theories circulated blaming Israel and Jews for orchestrating the attack. Despite the evidence and responsibility that ISIS claimed of the event, extremists and conspiracy theorists echoed false narratives created after other significant terrorist events, together with tropes that Jews have the power to manipulate global events. One theory posited a link between the timing of the attack and the celebration of the Jewish holiday Purim. Other users accused ISIS of being a product of the CIA and the Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency, and argued that Israel orchestrated the attack because Russia supported Hamas in the days after the October 7 massacre. 

Other conspiracy theorists also blamed the Jews for the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Md. The most common conspiracy circulating is anchored in anti-Black racism and the Great Replacement Theory, a theory that Jews are orchestrating the replacement of the white race—and Baltimore was a target since it is a majority-Black city led by Black officials. Another theory suggested the Covid-19 vaccine was to blame for the crash as the captain of the ship collapsed after taking the vaccine, a claim which has since been debunked. 

The Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan sparked a debate on social media over the meaning of the phrase “Christ is King” during his show. Klavan, a secular Jew, condemned political commentator Candace Owens on Friday for using the phrase in what he considered was an antisemitic way. He accused Owens of using the phrase to taunt Jewish people such as Ben Shapiro, whose religion does not worship Jesus Christ. This use assumes that Jews are in need of salvation because they do not believe in Jesus. Klavan’s show initially sparked backlash from far-right Christian users, who in turn blamed Jews for calling anything that offends them “antisemitic” and that they “hold contempt for Christianity.” 

CEO of The Daily Wire Jeremy Boreing came to Klavan’s defense and explained the complexity of the phrase, which is innocuous in most contexts but can be used in a harmful way. Many Christians posted online in support of the Jewish community, denouncing those who use “Christ is King” and the Lord’s name in vain to spread antisemitism.

 

Qatari-funded news outlet Al Jazeera spread disinformation online after posting a video on Sunday alleging the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) sexually assaulted Palestinian women at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, which was even refuted by Hamas officials. Al Jazeera later quietly retracted the video without an apology or acknowledgment of its impact, but by the time the video was removed, prominent anti-Israel activists spread the story widely on social media. User on social media saw such misinformation as an insult to those who were actual victims of sexual assault during the terrorist attack of October 7. These women’s experiences were verified by the United Nations, yet still lack acknowledgment from anti-Israel activists. 

The New York Times published an interview on Tuesday with released hostage Amit Soussana who shared her experience with sexual assault while being held in captivity by Hamas. In light of the misinformation released by Al Jazeera, users on social media shared Soussana's story and raised their concerns over the sexual abuse that the other female hostages are experiencing while in captivity, and commended Soussana for her extraordinary bravery in sharing her story.

 

 

Film fans threatened to boycott the James Bond film franchise this past week after rumors circulated that Jewish actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson would play the next iteration of the titular character. Many of these fans used #BoycottJamesBond online, claiming they are boycotting due to assumptions that Taylor-Johnson supports Israel and therefore deserves to lose their support. They assumed Taylor-Johnson supports Israel because he is Jewish, despite Taylor-Johnson never making any public statements about Israel or Gaza. Other users made more explicit antisemitic comments online, ridiculing the new James Bond as “shlomoed,” a derogatory term used by antisemites to say something was turned “Jewish,” and calling the character “Bondstein.” Jewish fans came to his defense and expressed excitement for Jewish representation in an iconic franchise.

 

 

Over 7,500 incidents of white supremacist propaganda occurred in 2023, a 12% increase from 2022. This is the highest recorded number of incidents since the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) began recording them, according to a new report released on Tuesday. These propaganda incidents include the distribution of flyers and other material, laser projections, graffiti, and events. Among the information shared:

The main three white supremacist groups that led these efforts were Patriot Front, National Justice Party, and Goyim Defense League.

 

 

March 27 marked the first anniversary of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) launching the #StandUpToJewishHate campaign to make #🟦 a universal symbol for standing up to antisemitism and all hate. Since its launch, FCAS has aired impactful ads on major broadcasts like the Super Bowl, Academy Awards, The Voice, and the NBA All-Star Game and reached hundreds of millions of people, motivating everyone to #StandUpToJewishHate and #StandUpToAllHate.

To join the movement, order your Blue Square Pin at fcas.org/pins.

 

 

 

 

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