It is a story that dates back centuries: A crisis occurs and conspiracy theories emerge to offer one-size-fits-all explanations. More often than not, Jews are implicated. So, too, has it been during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everything You Need to Know About Antisemitism
Antisemitism is a tangible threat to Jews and the very fabric of democratic societies. American Jewish Committee (AJC), with a global presence, works every day to combat Jew-hatred through global diplomacy, political advocacy, coalition building, and strategic communications.
The resources below include key insights on antisemitism including the connection between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, antisemitism from the far-right, the far-left, and in the name of Islam. It also includes explanations of philosemitism, the Working Definition of Antisemitism, white supremacists, Holocaust distortion, conspiracy theories, and more.
To find answers to your questions about antisemitism use the search bar below and check boxes on the left to view articles, videos, podcasts, columns, eBooks, and more. Don’t see an answer to your question about antisemitism? Click here to let us know.
COVID-19, Conspiracy Theories and Antisemitism
Global Trends in Conspiracy Theories Linking Jews with Coronavirus
For centuries antisemites have blamed Jews for global pandemics, so it is no surprise that conspiracy theories are circulating linking Jews and Israel with the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
Coronavirus, Conspiracy Theories, and the Current State of Global Antisemitism - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, antisemitism was on the rise, both in Europe and in the United States. Now, the coronavirus has given new life to an especially nefarious canard, one that has played a central part in fueling antisemitism for centuries: conspiracy theories.
AJC Welcomes Decision to Remand Man for Plotting to Bomb Jewish Assisted-Living Home
American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised the U.S. Attorney’s Office for successfully appealing a judge’s decision to allow a man accused of plotting a violent attack on a Jewish assisted-living facility to stay at home until his trial.
Give Us Reliable Data. It’s The Most Effective Way To Fight Hate Crimes
One of the key challenges in fighting hate crimes is that they often go unreported because of a lack of knowledge regarding reportage and a mistrust of law enforcement and its willingness to take their claims seriously.
Antisemites Are Thriving Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
Enterprising antisemites around the world have not let the coronavirus pandemic go to waste, using it as an opportunity to churn out conspiracy theories that also blame the Jews.
Best Practices in Combating Antisemitism Online, on Campus, and on Both Sides of the Aisle - AJC Advocacy Anywhere
The fourth and final session of AJC Los Angeles’s Global Briefing Series on Antisemitism focuses on fighting antisemitism online, on campus, and in Congress.
AJC Names Holly Huffnagle U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism
Holly Huffnagle has been appointed U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism at the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
AJC Welcomes New UK Labour Party Head Pledge to “Root Out” Antisemitism
American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomed newly elected Labour Party head Keir Starrmer’s public apology to the British Jewish community for the failure to address rising antisemitism within the party’s ranks and in the United Kingdom.
Crises and Conspiracies
It is as predictable as day follows night. A crisis erupts — pandemic, financial, security — and the conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork. Today, with the Coronavirus pandemic, is no different. It is equally foreseeable that, sooner or later, the Jews will be among those blamed. Isn’t the heart of antisemitism, past and present, the assignment to Jews of evil powers and demonic aims?
AJC Welcomes Appointment of Senior Romanian Official for Fighting Antisemitism
“Silviu Vexler is the perfect person for this position,” said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs.
Europe’s Lessons for the Struggle Against Antisemitism
As a European engaged around the clock with American Jews, I feel a sense of responsibility and urgency to share our experience. With every exhausting debate over what constitutes antisemitism, with every refusal to take into consideration antisemitism from the other side of the political divide, with every glance at the overwhelming amount of antisemitic hate speech online, and every time I see certain politicians in the U.S. fail to find the courage to speak out clearly and unequivocally and come up with a clear plan to combat this cancer, I get more nervous.
People of the Pod: New Antisemitism Documentary; Israeli Election Update
On this week's episode of People of the Pod, we sit down with director Andrew Goldberg to discuss his new documentary, "Viral: Antisemitism In Four Mutations." Then, as Israelis prepare to head back to the polls on Monday for the third time in a year, we speak to Times of Israel Senior Analyst Haviv Rettig Gur to break down what’s important to Israeli voters.
AJC Berlin Statement on the Terror Attack in Hanau
AJC Berlin Acting Director Dr. Remko Leemhuis released the following statement after the terrorist attack in Hanau, Germany:
Remembering Ilan Halimi
The murder of four people in the Hyper Cacher kosher store in Paris in January 2015 served as a wake-up call to Europe and much of the world what French Jews had known for a long time: European antisemitism was back, and with a vengeance. This attack, coming on the heels of the Charlie Hebdo atrocity, could no longer be ignored. The vicious hatred that had been bubbling just under the surface in extreme corners of Europe’s migrant community—not to mention the far-right and far-left political fringes—had boiled over. But the warning signs had been present for at least a decade, since the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Ilan Halimi.
Antisemitism Is A Concern for All French People
The American Jewish Committee and the Foundation for Political Innovation have jointly designed and carried out the survey “Radiography of Anti-Semitism in France”, administered by IFOP.
People of the Pod: French Antisemitism Survey, 75 Years After Auschwitz
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we talk to AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen about the findings of a new AJC survey on antisemitism in France. Then, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we go to the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to tour its current exhibit on Auschwitz and discuss its recent decision to offer free admission to any New York City public school student and up to three family members in response to the uptick in antisemitic attacks on the streets of Brooklyn.
Top 3 Takeaways from AJC’s Survey on Antisemitism in France
More than 70 years after the Holocaust, Jews across the European Union continue to be the target of discrimination, verbal, and violent physical attacks, including murder. AJC’s newly-released survey on antisemitism in France, carried out in partnership with the Foundation for Political Innovation (Fondapol), presents the views of French Jews and society as a whole on the prevalence and evolution of antisemitism in French society.
AJC Paris Survey: French Jews, Non-Jews Agree on Scope of Antisemitism
“Antisemitism has become a concern for French society as a whole,” said Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache, Director of AJC Paris. “It is not considered anymore as only the concern of Jews. We are not as alone as we could have felt in the past to fight this scourge.”
