What is antisemitism and how to best understand it
A guide from American Jewish Committee (AJC) to understanding what is antisemitism and where it comes from.
Understanding Antisemitism
We cannot combat antisemitism without understanding what it is, where it comes from, who it targets, and how it evolves.
This page provides foundational knowledge to help leaders, institutions, and communities recognize antisemitism in its many forms. Because antisemitism manifests differently across professions and institutional settings, sector-specific guidance provides tailored recommendations for recognizing it in context.
Antisemitism is not only a threat to Jewish communities; it is a warning sign for the health of society itself. Jews represent just 0.2% of the world’s population — approximately 15.8 million people worldwide and 6.3 million in the United States — yet antisemitism remains one of the most persistent and adaptive forms of hatred. Antisemitism thrives on misinformation, scapegoating, and distrust. Left unaddressed, it weakens democratic institutions, fuels extremism, and undermines social cohesion.
When individuals and institutions lack accurate information about antisemitism, they often underestimate its prevalence or misunderstand its causes. As a result, responses can be ineffective, misdirected, or even counterproductive. Understanding antisemitism is therefore not only an educational task — it is a prerequisite for sound policy, responsible leadership, and effective prevention.
Confronting antisemitism protects:
- Jewish communities
- Democratic norms
- Social trust
- Public safety
- The stability of society as a whole
Forms and Expressions of Contemporary Antisemitism
Antisemitism functions differently from many other forms of hatred. Rather than portraying Jews as inferior, it often depicts them as uniquely powerful, manipulative, or disloyal. These narratives make antisemitism especially corrosive to democratic culture because they fuel conspiracy thinking and distrust.
Antisemitism is often not directed at individual Jews, but at the idea of “the Jews” — a constructed set of stereotypes projected onto Jewish people in politics, society, and global affairs. This abstraction allows antisemitic narratives to adapt across contexts and persist even where explicit prejudice is rejected.
Historically, Jews were scapegoated for societal failures — accused of killing Jesus, spreading disease, controlling governments, or undermining social order. These myths have resurfaced across centuries, from medieval blood libels to modern conspiracy movements.
Today, antisemitism often appears indirectly. In many societies, explicit hatred toward Jews is socially unacceptable, so antisemitic ideas are expressed through coded language or through hostility directed at symbols associated with Jewish identity.
One example is what scholars describe as the “israelization of antisemitism” — the projection of traditional anti-Jewish stereotypes onto the State of Israel. In contemporary discourse, references to “Israel,” “Zionism,” or “Zionists” sometimes replace references to Jews while preserving the same conspiratorial narratives about power, control, or global influence.
Understanding these dynamics helps leaders distinguish between legitimate political debate and rhetoric that perpetuates antisemitic harm.
Ideological and Political Sources of Contemporary Antisemitism
Antisemitism does not come from a single ideology or community. It emerges from multiple sources, often simultaneously. Recognizing these sources helps institutions develop targeted responses rather than oversimplified solutions.
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Political Antisemitism. Antisemitism can emerge across the political spectrum. Notably, extremes on both ends of the political spectrum can converge in their hostility toward Jews in what is often referred to as horseshoe dynamics, demonstrating that antisemitism is not confined to a single ideology.
- Far-left antisemitism appears through narratives that deny Jewish self-determination, apply double standards to Israel, or frame Jews collectively as symbols of power or oppression.
- Far-right antisemitism appears in white supremacist and nationalist ideologies that portray Jews as conspirators undermining national identity or social order.
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Religious Extremism and Fundamentalism. Antisemitism can also arise from religious ideologies that portray Jews as enemies of faith or society. These expressions do not represent mainstream religious communities, but they can influence public attitudes and contribute to hostility or violence. Examples include:
- Extremism in the name of Islam incorporates antisemitic conspiracies and calls for violence against Jews.
- Christian extremism and fundamentalism promotes theological narratives portraying Jews as collectively guilty or spiritually dangerous.
- Groups such as the Nation of Islam or Black Hebrew Israelites have, at times, promoted rhetoric portraying Jews as illegitimate or oppressive.
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State-Sponsored Antisemitism. Usually a part of broader political or strategic agendas, state-sponsored antisemitism can manifest through propaganda, disinformation campaigns, diplomatic messaging, and support for extremist groups. In some cases, antisemitism is linked to transnational terrorism targeting Jewish individuals, institutions, or businesses. Examples include:
- Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas
- Russia, which has used antisemitic narratives in information warfare
- China, where antisemitic conspiracy content has circulated through state-controlled media environments
Understanding the Global and Transnational Dimension
Antisemitism is a global phenomenon, not confined to any single country or conflict. Today it spreads across borders through digital networks, extremist movements, and geopolitical tensions. Periods of war, economic instability, or political polarization often trigger spikes in antisemitic incidents — sometimes targeting Jewish communities far removed from the events being exploited.
Further, digital platforms have transformed how antisemitism spreads. Social media allows conspiracies, harassment, and extremist content to reach global audiences instantly. Online interactive environments, including gaming and live-streaming platforms, can expose users — especially younger audiences — to antisemitic language, symbols, and harassment in real time, often with limited moderation or accountability. Generative AI systems can unintentionally produce antisemitic content if trained on biased or manipulated data.
Understanding these transnational dynamics is essential for:
- Security planning
- Public policy
- Community protection
- International cooperation
Understanding Key Terms is Essential
AJC’s Translate Hate is a visual glossary of coded language, symbols, conspiracies, and rhetoric commonly associated with antisemitism. It translates often-overlooked expressions of antisemitic hate into clear, accessible explanations grounded in historical and contemporary context. By helping users recognize antisemitism — including online and through political discourse — Translate Hate equips leaders to respond more effectively before harmful rhetoric escalates.
The most widely used definitional framework is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, developed in response to incidents in which Jews were being targeted but authorities lacked a common understanding of how antisemitism could manifest, including in relation to Israel. The IHRA definition is intended as:
- a guidance and educational tool,
- a framework for identifying patterns of antisemitism, and
- a resource for training, policymaking, and institutional response.
Over two decades ago, American Jewish Committee (AJC) helped draft the original definition and continues to urge governments around the world to use it in real-world settings.
