Online Hate and Real-World Harm

Building on the first phase of our research, we examined the relationship between online incitement and incidents of Jew-hatred in the United States. We found that warfare during the May 2021 Gaza-Israel conflict sparked the largest increase in online mentions of social justice terms like “apartheid,” “colonialism,” and “settler” in the history of social media. These terms acted as weaponized conflict language, creating a staggering tide of racialized and hate-inducing sentiment against Israel that translated into a surge of real-world antisemitism throughout the United States.