Digital Library
SJP on Instagram Incitement and Terror Support
Topic:
Israel & Regional Politics
Principal Investigators:
Combat Antisemitism Movement, Cyabra
Study Date:
2025
Source:
Combat Antisemitism Movement,Antisemitism Research Center
Key Findings:
This report examines the online activities of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP) on Instagram between July 2024 and January 2025. The findings reveal how these groups have used the platform to disseminate content that glorifies terrorism, incites violence, and promotes antisemitic rhetoric.
The report positions SJP as a leading antisemitic group on American college campuses, due to its fostering of hostile environments and spreading extremist rhetoric. Social media platforms have a big role in facilitating the dissemination of such content. Strong measures are needed to curb the spread of antisemitism online and on campuses.
Out of 276 monitored Instagram accounts affiliated with SJP and FSJP, the report identified 269 posts that allegedly violated Meta's Community Standards. These posts included praise for U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as well as support for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Despite the identified violations, Meta reportedly suspended only about 7.7% of the flagged accounts, raising concerns about the platform's enforcement of its own policies.
Among 89 verifiably affiliated SJP chapters, 17 (approximately 19%) faced suspension or loss of university affiliation. Notably, Columbia University and Rutgers University-New Brunswick suspended their SJP chapters, and Meta also suspended these specific accounts.
SJP chapters at universities such as the University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, and the University of Washington have amassed significant followings on Instagram, with tens of thousands of followers. The report suggests that coordinated posting among chapters amplifies the spread of extremist content.
Recommendations:
(1) Meta should designate SJP under its "Dangerous Organizations and Individuals" policy, similar to how it treats white supremacist groups.
(2) Universities are encouraged to strictly enforce student conduct policies against groups promoting violence and to enhance campus security in response to documented threats.
Methodology:
Research was conducted by CAM's Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) over a six-month period from July 2024 to January 2025. The ARC monitored 276 Instagram accounts affiliated with SJP and FSJP chapters across various U.S. college campuses. Researchers weighed the found content against Meta's Community Standards to determine clear violations. These violations included: (1) Glorification of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP); (2) Justifications of and support for acts of violence, notably the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel; (3) Dissemination of threatening or violence-inciting content targeting Jewish communities and law enforcement; (4) Promotion of hate speech and content that lionizes self-harm and suicide.