Antisemitism History III: From October 7 to Its Global Resurgence

Introduction

In the first blog post of this article series, the historical evolution of antisemitism was traced from its ancient foundations through to its modern developments up until the early 21st century. The analysis highlighted how antisemitism has adapted across different eras – shifting from religious prejudice to racial ideologies, economic scapegoating, and global conspiracy theories – while maintaining its destructive core themes. The second blog post explored how antisemitism found new expressions in the aftermath of the Holocaust, during the establishment of Israel, and in contemporary political and digital contexts.

This third and final post focuses on the most recent and alarming developments in antisemitism, beginning with the global surge following the events of October 7, 2023. This period marked a turning point where longstanding prejudices were rapidly re-deployed in public discourse, amplified by geopolitical tensions and digital platforms. The post will examine how these events reignited ancient hatreds while introducing new dimensions to this enduring form of prejudice.

The concluding chapter will reflect on antisemitism’s historical continuity and adaptability, synthesizing insights from all three posts to provide a comprehensive understanding of its persistence. By analyzing both historical patterns and contemporary manifestations, this final installment aims to underscore the urgent need for vigilance against this ever-evolving hatred.

Antisemitism Unleashed: The Global Surge Since October 7, 2023

Embed from Getty Images

The Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, triggered not only a military conflict but also an alarming global surge in antisemitism unprecedented in recent decades. Statistical evidence confirms this dramatic escalation: the Anti-Defamation League recorded a nearly 400% increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States during the first month following October 7, compared to the same period in the previous year. The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) has researched that 3.5 Million American Jews have experienced Antisemitism Since October 7. In Europe, similar patterns emerged, and an extreme rise in antisemitism in many countries could be witnessed. For instance, the Community Security Trust documenting a 537% rise in antisemitic incidents across the United Kingdom in the month after the attacks. In addition to national statistics, global monitoring organizations such as Tel Aviv University’s Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry reported that antisemitic incidents worldwide surged massively in the month following October 7. This included violent attacks targeting Jewish individuals and institutions globally, ranging from arson at synagogues to physical assaults on visibly Jewish individuals in public spaces. Furthermore, coordinated campaigns of antisemitic graffiti appeared in cities across Europe, North America, and Australia, with messages glorifying Hamas and invoking historical massacres of Jews. These incidents were not isolated but part of a broader pattern of escalating hostility toward Jewish communities.

This surge manifested across diverse contexts – from violent assaults on Jewish individuals to vandalism of synagogues and cemeteries. What distinguishes this wave from previous spikes is both its intensity and its global synchronization, spanning continents and appearing simultaneously across vastly different cultural contexts.

University campuses emerged as particularly problematic epicenters of antisemitism. Once celebrated as bastions of pluralism and tolerance, many elite academic institutions witnessed troubling developments. Anti-Israel encampments at universities frequently incorporated rhetoric that crossed from political criticism into antisemitism. Documented incidents included protesters chanting traditional antisemitic slogans, displaying signs equating Zionism with Nazism, and in some cases, explicitly celebrating the October 7 attacks. Jewish students reported being asked about their positions on Israel before being allowed to enter campus buildings or being excluded from “liberated zones” based on their Jewish identity. At Columbia University, Jewish students reported being told “Zionists don’t deserve to live” and faced threatening situations that led many to avoid campus entirely. Similar patterns emerged at Harvard, UC Berkeley, and dozens of other institutions, creating environments where Jewish students felt unsafe expressing their identity.

Perhaps most concerning was the hesitant and often inconsistent institutional response. University administrations that had previously taken swift action against other forms of discrimination frequently displayed reluctance to address antisemitism with similar vigor. Congressional hearings in December 2023 highlighted this inconsistency when presidents of several elite universities failed to clearly state that calls for genocide against Jews would violate university harassment policies – a position that would be unthinkable regarding any other minority group. This institutional failure sent a troubling message about the exceptional status of antisemitism in contemporary discourse, where standards applied to other forms of prejudice seemed not to apply when Jews were targeted.

The rise of antisemitism was not limited to physical acts; digital platforms also saw a massive proliferation of antisemitic content. Since October 7, 2023, social media platforms have become powerful amplifiers of antisemitic content, with a dramatic surge in hateful narratives targeting Jewish communities worldwide. Across various platforms, antisemitic conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial proliferated at unprecedented rates. For example, hashtags promoting Holocaust inversion, such as #HitlerWasRight and #ZionistsAreNazis surged, attracting millions of views globally. The Center for Countering Digital Hate found that up to 89% of reported antisemitic posts remained online despite being flagged for removal, highlighting the alarming failure of moderation systems to address this issue effectively. Similarly, CyberWell’s monitoring technology detected a doubling of antisemitic content within weeks of October 7, with violent rhetoric glorifying attacks on Jews and calls for further violence spreading rapidly. The normalization of antisemitism through social media algorithms has further exacerbated this crisis. Platforms often prioritize engagement metrics over content safety, inadvertently promoting hateful posts that generate high interaction rates. This algorithm-driven amplification allows antisemitic narratives to reach vast audiences, creating echo chambers where hatred is reinforced and radicalization occurs. Overall, several analysis of digital platforms revealed sophisticated transnational coordination behind the surge in antisemitic content. State actors, extremist organizations, and activist networks adapted antisemitic narratives for various audiences. For example, posts originating from Middle Eastern networks often framed antisemitism within anti-Zionist rhetoric, while far-right groups in Europe and North America amplified conspiracy theories about Jewish control of media and finance. This coordinated effort ensured that antisemitic content resonated across ideological divides, reaching millions of users globally. Algorithms further exacerbated this spread by prioritizing high-engagement posts, creating echo chambers where hatred was reinforced and normalized.

The forms of antisemitism expressed online have also evolved in disturbing ways. While conspiratorial narratives remain prevalent, there has been a marked shift toward violent rhetoric and Holocaust distortion. Posts blaming Jews collectively for real or imagined wrongdoings surged alongside content justifying violence against Jewish communities globally. The intertwining of anti-Zionist rhetoric with traditional antisemitic tropes further complicates efforts to distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from outright hatred targeting Jews. This digital explosion of antisemitism underscores the dangerous intersection between online hate speech and real-world violence. The spikes in online antisemitism often correlate with increased physical attacks against Jewish individuals and institutions. For example, slogans glorifying Hamas atrocities or invoking historical threats against Jews have been widely shared online, contributing to an environment where violent ideologies are normalized.

Furthermore, traditional antisemitic conspiracy theories received renewed promotion, with claims about Jewish media control used to explain perceived bias in reporting on the conflict. The phrase “control the media” appeared in conjunction with “Jews” or “Zionists” millions of times across platforms after October 7. These conspiracy frameworks extended to accusations that Jewish organizations were exaggerating antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel – itself an antisemitic trope that denies Jews the right to define prejudice against their community.

Perhaps most alarming has been the increasing social acceptability of public antisemitism in spaces that previously rejected such expression: Major cities worldwide witnessed demonstrations where legitimate political protest sometimes incorporated explicit antisemitism. In London, protesters chanted about the “Battle of Khaybar”, a historical reference to a 7th-century massacre of Jews, while others displayed signs with blood libel accusations. In Berlin, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at a Jewish community center housing a synagogue and kindergarten during a protest on October 18, 2023. In New York City, protesters near a memorial exhibit for victims of the Nova music festival massacre shouted slogans praising the October 7 Hamas attacks, while vandalism targeted homes of Jewish leaders with red paint and pro-Palestinian graffiti. These incidents frequently occurred without significant public condemnation or law enforcement intervention.

A concerning development has been the strategic reframing of antisemitism through terminology manipulation: Some academic and activist circles have promoted frameworks positioning antisemitism as fundamentally different from other forms of prejudice because it supposedly “punches up” against a powerful group rather than targeting a marginalized community. This framing ignores both historical realities of Jewish vulnerability and contemporary evidence, such as FBI hate crime statistics consistently showing Jews experiencing disproportionate rates of religious-based hate crimes despite representing just 2% of the American population.

The term “Zionist” has increasingly functioned as a socially acceptable substitute for “Jew” in many contexts. When protesters target random Jewish individuals with demands about their position on Israel – a standard not applied to other ethnic groups regarding their ancestral homelands – this reveals that “Zionist” often serves as a thin cover for targeting Jews as Jews.

The post-October 7 period revealed antisemitism’s troubling global adaptability: Antisemitism manifested across the ideological spectrum, with different political groups incorporating antisemitic elements for different purposes. Right-wing extremists celebrated the October 7 attacks as validating their worldview, while some progressive circles incorporated antisemitic tropes into their analysis of the conflict. This cross-ideological spread makes addressing contemporary antisemitism particularly challenging, as it cannot be associated exclusively with any single movement. The post-October 7 period also revealed sophisticated transnational networks propagating antisemitism. Analysis of social media content showed coordinated campaigns originating from state actors, extremist organizations, and activist networks – each adapting antisemitic content for different target audiences while maintaining core themes. This transnational connectivity represents a significant escalation from historical patterns of localized antisemitism.

For Jewish communities worldwide, the post-October 7 period created unprecedented security concerns and identity challenges: Jewish institutions globally implemented heightened security measures in response to specific threats. Synagogues increased armed security, Jewish schools conducted additional threat drills, and community centers installed enhanced barriers and surveillance systems. These measures reflected concrete threat assessments rather than abstract fears, with law enforcement agencies in multiple countries disrupting planned attacks against Jewish targets. Many Jews reported a profound sense of isolation and betrayal, particularly from political or social circles they previously considered allies. Numerous Jewish individuals described being asked to denounce Israel to maintain social acceptance or being held collectively responsible for Israeli government actions – a standard not applied to other ethnic or religious groups regarding their ancestral homelands.

The psychological toll on Jewish communities has been profound. Surveys revealed that the majority of Jews in Western countries reported feeling unsafe expressing their identity publicly. Many described avoiding wearing visible symbols of Judaism, such as kippahs or Star of David necklaces, out of fear of harassment or violence. Community leaders noted a sharp increase in requests for mental health support services related to anxiety and trauma stemming from the surge in antisemitism. The isolation felt by many Jews was compounded by the perceived indifference or complicity of institutions that failed to respond adequately to these threats.

The antisemitism unleashed since October 7, 2023, represents not merely a quantitative increase but a qualitative transformation in how antisemitism manifests globally. What distinguishes this period is both the intensity of antisemitic expression and its increasing social acceptability across contexts previously committed to rejecting discrimination. This surge confirms antisemitism’s dangerous adaptability across different historical and ideological contexts while maintaining core themes. Just as antisemitism evolved from religious prejudice to racial theories to nationalist exclusion, it has – at least now – adapted to contemporary political and societal discourse while preserving its essential characteristics.

For Jewish communities worldwide, this period has reinforced the understanding that antisemitism remains an ever-present threat requiring vigilance. For broader society, it provides a troubling indicator of how quickly norms against expressing prejudice can erode during periods of social tension.

Conclusion: Antisemitism, an Enduring Virus of Hatred

Embed from Getty Images

Antisemitism is one of history’s most persistent and adaptable forms of hatred, evolving across millennia while retaining its core themes of prejudice, scapegoating, and exclusion. From ancient religious conflicts to modern political rhetoric, antisemitism has demonstrated a hazardous ability to embed itself in diverse societal contexts, whether cultural, economic, or political, culminating the alarming resurgence in the post-October 7, 2023 period.

This adaptability ensures that antisemitism persists even when societal norms evolve to reject overt expressions of hatred. When one manifestation becomes socially unacceptable, antisemitism reinvents itself – religious justifications give way to racial pseudo-science; overt hatred transforms into coded language; traditional stereotypes find new expression in political discourse. The post-October 7 period starkly illustrates this phenomenon, with ancient tropes rapidly incorporated into contemporary narratives about Israel and Jewish identity.

The relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism remains particularly significant in this context. While legitimate criticism of Israeli policies exists independently from antisemitism, recent developments and present demonstrat how frequently anti-Zionist rhetoric incorporates traditional antisemitic tropes. After October 7, these themes intensified dramatically, with the term “Zionist” increasingly used as a socially acceptable substitute for “Jew,” particularly when individuals were targeted based solely on their Jewish identity rather than any specific political stance.

The post-October 7 surge in global antisemitism represents not merely a quantitative increase but a qualitative transformation. The shocking speed with which antisemitic rhetoric spread across institutions previously committed to pluralistic values – from elite universities to progressive movements – reveals how deeply entrenched antisemitic prejudices remain beneath the surface of society.

The persistence of antisemitism also highlights its role as a barometer for societal health. Historically, periods of intensified antisemitism have often coincided with broader social upheavals or crises. Whether during economic depressions, political instability, or ideological shifts, Jews have frequently been scapegoated as symbols of larger societal anxieties. This pattern underscores how antisemitism is not merely a hatred directed at Jews but also a reflection of deeper fractures within societies themselves.

Looking ahead, the future of antisemitism remains concerning. Its adaptability ensures that it will likely continue to evolve in response to societal changes, embedding itself in new frameworks while maintaining its core prejudices. The digital age presents unique challenges: algorithm-driven platforms amplify antisemitic content globally, while transnational coordination among extremist groups ensures consistent messaging across borders. These innovations make combating antisemitism more complex than ever before.

For Israel and the Jewish people worldwide, the resurgence of antisemitism underscores the ongoing necessity of Zionism as both a response to historical persecution and a safeguard against future threats. The establishment of Israel provided Jews with sovereignty after millennia of statelessness – a vital achievement that remains central to their security in an increasingly hostile world. As antisemitic narratives continue to evolve and proliferate globally, Israel’s role as a refuge for Jewish self-determination becomes even more critical.

Yet even as Israel stands as a testament to Jewish resilience and self-determination, it also faces unique challenges as a focal point for modern manifestations of antisemitism. The conflation of anti-Zionism with traditional prejudices has created an environment where hostility toward Israel often serves as a socially acceptable outlet for expressing age-old hatreds against Jews. This dynamic places Israel at the center of contemporary debates about identity, sovereignty, and human rights – debates that are frequently distorted by underlying biases.

The enduring presence of antisemitism serves as a stark reminder that progress does not erase hatred – it merely transforms it. Understanding its historical evolution is essential not only for recognizing its manifestations but also for appreciating the resilience of Jewish communities in confronting this ancient prejudice. The lessons of history reveal that antisemitism is never static; it adapts to new circumstances while retaining its destructive core. While the future may be unclear, history and present demonstrate one certainty: antisemitism will persist unless society remains vigilant against its ever-changing forms.