CyberWell, an antisemitism watchdog group, released a new report highlighting the alarming rise in online antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. The report found a 36.6% increase in antisemitic content, with an 86% spike in the first three weeks after the attacks. In the 11 months before October 7, CyberWell flagged 135,556 antisemitic posts, but that number surged to 185,229 in the following months.

The report also revealed a shift in antisemitic narratives. Before the attacks, 33% of antisemitic posts focused on claims that Jews dominated or controlled the world. However, after October 7, this dropped to 13.8%, while other hateful narratives rose significantly, such as “Jews are evil” (21.5%) and “Jews are an enemy” (29.2%).

CyberWell’s founder, Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, accused Hamas of exploiting gaps in social media policies to spread antisemitism and normalize hate against Jews. Montemayor emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue and called for social media platforms to implement stronger strategies to combat the spread of hate speech.

Despite some progress in removing antisemitic content, the report stressed that much work remains to be done in holding platforms accountable and preventing the use of digital spaces for hate.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)