Andrew Tate is a British-American former kickboxer and reality television star with millions of social media followers – 8.5 million on X (formerly Twitter) alone.
In our final episode of 2023, Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves look back at some of the developments in hate and extremism we wish would end along with the year
Unfounded Claims of “Organ Harvesting” Reignite Embers of Decades-Old Hospital Scandal and Centuries-Old Trope
Article
Longstanding accusations of Israeli organ harvesting have reemerged in the aftermath of the October 7 massacres. This conspiracy theory plays on the blood libel trope, which dates to the Middle Ages and alleges that Jews use the blood of Christian children to bake their Passover bread. In the current Israeli-Palestinian context, organs are substituted for blood, and in some cases, activists are alleging that Israel purposefully kills Palestinians to harvest their organs.
In…
Owen Benjamin (aka Owen Smith) is a former mainstream comedian and actor who has embraced far-right conspiratorial and antisemitic content since 2018. He released a standup comedy performance on October 13, 2023, that includes antisemitic, anti-LGBTQ+ and racist rhetoric.
Benjamin, who starred in several films and comedy specials in the early 2010s, experienced significant success as a mainstream conservative comedian, and appeared in the movies The House Bunny and All’s Faire…
U.S. Elected Officials Targeted by Vandalism and Threats Following October 7 Attacks
Article
In the weeks following the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel, political activists have targeted elected officials – and their offices – with harassment and vandalism. Many of these incidents featured anti-Israel rhetoric, allegations of support for genocide and demands for a ceasefire.
Fewer than half of the elected officials who have reported being targeted by protestors are Jewish. All targeted individuals have expressed support for Israel, and most have…
Listen to episode 3.4 to hear the hosts consider the (partial) demise of Omegle, hype COE’s Hate Symbols Database and talk with COE mis/disinformation analyst.
Anti-Muslim Hate Surfaces Nationwide as Israel-Hamas War Continues
Article
Jewish and Muslim communities worldwide have been rocked by the impact of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 war on Israel, its massacre of over 1,200 people and Israel’s military response targeting Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza. That impact has included an increased number of threats against both Jewish and Muslim communities, per the FBI and ADL. In the U.S., a number of post-October 7 incidents targeting Muslim, Palestinian and Arab American individuals appear to be…
Post 10/7, BDS Activists Are Refocused on Attacking Israeli, Jewish Businesses and Individuals
Article
Since the Hamas-led terror massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaigns directly targeting “Zionist” institutions, businesses or individuals, have persisted in response to Israel’s operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. BDS is a component of a long history of campaigns and efforts to delegitimize and isolate Israel. In recent years, this has explicitly focused on the rejection, isolation and marginalization of …
2023 Shareholder Roundup: Israel-Related Proposals Hold Steady with Focus on Human Rights in Conflict-Affected Areas
Article
Since the 1970s, some shareholders of publicly traded companies have used “shareholder proposals” as a form of activism to encourage more responsible corporate behavior and to raise concern on issues that a company may not be adequately managing. Proposals can include demands that companies divest from certain funds or entities, uphold codes of conduct, improve disclosure on environmental and social topics, or make tangible commitments to improving business practices.
…
As Israel-Hamas War Rages, Activist Groups Launch Anti-Israel “Toolkits”
Article
Toolkits are a popular tool for activists to share information and organize around a topic or policy demand, from city hall resolutions to Congressional action. There is nothing inherently nefarious about activists wishing to effect change. However, in the post-October 7 landscape, some anti-Israel activists’ rhetoric include outright support for terrorism.
In certain cases, the rhetoric in these calls to action crosses the line into support for or minimization of terror. If…
Conspiracy Theories, Some with Antisemitic Roots, Crop Up in 2023 Shareholder Proposals
Article
The 2023 shareholder season heralded a new element of shareholder proposals: conspiracy theories. The National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) and National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) each filed such proposals; both are self-described conservative watchdog organizations. NCPPR’s primary focus is public policy research and education, while NLPC promotes ethics in government, advocating for limitations on “big government.”
NCPPR filed at least seven…
Tis the Season for Difficult Conversations: A Guide to Online and Offline Discourse
Article
ADL Center for Tech and Society offers a social media explainer to help guide online and offline dialogue around the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Teach students what biased language is and help them reflect on the reasons why people use it and how they can address and challenge biased words and language.
Crisis, Controversy and Activism: Tips and Guidance for K-12 Schools
Tools and Strategies
Tips and guidance for helping K-12 schools encourage students to become civically engaged, provide safety and protection for all students, and adhere to students’ First Amendment rights.
Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and the Israel-Hamas war
Article
Promoters of conspiracy theories and hate are using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) to create misleading content about the Israel-Hamas war. This not only amplifies confusion and hate on social media; it can also cause some to doubt the validity of actual war images, creating unnecessary suspicion at a time of deeply polarized public opinion. ADL’s previous research includes recommendations on what tech companies should do to address heinous abuses of GAI technology such as…
Some U.S. Professors Praise Hamas’s October 7 Terror Attacks
Article
Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre of 1,400 people in Israel, U.S.-based anti-Israel activists and organizations have justified, excused and even venerated the terror group’s actions that day, some using overtly antisemitic rhetoric. That includes a number of U.S. university professors, some of whom have expressed inflammatory views, celebrating Hamas’s actions on October 7 as “heroic” or an “achievement” and calling for “Zionists” to…
Listen to episode 3.2 where COE experts talk about white supremacists hijacking anti-Israel rhetoric and the spike in antisemitic incidents since the Israel-Hamas war.
When violence is in the news, it’s important to watch out for biases that are present in and activated by news coverage and commentary. When Israel is in the headlines, antisemitic incidents spike and antisemitic rhetoric on social media also increases. Additionally, geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East often activate bias towards people of Middle Eastern descent. War and violence inspire strong emotions, which can activate conscious and unconscious biases about groups of people. It…