14 No. 72 JUSTICE those who wish we would just disappear. Yes, you can criticize the Israeli government – this or any other – without being antisemitic. In fact, tens of thousands of Israelis do it every single weekend. But no, using Israel as a pretext for your hate does not excuse it. You aren’t being as clever as you think you are by substituting “Zionist” for “Jew.” We see right through you. Because yes – anti-Zionism is antisemitism. If that wasn’t clear before October 7, it surely is now. On a theoretical level, it’s simply discriminatory to seek to deny the Jewish people a right afforded to all other nations – the right of self-determination. That in itself is antisemitic. On a practical level, anti-Zionism is even more sinister. The desire to deny Jews the capacity of self-defense, leaving them at the mercy of their neighbors, was cruel and bigoted before the atrocities of that terrible day. Today it is simply evil. And the public discourse, including online, is full of it. If there is any comfort to be had, it may be in that people of conscience share our concern. Public opinion polls show that the public – at least in the United States – is concerned about rising antisemitism and perceives it across the political spectrum. Three quarters believe that Jew-hatred is a problem in America and over half believe it is on the rise. And more than 80 percent say that the belief that Israel has no right to exist, the fundamental belief of anti-Zionism, is indeed antisemitic. But although well-meaning people may abhor antisemitism and may believe it ought to be fought, they are often drowned out by the tidal wave of hate. While many of those espousing antisemitic views online are bots, fictitious beings created with the express purpose of spreading bigotry, all too many are real. We Jews are simply outnumbered. But what we lack in numbers we make up for in wit – what used to be called the yiddishe kop. That’s where technology comes in. As a technological superpower, Israel is well-positioned to tackle the challenge of combating online antisemitism head-on. Israelis power some of the world’s leading tech companies and Israeli innovations are everywhere you look. To paraphrase the Book of Esther, what have we developed these capabilities for, if not for this? This evening, we will hear from several experts harnessing the power of technology to combat antisemitism both online and off. We’ll learn about efforts to combat online Holocaust denial via AI, to cut off hate groups’ funding sources, to mitigate the role played by malicious state actors, and to ensure social media companies are enforcing their own hate speech policies. I have been inspired and encouraged by the innovative thinking evident in these remarkable initiatives and I know you will be too. This is a battle that we can only win together. It will take a concerted effort by governments, corporations, nonprofits, communities, and individuals to push back against the purveyors of hate. We all have a role to play. We should be honest: we may never eradicate antisemitism altogether. Hatred of Jews has existed for as long as the Jews, and it may well endure into the future. But if our efforts enable one Jewish child to go to school unafraid, one Jewish college student to raise his head high on campus, one Jewish family to attend synagogue without police protection, one Jewish social media user to experience a platform without abuse – we will have made a difference. n Avi Mayer is the immediate past Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Advisory Board of Global Jewry. Avi previously held leadership roles in major Jewish organizations.
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