"The only way to comprehensively identify and combat online antisemitism is the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition across spaces and places," Michal Cotler-Walsh – Israel's Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism – said at the IHRA conference on Wednesday.
"There are countries that have adopted it; there are countries that haven't. There are universities that have adopted it; there are universities that haven't. And there are social media platforms, none of whom have adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. Without a definition, we cannot identify, and without identifying, we cannot combat," she said.
She added that the fight is going to have to be a global effort. "What happens online not only doesn't remain online, but doesn't have any geographic boundaries."
Open database of online antisemitism
Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, the founder and CEO of CyberWell, the first-ever open database of online antisemitism, spoke shortly after attendees witnessed a screening of October 7 footage, depicting the atrocities committed by Hamas.
While she said it was the first time she had seen that video, she said that around "60% of the recorded killings, massacres, and terror attacks were broadcast on our mainstream, everyday social media platforms, [like] Facebook, Instagram."
She asked the audience to consider the implications of this on a national security level: "The use of our platforms in the hands of terrorists perpetuates an attack far beyond its impact into the physical space."
Cohen Montemayor proceeded to discuss the new challenge of online antisemitism which is AI-generated platforms such as Chat-GPT. Not only are images being created, she explained, but even other media such as songs. She referenced an active X user who uses an AI platform to create antisemitic AI songs.
"There is not only *who* is hosting the content, but how technology has made the antisemitic argument more visual and convincing than before," said Cohen Montemayor.
Turning attention to social media platforms, Cohen Montemayor noted that in the first three weeks after the October 7th attack, CyberWell monitored an 86% increase in antisemitic content on mainstream social media platforms.
Eleven months on from the attacks, the number remained consistently high, at about a 36% increase in online antisemitism overall.
However, she noted, for the first time, "there was a significant presence of calls to open violence against Jewish people."
She added that, given Cyberwell is monitoring in both English and Arabic, "that trend was no more present in the Arabic language."
Cohen Montemayor also drew attention to how the "primary narrative of online antisemitism" changed after October 7th. Prior to this, classical antisemitism was predominant, for example, ideas around Jews having word domination or control constituted the majority of online Jew-hatred.
This then flipped after October 7. "For the first time, the leading narratives have now become that Jews are evil, and Jews are the enemy," she explained. "This is a deeply concerning flip to openly dehumanizing language, and this should raise all historical alarm bells of where society's going: to be systematically antisemitic."
She ended by talking about the danger of echo chambers and algorithms. She explained that, if there's an event such as an anti-Israel protest, that deteriorates into "physical harm, humiliation, and hostility against Jewish people and violence the violence is recorded – just like it was on October 7th – it is put into engagement algorithms."
"There is a sense of otherism, a fetishizing of Jewish death and physical harm; the campaign of denial begins, and that campaign of denial is always a precursor of calls to more violence."
She gave the example of the murder of Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky. "CyberWell's research collection shows the exact same cycle: an outflowing of adulation, support, and celebration for this attack, right next to denial and calls for more violence, and the abuse of gaslighting."
"One comment says 'Congratulations! Good news, nice job! Shot by Mossad at a convenient time, so glad to hear this. Inside job for sure. Two is not enough. I will see.'"
She warned that the current cycle "is fast extending to every other attack that's meant to target the Jewish community, from London to Amsterdam."
