The American Jewish Congress is releasing today its newest Special Report on domestic terrorism, white supremacy, and antisemitic extremism. This report, entitled “Jews Are Not A Prop,” presents a clear assessment of how antisemitism is deliberately being used by politicians as a strategy to mobilize extremism for their own political power. The attacks against the Jewish community have been intensifying from both the far-right and the far-left, however no danger is more concerning than the white supremacist-fueled aggression. The report concludes that, without a proactive approach to counter these political developments, the situation will further harm our democracy while putting American Jews directly in harm’s way.
This report explains this dangerous moment in our nation’s politics by describing:
- The politicians targeting American Jews, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) & Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA);
- The toxic drivers of antisemitic hate, including the role of Neo-Nazism, White Supremacy, the Christian Identity Movement, QAnon, and the January 6th Insurrection and Stolen Election Claims; and
- The mobilization of the mob, focusing on how American extremism is organized through social media.
We then provide recommendations on how to stop political antisemitism by:
- Limiting the normalization of antisemitism;
- Improving financial transparency;
- Investigating antisemitism in alternative social media spaces; and
- Penalizing the facilitation of extremism.
Experts Available for Quote
The American Jewish Congress’ high-level Advisory Board to Counter Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy has commented on the report and its findings.
Denver Riggleman, Former Member of Congress (R-VA), Advisory Board Co-Chair: “Elected representatives that tout their historic ignorance and lack of judgement when using hyperbole to radicalize constituencies are part of the larger problem in diminishing the horrors of Nazi Germany. Antisemitism is perpetuated by media and political personalities who use false equivalencies and antisemitic tropes as fodder for fundraising and spreading disinformation.”
Jack Rosen, President of American Jewish Congress, Advisory Board Co-Chair: “There is no place for antisemitism or Holocaust distortion in American politics. Yet Jews are being used as a prop for the white supremacist radicalization taking place online, on alternative platforms like Gab. This is why we wrote our new report: to expose the very real danger posed by online radicalization to our political process. This radicalization is a threat not only to the Jewish community and American values, but to American democracy itself.”
Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Senior Fellow: “There is a danger lurking in the new alternative social media platforms. As the American Jewish Congress report highlights, dangerous organizations and extremist ideologies that have been pushed off mainstream platforms are now coalescing & radicalizing people in these new spaces. Antisemitism is used to create cohesion between extremist groups. Jews are being used as a prop to strengthen radicalization. The technology is taking this viral. This report sounds a much needed alarm about the threat that is lurking just over the horizon.”
Tonio Burgos, Former Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Member of the NYC Police Foundation: “We have faced challenging times before, but none like these. We must be resilient, but to be truly resilient, we must first be fully aware of the threats we face. That’s why this American Jewish Congress report, which highlights the role that antisemitism is playing in the radicalization feeding domestic terrorism is so crucial right now. We must take on the challenges at the front end, rather than after a major crisis.”
Jerome Hauer, Former NY State Homeland Security & Emergency Services Commissioner: “Alternative social media platforms, as explained in the American Jewish Congress report, are cultivating a domestic threat environment that is a danger to all Americans. These platforms and their leaders call on their supporters to cut themselves off from mainstream American platforms and services, creating a dangerous isolation for the users. These are tactics we usually see coming from cults & extremist groups, who isolate their supporters, radicalize them, and cut them off from external support networks. This report shows how such radicalization is not an accident, but is instead by design.”
Background on the American Jewish Congress’ Advisory Board to Counter Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy
In June 2021, the American Jewish Congress launched an Advisory Board to Counter Domestic Terrorism and White Supremacy. This Board advises the organization on its efforts to combat these threats to the Jewish community and the United States. The Board is comprised of a bipartisan set of eminent leaders spanning national security, law enforcement, counter terrorism, foreign policy, legal, and civil rights expertise. It seeks to combat white supremacist and domestic terrorist activity by identifying the social and technological accelerants that drive extremism while also recommending government policies to counter these trends.
Background on the American Jewish Congress
The American Jewish Congress has been a legacy organization of the Jewish community for over 100 years. Founded in 1918 by leaders like Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Louis Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter, the American Jewish Congress helps shape the Jewish voice of tomorrow by defending Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, legislation, and the courts. The organization’s latest reports on radicalization and white supremacy in the United States can be found HERE.
