In the fun and vibrant city of Los Angeles, where we experience the hustle and bustle of life, there is something we cannot ignore anymore – antisemitism. It is hard to believe, especially in a city that prides itself in diversity and acceptance, that there are such high rates of antisemitism. According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2022 Los Angeles experienced 237 recorded incidents of Anti Semitism which was up 30% from 182 incidents in 2021. This rise of Antisemitism has been proven throughout Los Angeles. In Los Angeles apartment complexes were vandalized with antisemitic death threats and swastikas. Earlier this year the Los Angeles mikvah was vandalized with Nazi imagery. This year a twenty eight year old man shot at two men as they made their home from their synagogue.
Anti Semitism, however, is not only confined to the streets; it thrives on our devices and the digital spaces we browse daily. The media plays a huge role in the world’s perception of Jews and serves as an outlet for antisemitism. The Anti Defamation League says that 80% of Jews are worried about being harassed on social media while only 41% of non-Jews are. According to the Institute for the study of contemporary antisemitism at Indiana University 20% of conversations on Twitter about Jews were antisemitic. As a prominent example, consider how this past year the rapper, Kanye West, used his Twitter platform to spread hateful language about the Jews. This artist’s posts influenced a sea of people across the globe to hate Jews. This is one of many incidents where an individual’s posts on social media influence the worlds’ opinion of the Jewish people.
The way the media frames a story can often leave the public with a negative impression of Jews. Framing refers to the representation of a story which can shape how the audience perceives it. The way the media frames antisemitism stories holds significant sway over the understanding of the issue. For example, if the media frames an antisemitic incident as simply one act of vandalism, it can make the public think that is all there is to the issue, rather than recognizing it is part of a pattern of hate. By contrast, if the media portrays patterns of antisemitism, it can help the public understand the importance and severity of the issue. The media holds the power to control how the public responds to these issues.
In addition to conventional media, social media platforms are helping extremist groups spread their anti-semitic messages and recruit new members. When users share anti-semitic messages on apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, it motivates users to share those messages and spread the negativity. Social media platforms have tried to combat this by banning accounts with hate speech, but Cassie Miller from the Southern Poverty Law Center noted that their absence is hardly noticed because other groups immediately fill in. In these ways, social media platforms, whether they intend to or not, have facilitated antisemitism, and are therefore partly responsible for it.
As an example, consider again the rapper, Kanye West. As part of his antisemitic tirade on Twitter, he remarked “I prefer my kids knew about Hannukah from Kwanzaa, at least it will come with some financial engineering.” Kanye West is talking about the stereotype Jews are given that claims Jews run the banks. This is only one of many of Kanye West’s hurtful tweets targeted towards the Jewish community. Following posts like these, some individuals hung a poster on a highway in Inglewood, California reading, ‘Kanye was right about the jews.’ Also, A user on instagram posted a picture of his new tattoos of a swastika and SS bolt captioned: “this is what I think of your diversity.” Social media is very impactful; whether it be for the positive or the negative. When users share positive and productive posts, it can inspire others to do the same. However, this can also happen in the negative manner. Individuals’ negative posts can inspire other users to emulate them and spread their hatred.
Anti Semitism is very prevalent in today’s society and must be stopped. It is important that the public get involved. It feels that we are surrounded by Anti Semitism. With Jewish hatred thriving in our lives and our phones, it seems impossible to see a change. But, change is possible. The media and its users have the power to change our reality. Accounts like Jewish Breaking News help spread awareness to the issue of antisemitism in the world. This account helps their followers understand what’s going on in the world and encourages them to make a change. The framing of antisemitism on the media affects how the problem is solved and if it is solved at all. Antisemitism in the media has a real effect and impact on people and can give people the wrong impression of what it is. So how do we make a change to what seems like a never ending problem? Social media users can play a pivotal role in combating antisemitism on Instagram, Tik Tok and other platforms. By reporting hateful content and comments, users can alert platform administrators to violations of community guidelines. Additionally, sharing educational content that promotes tolerance and counters stereotypes can help combat misinformation. Engaging in respectful discussions and reporting instances of hate speech can create safer digital spaces. Supporting campaigns in the fight to end Anti Semitism can furthermore contribute to a safer online environment. To end this problem we need to come together to help create a safer place for our community.
