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This year’s deadly antisemitic attacks in Washington, D.C., Colorado, the U.K. and at Australia’s Bondi Beach by Islamist-inspired perpetrators are not anomalies; they underscore the “new normal” observed in the Western world over the past two years.
Antisemitic violence across the West, specifically that which is carried out by Islamist or Islamist-adjacent nefarious actors, has been spotlighted consistently by academic think tanks, Jewish groups and sympathetic voices since Oct. 7, 2023 — but not enough action has been taken to protect Jewish lives and prevent such violence. As history shows, when Jews are targeted by extremists, it is not long until others are also targeted.
On Oct. 7, 2023, the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel, murdered approximately 1,200 innocent victims, and took 251 hostages. It took 738 days for the last of the living hostages to be freed. One deceased Israeli hostage remains in Gaza to this day.
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Immediately after Oct. 7, with Iran’s backing, Islamists and their supporters worldwide began their antisemitic rants against Israel, ultimately blaming the victim for the crime. Campus protests, street protests and social media campaigns joined the cacophony of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric that encouraged violence against Israelis and Jews everywhere.
Chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “globalize the intifada” re-emerged with vigor. The first chant has officially been labeled as antisemitic by the U.S. House of Representatives. The second chant is a call for “open season” against Israelis and Jews anywhere in the world.
The daily news we read is testament to the fact that these chants are resonating. Antisemitic violence around the world continues to rise; according to two Jewish organizations who monitor such statistics, from 2022 to 2024, there was a 340% increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide.
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Antisemitic rhetoric and violence are profoundly damaging on their own, but it is the tolerance and normalization of both by Western governments and societies that is most alarming. Islamists are not the only antisemites. Left-wing extremists and right-wing extremists are on opposite poles regarding almost every issue, but the common denominator between them is they are both antisemitic. This is a recipe for disaster, as hatred of Jews unites haters of all types — and this red flag is presently lost to Western governments and societies.
What can be done to change this new normal? First, Western governments need to hold social media providers accountable for the vitriol or false information spread on their platforms. If left alone, social media will continue to be an echo chamber for hatred that influences the hearts and minds of young and old alike.
The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which went into effect November 2022, is a good example of a positive step taken to address this issue. The DSA requires companies such as X, Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok to step up enforcement against illegal and harmful content on their platforms. This type of legislation is impotent without the ability to enforce it.
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Second, investigating threats (to include via social media), protecting institutions and securing public events require significant resources and tools for police, security and intelligence services. Western government leaders need to enhance financial and personnel resources while simultaneously ensuring proper training and technology is made available to those protecting vulnerable citizens.
New legislation may be required to achieve this, and Western lawmakers should make this a priority.
Third, Western leaders need to engage moderate Muslims and encourage them to condemn radical elements of their religion and help actively prevent the violence emanating from their communities. Between 1979 and 2024, almost 67,000 Islamist terrorist attacks occurred worldwide. This violence will not end without the help of moderate Muslims — the Western world needs the Muslim majority to police their minority to protect not only Jews, but innocents of all religions.
The fear of antisemitism is real for Jews across the globe, and it presently feels very much like history is repeating itself. Islamist-inspired antisemitic hatred is like the fin we see swimming in the water around us. We all know that the fin represents danger and that danger is just under the surface.
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It is time for Western leaders to not just acknowledge the danger swimming nearby, but to confront it head on. Unless Western governments move swiftly to address this danger, what swims just under the surface will come for everyone.
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