Following the assault on Israel by Hamas on October 7th, Twitter user @breakingbaht criticized progressives, intellectuals, and “minorities” for backing the militant organization. However, it was only when the user expressed support for antisemites that Tesla owner Elon Musk took notice of him.
By advocating for immigration to the United States, welcoming “hordes of minorities” with anti-Jewish sentiments, and fueling “animosity against whites,” the user blamed Jewish communities for attracting antisemitism.
Musk responded, “You have spoken the harsh truth.” The baseless conspiracy theory of Jews replacing White people swiftly spread online as @breakingbaht garnered thousands of new followers.
The surge in online racism, exacerbated by the Israel-Gaza conflict and relaxed content restrictions on Twitter, has reached unprecedented levels. This surge aligns with a notable increase in real-world attacks on Jews, as reported by various monitoring organizations.
The Anti-Defamation League noted a more than 900% rise in racist content on Twitter since October 7, accompanied by over 1,000 instances of actual antisemitic attacks, vandalism, and harassment in the United States—the highest recorded number to date. This includes approximately 200 rallies where implicit support for Hamas was observed.
Various factors, such as the sense of empowerment among neo-Nazis during the Trump era, the scaling back of policing on digital platforms amid layoffs and Republican criticism, and the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2021, contributed to the heightened hostility, according to experts and advocates.
Propaganda experts highlight Musk’s significant role in the crisis. The tolerance of antisemitism on Twitter, one of the most influential social media platforms globally, has increased due to Musk’s remarks endorsing antisemitic tropes to his 163.5 million followers, the relaxed content standards, and the promotion of previously banned voices.
The “great replacement” theory, advocated by neo-Nazi demonstrators in Charlottesville in 2017 and the perpetrators of attacks in Pittsburgh and Poway, received backlash from the White House and led to ad boycotts from major companies like IBM, Apple, Comcast, and Disney, following Musk’s endorsement.
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion further fueled the controversy. The platform witnessed an influx of racist slurs following Musk’s takeover. Civil rights groups pressured advertisers to pull out, prompting Musk to reinstate suspended accounts, including those promoting hate speech and false information, leading to a surge in toxic discourse on the platform.
The normalization of hateful rhetoric on Twitter has far-reaching consequences, with Musk’s actions blurring the lines of acceptable speech and amplifying extremist voices.
As online extremism spreads, major social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok face scrutiny for their handling of hate speech. TikTok, in particular, has faced criticism for not doing enough to combat hate and abuse targeting the Jewish community, prompting influential figures to raise concerns and demand action.
Despite the challenges, some creators like Montana Tucker continue to use platforms like TikTok to amplify their voices against racism and discrimination, emphasizing the importance of speaking out and standing up against bigotry.
In the midst of rising online extremism, the global propaganda machinery, including Russia’s disinformation campaigns, exploits societal divisions to advance their agendas. The dissemination of false narratives and hate speech online underscores the urgent need to address the nexus between misinformation, conspiracies, and real-world hatred, especially concerning antisemitism.
