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On July 9, the World Jewish Congress (WJC) commended Meta’s announcement that it will expand its policies to classify the misuse of the term ‘Zionist’ as a proxy for ‘Jews’ as antisemitic and Tier 1 hate speech. This landmark decision, following years of advocacy by the WJC, its affiliated Jewish communities, and other organizations, marks a significant step in combating the veiled antisemitism that has proliferated under the guise of political discourse and has skyrocketed since October 7.

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder stated, “Meta’s decision is a much-needed advancement in our ongoing fight against online antisemitism and hatred. By recognizing and addressing the misuse of the term ‘Zionist,’ Meta is taking a bold stand against those who seek to mask their hatred of Jews.” 

“We appreciate that Meta has truly listened to the voices of Jewish communities that we work with. This policy change will help create a safer, more respectful online environment for everyone. I hope all other platforms will follow Meta’s leadership and take similar action,” added Lauder. 

Antisemites have long employed the term ‘Zionist’ to hide their true hateful intentions, claiming their attacks were politically motivated against an ideology rather than targeting Jewish values and beliefs. Meta’s new policy will help unmask this hatred that has targeted the global Jewish community, ensuring that such rhetoric is identified and rightly treated as antisemitism.

The amendments to Meta’s policy mean that posts with the term ‘Zionist’ will be removed when they are found to: 

• Invoke harmful antisemitic stereotypes, such as Jewish control of institutions.

• Dehumanize Jewish people.

• Call for harm towards Jews.

• Deny the existence of Zionists. 

The work that led to the Meta policy decision aligns with the WJC’s continuous efforts to combat online hate and discrimination. Recently, the WJC launched the Institute for Technology and Human Rights, a pioneering initiative aimed at addressing online antisemitism and its real-world consequences.

Yfat Barak-Cheney, WJC’s Director of Technology and Human Rights and the inaugural director of the new institute, emphasized the importance of continued collaboration with tech platforms to fight online hate. “Through our work with Jewish communities and tech platforms, WJC has made considerable progress in the global effort to keep antisemitism and hate speech from spreading on the internet. Meta’s policy change – the product of years of engagement with WJC – is a significant milestone in this ongoing effort particularly as hate speech targeting Jews has risen in the wake of the October 7 attacks.”

“The WJC looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Meta and other technology companies to develop policies that combat online hate and protect vulnerable communities. We will work together to ensure that this change is enforced on all Meta platforms,” added Barak-Cheney. 

The World Jewish Congress issued a groundbreaking report in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the commemorative events marking 30 years since the bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center, showing how Islamist terror groups now use alternative online communication channels to amplify their deadly messages and how the expression of anti-Zionist sentiments drives anti-Jewish hatred and calls for violence. 

According to the report, titled, “From Digital Hate to Real-World Bloodshed: The Interaction Between Online Extremism, Antisemitism, and Offline Violence,” traditional online platforms have become more restrictive since the October 7 attack on Israel, deplatforming or limiting access to those affiliated with such groups as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), but terrorist organizations have found ways to spread hatred and calls for violence through other channels and civil society organizations.

Visit www.wjc.org for more information.