(Washington, D.C., April 7, 2022)–B’nai B’rith International, together with the counter-extremism organization the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, is pleased to launch in partnership with UNESCO a new resource, “Online Antisemitism: A Toolkit for Civil Society”—a unique, practical and action-oriented guide for Jewish institutions and their allies to better address the challenges posed by online hatred, especially in a European context.
Amid growing anti-Semitism exacerbated by successive global crises—conspiracy theories centered on the COVID-19 pandemic, Holocaust distortion in increasingly populist political discourse, the targeting of Jews worldwide under the guise of opposition to Israeli policies and now historical revisionism tied to the war in Ukraine—this new publication:
- provides a comprehensive overview of the online anti-Semitic threat landscape;
- unpacks shifting policies surrounding online anti-Semitism, exploring both actions taken by social media companies and emerging government approaches;
- offers a wide-ranging set of recommendations for effective civil-society action.
So—in the critical online space—how to harness the good, while effectively addressing the bad?
The toolkit explores avenues for communal engagement ranging from advocacy around platform regulation to litigation, victim support, transparency, data access, digital citizenship education and coalition-building for increased impact.
The publication is underpinned by and responds to a broad set of consultations with relevant Jewish organizations, aiming to address existing needs as experienced by them.
We are thankful to these organizations for their insights, as well as to Germany’s Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism, whose office supported the development of the toolkit.
B’nai B’rith extends its gratitude to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and UNESCO for their partnership and expertise and to B’nai B’rith’s own Offices of European Union and United Nations Affairs staff—in Brussels and New York, respectively—for spearheading the report. Click here to view the report.
For more resources to understand and combat anti-Semitism—including in the online space—access B’nai B’rith’s signature response to anti-Semitism, our None Shall Be Afraid initiative.
B’nai B’rith, which has led Jewish communal engagement at the U.N. since the body’s founding in 1945, is an officially accredited non-governmental organization enjoying associate partner status at UNESCO in Paris.
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.