CyberWell is an independent nonprofit initiative partnering with the most influential tech companies to limit the spread of antisemitism on their platforms through providing actionable and reliable compliance solutions and services. Through data, we identify where policies are not being enforced and where they fail to protect Jewish users from harassment and hate. Our unique methodology consists of identifying antisemitic keywords, applying a specialized dictionary based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and human review. Our professional analysts are trained in antisemitism, linguistics, and digital policy, and vet each piece of content both based on the IHRA definition and according to what, if any, policy that content violates. For more about our methodology, check out our policy guidelines.
We envision a world where digital antisemitism carries consequences by design, Jewish social media users feel safe to express their identity, and companies are equipped with solutions to limit the spread of Jew-hatred on their platforms, apps and services automatically as they are rolled out.
Following the horrific and fatal shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in May of 2025, CyberWell’s team immediately jumped into action monitoring and analyzing the online antisemitic reactionary content. Below is a summary of some of our findings, while the full dataset was reported to the digital platforms directly.
The Capital Jewish Museum shooting in Washington, D.C. fueled online antisemitic discourse that openly glorified and justified the attack. Some users referred to the shooter as a hero, praising his actions in explicitly violent or triumphant terms and portraying the attack as a justified act of resistance rather than a hate crime. This rhetoric seeks to legitimize violence against Jews by framing it as deserved or strategic, erasing the victims’ suffering and casting Jewish life as expendable. In doing so, it aims to justify violence against all Jews and Israelis as retaliation for the war in Gaza or political resistance against the State of Israel, promoting collective punishment and normalizing antisemitic harm. This narrative dangerously normalizes violence against Jews by conflating individuals with the actions of a state, and by implying that civilian targets are legitimate because of their nationality or religion. It minimizes the brutality of the attack and fosters an environment where antisemitic violence is not only NOT condemned, but rather rationalized, justified and even actively celebrated.
Another recurring theme identified is the denial that the attack occurred as reported by the media. Some users falsely claim that, instead, the event was staged by Jews or Israel to gain sympathy, manipulate public perception, advance political goals, distract the public from criticism of Israel, or to justify future violence committed by Jews or Israel—often using the term “false flag”. This antisemitic narrative engages in clear victim blaming, portraying the victims as orchestrators of their own tragedy. It draws on classic antisemitic tropes of manipulation and deceit, aiming to delegitimize Jewish suffering and shift blame away from the perpetrator. These conspiracy theories are not only false but also dangerous as they delegitimize Jewish suffering and shift blame onto the victims.
Alongside conspiratorial and violent rhetoric, many users engaged in broad antisemitic offensive generalizations targeting Jews as a group. Offensive generalizations include cases where antisemitic rhetoric and general slurs toward Jews are present but do not invoke a specific, well-known antisemitic trope.
CyberWell identified posts invoking harmful stereotypes and using dehumanizing language, including exaggerated or mocking references to physical features associated with antisemitic caricatures and labeling Jews as terrorists and/or inherently violent. These depictions are often paired with sweeping insults and derogatory language that portray Jews as inherently manipulative, corrupt, or subhuman – therefore not as civilians but rather as targets deserving of violence. Such rhetoric not only reinforces long-standing antisemitic tropes but also contributes to a climate of online hostility in which Jews are vilified and demonized collectively. By singling out physical and cultural stereotypes, these narratives strip Jewish individuals of their humanity and individuality, promoting hate, framing their murder as justified, and normalizing justification or celebration of violence against them.
In the aftermath of violent attacks targeting Jews, CyberWell continues to observe a disturbing phenomenon in the comments sections of social media platforms and news outlets reporting on the events. These comments often include the glorification of the attacker, justification of the murder, and promotion of conspiracy narratives. This serves to spread violent propaganda and normalize or even encourage future acts of violence.
Below, we highlight how users respond to news coverage of this specific attack by celebrating the perpetrator, dehumanizing the victims, and promoting dangerous ideologies.
Comments in this category aim to rationalize or excuse the murder of innocent people. They reflect a moral framework in which violence against Jews is seen as legitimate or deserved.
Comments in this category praise the attacker as a heroic figure and express joy over the violence. This reflects a broader trend of weaponizing social media spaces to reward acts of terror with social validation.
Comments in this category claim that the event was staged by Jews or Israel to gain sympathy, manipulate public perception, advance political goals, distract the public from criticism of Israel, or to justify future violence committed by Jews or Israel—often using the term “false flag”.
The below examples refer to all three narratives in this comments section.
2. TikTok
3. Instagram
4. TikTok
72 hours after the shooting and 24 hours after CyberWell’s first alert, which included detailed recommendations tailored to each platform, similar harmful content was still present. Given the continued presence of such content, CyberWell urges all platforms to implement a broader enforcement mechanism in response to this incident, rather than relying solely on a post-by-post approach.
As seen above, the comments sections on social media platforms are rife with antisemitic content. In the case of the shooting in Washington, D.C., and as the incident was widely covered by the media, CyberWell strongly recommends that comment sections on news outlets reporting on violent events must be monitored for celebrating the perpetrator, dehumanizing the victims, and promoting dangerous ideologies.
As part of CyberWell’s ongoing monitoring and analysis process we regularly identify spelling manipulations that users implement in an attempt to bypass detection mechanisms when spreading antisemitic content. This was clearly on display following the shooting in Washington, D.C.
One notable trend involves the use of creative spellings or visual obfuscation to refer to Jews. Instead of using the standard spelling, users intentionally modify the word with alternate spellings, inserting various punctuation marks, numbers, and/or spaces as well as using emojis to avoid content moderation systems.
Platforms must monitor these spelling manipulations at scale.
All platforms that CyberWell monitors include in their policies two major elements that are prohibited and considered to be violative, and which CyberWell unfortunately still identified hosted online in content referencing the shooting attack.
Celebrating, justifying, glorifying a violent attack.
Mocking the victims and/or denying or distorting their experience.
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