NEWS FROM THE COMMAND CENTER
May 30 - June 6
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
Fear & Hate After Attacks┃ Jew Jokes and Hate ┃ Online Jewish Sentiment Post Antisemitic Attacks┃ Governor Jared Polis
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“Free Palestine” remains the most frequently used phrase online. Meanwhile, the “Freedom Flotilla”—a ship carrying 12 volunteers including environmental activist Greta Thunberg and actor Liam Cunningham to Gaza—sparked a wave of discussion about activism and Israel's blockade on Gaza. Some users criticized the ship members accusing them of virtue signaling and supporting a terrorist organization, while others praised their decision as an act of brave solidarity.
Additional conversations focused on reports of violence near an aid distribution site in Gaza set up by Israel and a US company. Gunfire was reported near the site, and people on social media debated over who is to blame. Many at first accused Israel of creating the aid site to target Palestinians, but the IDF released drone footage alleging it was Hamas terrorists who fired into the crowd.
| | Fear and Hate Spread Online After Second Antisemitic Attack in Two Weeks | | |
For the second time in as many weeks, the Jewish community faced a violent antisemitic attack that has become a focal point of online conversation. Last weekend, in Boulder, Colorado, a peaceful walk organized by Run for Their Lives to raise awareness for Israeli hostages was targeted when a man threw Molotov cocktails and used a homemade flamethrower, injuring 15 people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. Police say the attacker, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, shouted antisemitic phrases and had been planning the assault for over a year. He now faces federal hate crime and attempted murder charges. The attack has sparked renewed fears about rising antisemitism and prompted heightened security measures at Jewish institutions across the country.
In the aftermath, many users expressed horror at the act of violence and solidarity with the victims and the broader Jewish community. However, compared to the online response to the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington, D.C. just 10 days earlier, the tone of the Boulder conversation was notably different.
Analyzing the emotional trends of social media posts, we found that the top three emotions conveyed after the D.C. murders were disgust, sadness, and fear, in that order. In contrast, the conversation around Boulder was overwhelmingly driven by fear, followed by disgust and then sadness. One person on X reacted to the attack, writing “after checking in with friends to see if they & their loved ones are ok, and with others across the country who are scared right now, the feeling I’m left with the most is anger.” In both cases, surprise was the least detected emotion, suggesting a growing sense of resignation around antisemitic violence. The shift in emotional tone underscores the community’s heightened anxiety in the wake of a second targeted attack in less than two weeks.
| | Yet, as with the DC murders, the Command Center tracked a wave of antisemitic narratives emerging online in response to the Boulder attack. The term “false flag” spiked again—up over 300% the day after the incident—as some people dismissed the attack as an Israeli psyop intended to justify the war in Gaza. Others sought to downplay or justify the violence. For example, Palestinian-American poet Remi Kanazi wrote on X: “All of a sudden Zionists are against burning people alive. Doesn’t seem to bother them as Israel does it to Palestinians on the daily.” | | As the news cycle continued, social media conversation shifted from antisemitism to immigration. Soliman’s identity as an Egyptian national who had overstayed his visa reignited calls for stricter immigration policies. In response, President Trump announced a travel ban affecting 12 countries, and members of Soliman’s family were taken into ICE custody, now facing deportation. Some Jewish advocacy groups have raised concerns that the tragedy is being politicized to advance broad immigration crackdowns, especially given that Soliman’s radicalization appears to have stemmed from online hate rather than border enforcement failures. Others noted a troubling double standard—pointing out that for some, the attacker’s immigration status received more attention than the violence inflicted on the Jewish community. | |
Blurring the Lines Between Jokes and Hate | | |
Barstool Sports founder, Dave Portnoy, publicly clashed with podcaster Kirk Minihane over topics of antisemitism, jokes, and free speech on a recent episode of Barstool's The Unnamed Show podcast. The conversation quickly evolved into a tense exchange about when jokes cross the line, especially in light of recent violent antisemitic events that have shaken the country.
These comments have sparked debates on social media over free speech and the impact of humor on marginalized communities, especially against the backdrop of rising antisemitism. Portnoy’s stance—that jokes targeting Jews should be called out—has received mixed reactions, with some supporting his calls for sensitivity and accountability and others accusing him of censorship.
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| In the aftermath, the Command Center saw a 5,000% increase online in the use of the phrase “Jew jokes,” as some users mocked the incident and used it as a jumping-off point to circulate antisemitic remarks masked as humor. Many posts invoked long-standing stereotypes, Holocaust references, or slurs under the pretense of comedy. The conversation was also hijacked by white supremacist and neo-Nazi accounts. For example, Lucas Gage—a far-right influencer known for promoting antisemitic rhetoric—posted a photo of a cash register, calling it a “Jewish piano,” a reference to the trope that Jews are greedy. | | Mounting Antisemitic Plots Leave Jewish Communities on High Alert | |
As the American Jewish community reels from two violent antisemitic attacks, fear and unease are rising. While many continue to persevere, questions are surfacing about who is standing up for them and why the threat appears to be growing.
These events are not isolated. They are part of a growing trend of reported threats and plots targeting Jewish communities. In Michigan, federal authorities thwarted a potential mass shooting attack on a Jewish daycare. In Washington state, a Nazi sympathizer with a stockpile of weapons and explosives was arrested before he could act. Rising events have resulted in the FBI and DHS releasing a joint bulletin warning of elevated threat environment targeting the Jewish community and institutions.
Across social and mainstream media, the combined usage of phrases like "threat of antisemitism," "scourge of antisemitism," and "deadly antisemitic attack" has increased by 52% highlighting the deepening sense of alarm following the attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado.
| | Online users expressed grief, urgency, and anger. One post called the Boulder attack "horrifying" and urged people to "stand up to antisemitism." Others prayed for the victims and condemned the violence, calling it "abhorrent" and "evil." A widely shared tribute to the Israeli victims in D.C. called their murder "unacceptable," saying Jews must be able to gather without fear. The post ended with a defiant message: "We will not be silent, and we will never let antisemitic terror defeat us." | | |
FCAS Founder, Robert Kraft echoed this concern in an interview with CNN earlier this week, emphasizing the failure of people in power to speak out. He warned that when leaders remain silent in the face of antisemitic attacks, it sends a dangerous message that this kind of hate is acceptable.
Together, these reactions point to a community that is grieving, fearful, but also demanding accountability and solidarity.
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After the horrifying firebomb attack that injured 15 people at a gathering on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall, Colorado Governor Jared Polis responded swiftly––condemning the violence, visiting the scene, and standing in solidarity with the Jewish community.
While some political leaders hesitated to label the attack as antisemitic, Polis was unequivocal. Calling the incident "a heinous and targeted act on the Jewish community," Polis described it as "an act of terror" and "antisemitic violence." He made it clear that hate has no place in Colorado: "We are united as Coloradans, of all faiths, of all backgrounds, to make it clear that antisemitism, violence, and hate have no home in Colorado. Not today and not ever."
Polis often speaks of building a "Colorado for all"––a message he echoed again at a vigil at the Boulder Jewish Community Center where he addressed more than 1,000 people and emphasized the right of every person to live and worship safely.
Less than 72 hours after the attack, he joined interfaith leaders, local officials, and survivors at a "Stand Against Hate" rally at the site of the violence to denounce antisemitism and call for unity. "Those targeted in Sunday's attack were targeted for antisemitic reasons and to intimidate members of the Jewish community; in our state, everybody should have their free speech rights respected."
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| | | NEWS STORIES WORTH READING | | | Foundation to Combat AntisemitismP.O. Box 18 Foxborough, MA 02035 US | | FCAS is a nonpartisan, registered 501c3 non-profit organization. We do not support any political party or candidate. We never endorse candidates for office. We do call on everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to support the fight against Jewish hate and all hate. | | | | |
