Influencers Who Amplify Fear and Grift Off It

There is no bigger danger to Jews, apparently, than New York City’s Mayor-Elect, Zohran Mamdani. The morning after he was elected, the ADL announced the launch of the “Mamdani Monitor” to track antisemitism within Zohran’s administration. Debra Messing posted 91 Instagram stories in a single day about how she fears for her life as a Jew — not because of the rise of antisemitism within the MAGA movement or the mainstreaming of neo-nazi Nick Fuentes, but because of Zohran Mamdani, a man who is not antisemitic. This week, Matt Lieb (of Bad Hasbara) and Simone Zimmerman (of Israelism) help me navigate a literal industry — and ethnostate — propped up not only by fearmongering about antisemitism, but also by intentionally creating it.

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Listen to Matt Lieb on Bad Hasbara.

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Listen to Simone on Beyond Israelism.

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Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2023 antisemitism statistics.

Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2024 antisemitism statistics.

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