New study links perception of Jews as ‘powerful’ to current surge in antisemitism

A new international study finds that the perception of Jews as “powerful” is driving a rise in global antisemitism, particularly since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

The research was led by Dr. Britt Hadar of the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at Reichman University in Herzliya.

Hadar highlighted the strong link between perceived Jewish power and the recent surge in antisemitism worldwide.

“We saw that almost all antisemitic perceptions are built on the idea of Jews as powerful,” Hadar explained. “So we examined how that perception, of Jews as strong, affects the sense of threat from both ends of the political spectrum,” referring to anti-Jewish sentiments among both the political left and right in the United States and Europe. 

Conspiracies of imagined Jewish global power have played a central role in antisemitic sentiments. However, the study indicates that these myths were reinforced as a result of the war in Gaza.

The new study presents a “dual threat model” that seeks to explain how antisemitic perceptions of alleged Jewish power are linked to the individual’s political affiliation. 

“The left is generally expected to defend the weak or condemn inhuman acts,” Hadar said. “Yet when it comes to Jews, we see antisemitism appearing in places that we would expect to hold liberal values.”

Despite the atrocities that Hamas terrorists perpetrated against Israeli civilians, many still view Israel as undeserving of sympathy because of its military power and Hamas as the underdog, despite the terror group invading Israel and initiating the attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The report also noted recent right-wing antisemitism driven by narratives that accuse Jews of “taking over” the United States.

Antisemitism, across the political spectrum, portrays Jews as “privileged,” despite Israel being a small country that faces more international condemnation than any other nation. Globally, Jews number only about 15 million, with the majority living in Israel and the United States.

The report concludes that debunking antisemitic myths and stereotypes is insufficient when dealing with contemporary Jew-hatred. 

“Effective confrontation with antisemitism cannot rely on factual debate alone,” Hadar assessed. “For many, this is an identity-laden and morally charged issue."

The study was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Nir Halevy and Lauren Chan of Stanford University, Dr. Taya Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University and Prof. Evan Apfelbaum of Boston University.