The Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, changed the perception of Israel and the definition of antisemitism for decades to come.
Post October 7, antisemitism is now primarily directed at the state of Israel and its political roots, followed by the secret role of Mossad and the Israeli intelligence services, and the older tropes of Jewish control of the media, financial institutions, and cultural outlets. Entire nations are now referring to Israel’s genocide of the Gaza population, and the Netanyahu policies have made Israel more dangerous and unsafe.
The Gaza invasion has made Israel a pariah state, more dangerous, more isolated internationally, even as more people have started to question Zionism and the rationale for the state’s formation. 
These are reinvigorated origins of antisemitism, and they are driving the rise in antisemitism worldwide.
The new form of antisemitism is different. Aside from events in the Middle East, the rise in antisemitism is accompanied by a sharp distinction and uncomfortable public break between American MAGA Republican Jews and the vast majority of American Jews who are Democrats and anti-Trump.
The MAGA Republicans, Jews, who are members of AIPAC and the Republican Jewish Coalition, have bankrolled the lobbying of Congress and Trump to put a wedge between Republican and Democratic Party Jews.
This is an ugly reality that was very evident when AIPAC isolated its long-standing bipartisan political position at its April 2022 conference and put on a pro-Trump floor show. This was preceded by immense contributions to Trump from Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, and other prominent Jewish donors whose primary purpose was to force Trump to enact specific pro-Israel policies, moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, and pushing to annex Judea and Samaria, which would eliminate the possibility of a two-state Palestinian state. Their other purpose was to benefit from tax breaks and federal subsidies to their specific industries, such as hedge and private equity funds, real estate development, and crypto.
The new version of antisemitism is based on Israel’s conduct of the Gaza invasion, mass civilian casualties, and the televised destruction of the Gaza neighborhoods. These telegenic scenes are blasted through social media and often dramatically altered by AI. Televised warfare dramatically shifted public opinion during the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, but the Israeli government ignored this lesson.
New Antisemitism Requires a New Offensive
The new form of antisemitism is more pervasive and affects Jews as much as Gaza sympathizers. Not only have Jewish organizations worked to educate people about antisemitism for 100 years (the B’nai B’rith was founded in 1843 and the ADL in 1913), but these groups will now find their fundraising messages complicated by sending them to American Jews who are increasingly conflicted. Many oppose the Netanyahu government, but like Israel. Many, like Israel, support Netanyahu. Some hate Trump-MAGA, but like Israel and despise Netanyahu. These political combinations are occurring against a backdrop of wealthy MAGA Republican Jews who are fostering bad relations with the majority of Democratic Party Jews.
These are also distinct audiences who disapprove of Israel and Zionism yet understand why more people are antisemitic. There is another audience that dislikes MAGA Republican Jews, the Netanyahu government, but likes Israel.
Then there are the antisemites who have good reason to reignite the dual-loyalty argument against American Jews. In a telling moment when Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset on Oct. 13, 2025, he spoke directly to Dr. Miriam Adelson (net worth: about $60 billion), the widow of Sheldon Adelson, who was one of the top contributors to Trump’s first presidential campaign, when he publicly asked her if she liked Israel more than the US. Never one to be tactful, Trump just waited a beat, and when Adelson did not react, Trump said she liked Israel more. Miriam Adelson is an Israeli citizen and remains a top Trump donor.
The New antisemitism is much more complicated than it was before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. That sad event showed the deep fissure in Israeli politics between Netanyahu’s right-wing government and the mass electorate, which wanted him to resign. The attack and the hostage debacle sealed his political fate.
This should be reflected in the messaging and fundraising efforts that will require the major Jewish organizations formed to “combat” antisemitism to formulate new messages and strategies. This means fundraising should not be based on the Holocaust, which happened over 80 years ago. That tragic event worked on older Americans who lived through World War II. Still, it does not work on younger American Jews who are increasingly sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians.
It also means that American Jews will become increasingly intolerant of MAGA Republican Jews who back Trump’s authoritarian domestic policies yet endorse his support of the increasingly unpopular Netanyahu and his right-wing policies. Liberal Jews who are Democrats (an estimated 75% of Jews) have little in common with MAGA Republicans on domestic and international affairs. This will be a challenge to traditional Jewish groups, including AIPAC, which is viewed as being too intrusive in American politics and its foreign affairs. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter have publicly commented on the power of the Israeli lobby to influence US foreign policy.
Then, there are sensitive outliers that are reputational minefields for Israel. This includes Israel’s possible link with pederast Jeffrey Epstein, who may have been working with Mossad. If this proves true, Israel will face its biggest PR challenge in its history.
All this will not change the fact that there will not be an independent Palestinian state within the next few decades. Donald Trump’s peace plan, 80% of which was developed by former president Joe Biden, will not result in a Palestinian state. Israel does not want a Palestinian state, and 700,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank are violent, will not be removed, and will never live under a Palestinian authority. The Gaza invasion and the way that war was conducted had made Israel less safe and more dangerous for Israelis to travel abroad.
