Effective opposition to xenophobia cannot rely solely on factual disputes.
According to a new model, the image of Jews as powerful evokes different feelings of threat at opposite political poles and explains why antisemitism is present in liberal spaces after October 7, writes the Israeli site Ynet.
A new international study conducted by researchers from Reichman University in Israel indicates that the perception of Jews as a strong group serves as a breeding ground for antisemitism among both the right and the left around the world.
According to the authors of the study - Dr. Brit Adar, Dr. Nir Halevi from Stanford University, Dr. Taya Cohen from Carnegie Mellon University, Professor Owen Applebaum from Boston University, and Lauren Chan from Stanford University - antisemitism today is not confined to the periphery of far-right circles but is also present in liberal and progressive environments - in university campuses, culture, and public discourse. The central question is how the same phenomenon can develop simultaneously at two opposite political poles.
Dr. Brit Adar from the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at Reichman University, who led the study, asserts that the key point is the perception of Jews as a strong nation.
"We found that almost all antisemitic representations are built on the perception of Jews as powerful," she explains. "Therefore, we examined how this perception - Jews as strong - affects the feeling of threat from both ends of the political spectrum."
It is here, she says, that the paradox arises. "The left is generally supposed to defend the weak or condemn cruelty and inhumanity - and yet, when it comes to Jews, we see manifestations of antisemitism in places where we would expect liberal values," she asserts.
To explain this gap, the researchers propose a "dual threat model": the same image of "Jewish power" activates different types of threat depending on a person's ideological views. The specialist explains: "For the right, this translates into a threat to the group and dominance - 'Jews are taking over, seizing resources.' For the left, the threat is directed at the values of equality and justice - 'they symbolize power and privilege and undermine equality.' In both cases, it is the feeling of threat that fuels hostility."
The researchers conclude that efforts limited to debunking stereotypes and conspiracy theories often miss the essence of the problem, as antisemitism relies on different types of threat for different people. Therefore, to effectively combat antisemitism, it is necessary to address the very mechanism of threat, adapting the discourse to the audience.
Previously, efforts were mainly directed either at the right or the left, or focused on correcting falsehoods without understanding the feeling of threat that triggers hostility. This study shows that this is why the results have been limited. This leads to a more practical course of action: alongside correcting misinformation, it is necessary to work on dismantling the very mechanism of threat - taking into account the specific audience.
Dr. Adar concludes: "Effective opposition to antisemitism cannot rely solely on factual disputes, as for many it is a question loaded both in terms of identity and morality." She states that it is important to adapt the rhetoric to what specifically evokes threat in the interlocutor.
"In a conversation with a person holding right-wing (pro-hierarchical) views, it is important to emphasize that Jews are not a 'unified group' or an organized, homogeneous entity, but diverse people with different views, identities, and backgrounds. Such framing reduces the sense of a 'competing group' threatening order or dominance.
In a conversation with a person holding left-wing (anti-hierarchical) views, it is important to avoid rhetoric that presents Jews as a symbol of privilege and, conversely, to emphasize the complexity and diversity of the Jewish community - in terms of social status, background, and political identity, thus reducing generalizations," Dr. Adar suggests.
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