Antisemitic 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Resurface Online 25 Years Later

Twenty-five years after the September 11th attacks, antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Israel and Jews for the tragedy continue to circulate online, according to a report by CyberWell. These theories have become a recurring theme, used to suggest that if Jews were allegedly behind past disasters, they are necessarily involved in current crises.

The report details how online users employ coded language and imagery to evade content moderation systems. For instance, the juice box emoji has been used as a code for "Jews," and the antisemitic "Happy Merchant" caricature has been combined with images from the 9/11 attacks. Posts have also recirculated false claims about the involvement of Jewish businessman Larry Silverstein and the "dancing Israelis" narrative.

Direct harassment and antisemitic slurs targeting Jewish users have also been documented. CyberWell researcher Cohen Montemayor warned of the national security implications, stating that foreign actors support these conspiracy theories to undermine social cohesion and security in Western countries. She emphasized the need for specialized expertise to identify coded expressions and campaigns designed to sow division and hatred, especially as platforms increasingly rely on AI for content moderation.

The persistence of these theories highlights a challenge in combating online hate speech, as perpetrators adapt their methods to bypass automated detection systems.