Antisemitic 9/11 Conspiracy Theories Explode Online
As the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, social media platforms are rife with antisemitic conspiracy theories falsely blaming Jews and Israel for the tragedy. A prominent theory, the "dancing Israelis" narrative, falsely claims the Mossad orchestrated the attacks. Liora Raz, CEO of the U.S. organization StopAntisemitism, warns that such misinformation is escalating and cannot be ignored, stating, "It's happening more and more. We can't keep burying our heads in the sand."
These theories, which have circulated for years, are increasingly moving from the fringes into mainstream online discourse. While historical antisemitic tropes involved well-poisoning or blood libels, modern conspiracies often portray disasters as covert Mossad operations. Some online materials employ Nazi-era propaganda styles, depicting Jews with exaggerated features, while others use the juice emoji as a coded reference to "Jews," circumventing social media algorithms.
Raz highlights the critical role of education, noting that only two U.S. states mandate teaching about 9/11. She explains that the lack of comprehensive education, combined with the rapid spread of antisemitic falsehoods online, particularly after October 7th, creates a "perfect storm" for radicalization among young people. The "dancing Israelis" theory, she emphasizes, has been thoroughly investigated and debunked.
The "dancing Israelis" narrative stems from an incident on 9/11, 2001, when five young Israelis were observed taking photos and appearing to celebrate near the World Trade Center. Suspiciously reported to the police, they were detained and interrogated by the FBI for over two months. No evidence of their involvement or prior knowledge of the attacks was found. They were found to have utility knives, which they explained were for their work in a moving company. After violating U.S. immigration laws, they returned to Israel. This incident has been distorted into a conspiracy theory alleging they were Mossad agents celebrating a false-flag operation designed to draw the U.S. into war against Israel's enemies.
Official FBI investigations identified the 19 hijackers as members of Al-Qaeda, acting under Osama bin Laden's orders. The article also notes that four Israeli citizens and hundreds of Jews were among the victims of the attacks. Raz contrasts this with documented footage of Palestinians celebrating 9/11 by distributing sweets. She observes that antisemitism is now prevalent across the political spectrum, with radical Islamists and some on the left adopting narratives previously pushed by the far-right, united by their hatred of Jews.
Raz dismisses the idea that these online phenomena are solely driven by bots, arguing that bot networks normalize hateful ideas for younger demographics, radicalizing their views and fostering broader anti-Western and anti-capitalist sentiments. StopAntisemitism actively combats this by holding individuals accountable, reporting hateful speech to employers and communities to ensure consequences for antisemitic actions and demonization of Israel and the Jewish people. Raz stresses the necessity of confronting these lies directly, rather than ignoring them, citing documentary evidence that refutes the conspiracy theories and supports the reality of celebrations by some Palestinians following the attacks.
