SWC Commends Meta for recognizing anti-Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism

July 11, 2024

The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), a leading Jewish human rights NGO has lauded Meta for its decision to crack down on the abuse of the term “Zionist” as a cover for anti-Semitism.

The SWC’s Digital Terrorism and Hate Project has been exposing online hate, racism, and anti-Semitism for three decades and regularly meets with social media platforms to demand more robust measures to address anti-Semitism which continues to soar since Hamas’ October 7th attacks upon Israel.  

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, SWC Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action said: “Meta’s decision to call out anti-Zionism for what it is should serve as a benchmark for TikTok and other platforms.  Anti-Zionism is not criticism of the policies of Israel. It is the denial of the Jewish people’s right to a state.  It is by definition a form of hate.”

Since October 7th, Jews have been increasingly targeted on the streets of Europe and North America by pro-Hamas extremists, often inspired by social media posts promoting hate and violence against Jews worldwide.  As one of the world’s leading organizations combatting anti-Semitism, the Simon Wiesenthal Center maintains an active reporting relationship with Meta and other social media platforms.

For further information, please email Michele Alkin, Director of Global Communications at malkin@wiesenthal.com or Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your Twitter feed. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).