When a Jewish school is shot at in Canada, it makes the news. So does an arson attack on a synagogue, or graffiti spray painted on Jewish-owned buildings.
When those things happen, police, governments and the media all leap into action — as they should. Acts of hate against Jews, against Muslims, or against any group need to be called out and firmly addressed.
But almost nothing is done about another form of hate that comes directly into our homes on a regular basis: online hate. And that concerns Andre Oboler, CEO of Australia’s Online Hate Prevention Institute.
Prior to 2008, before social media, this form of online hate “did not exist because the platforms did not exist,” he said. “But it’s a different world today.”
Through the institute, Oboler tracks online hate directed at Jews and other groups. Since Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, the Institute has seen a 400 per cent rise in antisemitism on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and others.
The biggest increases
are in the platforms dominated by the far right, he said. “But it is growing
everywhere.”
Read more in my recent Free Press column.
No comments:
Post a Comment