Cross-ideological antisemitism and the October 7th attacks

The document examines how disparate fringe movements—including the far right, far left, and Islamist groups—find common ground through shared antisemitic narratives. It highlights a trend of 'hybridisation' on social media where these groups cross-fertilise narratives, such as the belief that Jews possess disproportionate global power or the conspiracy theory that Israel was responsible for the October 7 attacks. The briefing argues that antisemitism is best predicted by conspiratorial worldviews and authoritarian preferences rather than specific left- or right-wing political views, and calls for a 'cross-harm perspective' to tackle these intersecting hate narratives.

• Antisemitism across the political spectrum often manifests as a narrative that 'punches up,' constructing Jewish people as possessing excessive wealth, power, and influence, which allows these theories to fit into both extreme-right and far-left worldviews.
• Since the October 7 attacks, diverse ideological actors have coalesced around conspiracy theories that downplay the massacre by claiming the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killed their own people or that the atrocities were fabricated.
• The term 'Zionist' is frequently used as a dog whistle or interchangeable term for 'Jews' across the far left, Islamist spaces, and white nationalist ecosystems to maintain plausible deniability while promoting antisemitic tropes.
• Research indicates that political orientation (left-wing or right-wing) is not a primary predictor of antisemitism; instead, it is more closely linked to authoritarianism, anti-hierarchical aggression, and conspiratorial worldviews.
• There is an increasing trend of 'hybridisation' on social media where previously distinct extremist networks inter-mix, leading to the cross-fertilisation of narratives and aesthetics.
• Extreme-right actors have expressed support for Palestinian violent resistance based on the perception of a shared Jewish enemy, sometimes aligning with Islamist fighters in a 'one struggle' against Israel.

APA

Institute for Strategic Dialogue (2023). Cross-ideological antisemitism and the October 7th attacks. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/cross-ideological-antisemitism-and-the-october-7th-attacks/

Chicago

Institute for Strategic Dialogue. Cross-ideological antisemitism and the October 7th attacks. 2023. https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/cross-ideological-antisemitism-and-the-october-7th-attacks/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |title=Cross-ideological antisemitism and the October 7th attacks |date=15 December 2023 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/cross-ideological-antisemitism-and-the-october-7th-attacks/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforstrategicdialogue2023crossideological, author = {{Institute for Strategic Dialogue}}, title = {{Cross-ideological antisemitism and the October 7th attacks}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/digital-dispatch/cross-ideological-antisemitism-and-the-october-7th-attacks/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }