Surge in Antisemitic Harassment Targeting Jewish Members of Congress on Facebook, ADL Report Finds

A new report released Thursday by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reveals a significant increase in antisemitic harassment directed towards Jewish members of Congress on Facebook in recent months. The report, citing a nearly fivefold surge in such incidents, underscores a troubling rise in anti-Jewish sentiment across the United States.

ADL researchers meticulously collected and analyzed antisemitic comments targeting 30 Jewish members of Congress with Facebook accounts between January 1 and April 7, 2025. The sample included 27 Democrats, two Republicans, and one Independent. The study’s findings are alarming, indicating a dramatic shift in the volume of hateful content.

Prior to February, these Facebook accounts received an average of 6.5 antisemitic comments per day. However, beginning in early February, the daily average skyrocketed to nearly 30 comments, reflecting a stark escalation in online harassment. The ADL directly attributes this surge to Meta’s recent decision to roll back its content moderation controls.

Jordan Kraemer, director of research for the ADL Center for Technology and Society, strongly criticized Meta’s policy change. “These findings show that Meta taking its foot off the brakes allows more antisemitic vitriol against Jewish lawmakers, likely making its platforms more hostile to all Jewish users," Kraemer stated, emphasizing the potential broader impact on the Jewish community.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has disputed the ADL’s findings and its interpretation of the data. In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Meta claimed the ADL used a "flawed methodology" to present a "false narrative." The company asserted its commitment to removing antisemitic content that violates its established rules.

Meta further stated that, upon reviewing the comments cited in the ADL report, only one was found to be in violation of its policies and would be removed accordingly. “Our enforcement here has not changed,” the company insisted, seemingly dismissing the ADL’s claims of a significant increase in antisemitic content.

While members of Congress, as public figures, are often subjected to hateful comments on their social media posts, the recent surge in antisemitic rhetoric has raised serious concerns. Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat from California and one of the most frequent targets of antisemitism according to the ADL report, has observed a "disconcerting" spike in such comments.

Sherman, along with Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer, are particularly susceptible to this form of online abuse. He emphasized the responsibility of social media platforms to actively combat bigotry. “All of these social media platforms have to decide how much intermediation to do," Sherman stated. "Meta in particular has shown they can reduce the amount of bigotry on Facebook and, having demonstrated that, they should do it and their advertisers should insist on it.”

Rep. David Kustoff, a Republican from Tennessee and the 13th most targeted Jewish member of Congress on Facebook, expressed no surprise at the ADL’s findings, citing the broader rise in antisemitism. “Antisemitic hate, harassment and bullying should not be tolerated online or in our national rhetoric,” he asserted.

Another prominent target, Rep. Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, described the rise of antisemitism on social media as "exponential." Schneider called for proactive measures to eradicate such hatred and bigotry. “Such vile hatred and bigotry should never be tolerated and actively rooted out," Schneider stated. "Regrettably, Meta has instead turned a blind eye and is letting antisemitism fester and grow on its platforms."

The report highlights the alarming context of a global surge in anti-Jewish sentiment following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in the 12-month period from October 2023 to September 2024, according to a previous ADL report. The number of reported incidents was the highest since the ADL began tracking antisemitism data in 1979.

Research has consistently demonstrated the significant role social media plays in fostering and spreading antisemitism. Recent policy changes on major platforms, including Meta, have weakened content moderation, shifting responsibility to users and loosening restrictions on harmful content.

“The reality is this is a tradeoff,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said regarding the changes. “It means that we’re going to catch less bad stuff but we’ll also reduce the number of innocent people’s posts and accounts that we accidentally take down.”

ADL research indicates that approximately half of adults worldwide hold antisemitic beliefs and deny facts about the Holocaust. The level of antisemitism has more than doubled since 2014 when the ADL began tracking it.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, criticized Meta for what he sees as a dereliction of its responsibility to combat the rising tide of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of extremism on its platforms.

“I deeply regretted Meta’s decision to essentially abandon content moderation, certainly more drastically than it needed to. I think social media has abdicated its responsibility for ridding platforms of hate speech and incitement to violence,” Blumenthal stated. “Right now social media has pretty much absolute immunity from any legal responsibility or accountability.” Blumenthal’s statement emphasized the need for greater accountability on the part of social media companies in addressing hate speech and extremist content. The ADL report serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in combating antisemitism and the crucial role that social media platforms play in either mitigating or amplifying its spread.