The terrible tragedy that struck the Jewish community in Pittsburgh last weekend raises again the evil specter of anti-Semitism. As we mourn for the 11 Jews we lay to rest this week, the inevitable question is being asked: What can be done to prevent future attacks by anti-Semitic madmen? Thankfully, Israel can offer some recommendations.
As most people know, my country is no stranger to violence against Jews. The sharp increase in “lone wolf” stabbing and shooting attacks of the past few years forced us to confront the security challenge of how to identify and prevent attacks that seemingly occur at random. We found an effective tool in social media.
Social media provides a wealth of information, including the potential to identify not only who is anti-Semitic, but who may be inspired to violently act out their bigotry.
Between 2015 and 2017, 60 percent of lone-wolf attackers in Israel signaled their intent beforehand on social media. If these criminals want to broadcast their plans, it would be irresponsible for us to ignore them.
To that end, our security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies began intensely monitoring multiple social media sites for individuals who, based on their public statements and affiliations, raise red flags that they may engage in specifically anti-Semitic violence. After an initial assessment to verify the seriousness of the threat, we then engage with family and friends to determine if preventative action needs to be taken.
Combined with other security measures, this has led to a dramatic decrease in lone wolf attacks, including the arrest of over 200 would-be assailants who confessed to planning to carry out an anti-Semitic attack.
Building on our success, Israel unveiled its anti-Semitism monitoring system this year, using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism to scour Facebook and Twitter for anti-Semitic messages, before expanding to other platforms.
Using this definition and relying on additional research, we can simplify the task of filtering out what is simply inappropriate, distasteful language from actual instances of anti-Semitism. The system can identify hot spots and trends of such activity, which focuses the efforts of law enforcement and security agencies.
Imagine if this strategy had been in use prior to Saturday’s tragic event. First, the murderer’s public proclamations of anti-Semitism would have triggered the attention of law enforcement agencies. Then, upon investigation, agents may have determined that his social media sites warranted active tracking.
Once flagged, his Twitter post Saturday, which foreshadowed his heinous intent, would have alerted local authorities, who might have been able to prevent his rampage.
Of course, democracies today must balance the respect for privacy with the need for security. This dynamic raises difficult legal and ethical questions. Yet, we must not shy away from identifying, exposing and rooting out anti-Semitism wherever it takes hold.
If not already doing so, US security and law enforcement agencies should begin monitoring social media sites for all forms of this ancient bigotry. If they are, Israel can help them redouble their efforts. We must fight anti-Semitism with the same intensity we fight terrorism.
Freedom of speech is a core American value. But what the Pittsburgh community experienced on Saturday was a freedom of hatred.
This hatred is pervasive on social media. Recently, Louis Farrakhan, who considers Judaism a “gutter” religion, defended himself against claims of anti-Semitism by commenting that “I’m not anti-Semitic, I’m anti-termite.” Comparing Jews to subhuman creatures is an age-old form of Jew-hatred. Yet, there has been no follow-up that we know of to Farrakhan’s statement by law enforcement. The question must be asked: Who else on social media is echoing his sentiment?
The longer his hate speech permeates the public domain, the greater the chances that a bigoted anti-Semite could take his words to heart and act upon them.
Surely we all look forward to the day when anti-Semitism is confined to the dark recesses of our society. Yet until then, we must remain vigilant in identifying and exposing it.
This is not just a question about the tenor of public discourse, but of saving lives. When faced with sporadic individual episodes of anti-Semitic violence, Israel has learned to harness the powers of social media while still remaining a strong and vibrant democracy.
Danny Danon is Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.