Left-wing justifications partly shield antisemitism from liberal disapproval, study suggests

A recent study published in American Psychologist suggests that political liberals may be more tolerant of antisemitic remarks when they come with justifications related to human rights or criticism of Israel. These justifications act as social signals, leading liberals to view the speaker as a political ally rather than a broadly prejudiced individual.

The research indicates that hate crimes against Jewish people in the United States increased following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, rising from 11% of all hate crimes in the year before the war to 27% in the year after. Historically, liberals have been more protective of minority groups and have been quick to condemn discrimination.

The study's lead author, Jordan W. Moon, suggests that the rise in antisemitic rhetoric and incidents may be due to certain justifications being more accepted by liberal audiences. By 2025, 75% of Republicans and only 21% of Democrats expressed sympathy with Israelis, which the researchers argue may make criticism of Israel a marker of liberal identity.

To investigate this, Moon and his team conducted three online experiments involving 979 American adults. They found that when antisemitic prejudice was justified by disapproval of Israel, liberals rated the speaker as more likable on a 7-point scale compared to when no justification was provided. However, this justification did not affect how conservatives evaluated the speaker.

The researchers emphasize that this does not mean liberals suddenly endorsed prejudice, but rather that certain justifications make them feel more positively toward the speaker.