Antisemitic conspiracies blaming Jews for 9/11 resurface ahead of 25th anniversary, CyberWell warns

Some of the posts used a juice box emoji to subtly refer to the Jewish people in a way that would prevent the post from being flagged by moderation systems, according to CyberWell. 

Antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have resurfaced on social media ahead of the day’s 25th anniversary.

CyberWell, an Israeli non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism online, recently identified numerous posts across Meta, Reddit, TikTok, and X/Twitter claiming Jews had planned 9/11, knew the attacks were coming, or secretly had a hand in controlling the terrible events. 

Some of the posts used a juice box emoji to subtly refer to the Jewish people in a way that would prevent the post from being flagged by the sites' moderation systems, according to CyberWell.

Others were more direct, pairing images of 9/11 alongside the antisemitic “Happy Merchant” caricature, explained CyberWell, while others still targeted individual Jews directly, calling them antisemitic slurs and accusing them of being involved in the terror attack.

CyberWell noted that some of the posts also recycled the “Dancing Israelis” conspiracy theory, which claims that Israeli men seen near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, had advance knowledge of, celebrated, or were involved in the attacks.

Additional posts invoked American billionaire Larry Silverstein, alleging that his absence from the Twin Towers that morning was because he knew of the attacks ahead of time.

Jews account for roughly 10% of 9/11 victims

“September 11th was a horrific terrorist attack on a global scale against the entire free world,” said CyberWell CEO and Founder Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor. “According to US State Department figures, an estimated 200 to 400 Jews died at the World Trade Center, including five Israelis, meaning Jews accounted for roughly 10% of the victims.”

“Those trafficking in conspiratorial hatred online around the 25th anniversary of September 11 undermine the true lessons of this tragic event and tarnish the memory of its victims and the brave first responders who risked their lives to save others.”

“The outrageous and false conspiracy blaming Jews and Israel for the 9/11 attacks continues to spread widely online, amplified by engagement algorithms and, in part, by a lack of effective platform policies to address it,” Cohen Montemayor explained. “CyberWell has recently tracked significant increases in scapegoating of Jews for major world tragedies, yet very few platforms directly address this form of hatred in their Trust & Safety policies.”

She noted that “as AI and LLMs increasingly rely on social media data for training and as a source of knowledge, the risk of antisemitic conspiracies and bias being absorbed and reproduced as fact increases.”

“On the anniversary of 9/11, we must keep national security top of mind,” Cohen Montemayor added. “Foreign state actors are backing and amplifying wild antisemitic conspiracy theories that scapegoat Jews in order to erode social cohesion and security in the West.”

“As major social media platforms increasingly automate content moderation with AI, expert partners who can recognize how antisemitism evolves through coded content and new forms of scapegoating are increasingly vital to effective enforcement against conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns designed to destabilize societies and sow hatred,” she said.