Antisemitism Online: History’s Oldest Hatred and New Media Challenges

Abstract

In this text I examine the online presence of antisemitism and the ways it is spreading on a global level. I focus on different forms of antisemitism, distributed through numerous social network platforms. I also dwell on the possible causes of this phenomenon, with all its consequences. Antisemitism has always been present in public discourse, and thus its presence in online space is not new or unusual, but what surprises is certainly a significant failure of responsible institutions to prevent this phenomenon and punish perpetrators. In the last ten years, the level of online antisemitism has significantly risen. Covert and overt types of antisemitism on social networks represent a serious social problem, and a threat directed not only towards the Jewish community, but also towards every society that fosters the values of human rights, equality, peaceful communication and non-violence in all its forms.

U ovom tekstu baviću se pojavom i širenjem antisemitizma u onlajn prostoru na globalnom nivou. Fokusiraću se na raličite oblike antisemitizma koji se plasiraju i šire putem mnogobrojnih platformi društvenih mreža kao i na moguće uzroke ove pojave, ali i na posledice koje ona može proizvesti. Antisemitizam je u javnom diskursu oduvek bio prisutan i zato ne čudi njegova pojava i u onlajn prostoru. Međutim, ono što iznenađuje je neuspeh nadležnih institucija da tu pojavu spreče i adekvatno sankcionišu uprkos tome što je usled naglog razvoja društvenih mreža u poslednjih deset godina došlo i do naglog porasta antisemitskih sadržaja na internetu. Prikriveni i otvoreni antisemitizam na društvenim mrežama predstavljaju ozbiljan društveni problem i pretnju koja nije usmerena samo ka jevrejskoj zajednici već i generalno ka svakom društvu koje neguje vrednosti poput poštovanja ljudskih prava, ravnopravnosti, nenasilne komunikacije i nenasilja u širem smislu.