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

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for the attacks have resurfaced on social media platforms including Meta, Reddit, TikTok, and X/Twitter. CyberWell, an Israeli NGO, identified numerous posts alleging Jewish involvement, some using emojis like a juice box to evade moderation, while others were more direct, featuring the "Happy Merchant" caricature or targeting individuals with slurs. The "Dancing Israelis" and Larry Silverstein conspiracy theories also reappeared. CyberWell CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor stated, "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." She emphasized that these conspiracies undermine the event's lessons and are amplified by engagement algorithms and inadequate platform policies, warning that AI and LLMs could further spread these biases.