|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A new wave of antisemitic hate has gone viral on TikTok — this time with the chilling phrase: “Iran, if you’re listening, just do it.”
The meme, which surfaced following Israel’s strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, quickly spread across the platform, racking up millions of views and interactions. Many of the videos implicitly or explicitly call for Israel’s destruction, with disturbing references to Hitler and Nazi ideology.
While TikTok says it has taken steps to remove the most egregious content, much of it remains online. The platform’s slow, reactive approach once again underscores the systemic failure of social media companies to address antisemitic content — particularly during moments of heightened geopolitical tension.
“This is not just offensive — it’s dangerous,” said Alex Ryvchin, Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. “These posts openly call for the destruction of a country and the deaths of millions of people — Jews, Arabs, and Christians alike.”
The trend is part of a broader surge in online antisemitism, which has skyrocketed since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023.
According to recent data, global antisemitic incidents rose by approximately 340% in 2024 compared to 2022, with online antisemitic content up more than 300%. Holocaust denial, praise for Hitler, and calls for violence are increasingly normalized on platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), especially among younger users.
Despite condemnation from governments, including Australia, where the meme gained traction, experts warn that the normalization of such rhetoric is causing deep societal harm.
Ryvchin called the trend “deeply troubling,” warning that antisemitic ideologies once relegated to the fringes are now seeping into the mainstream.
