Amid the rise of blatant (sometimes violent) anti-Semitism that has erupted across the country, comedic actor Sacha Baron Cohen called out Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for the promulgation of Jew-hatred on his platform.
In a tweet on Saturday, Cohen shared a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) showing that a wave in anti-Semitic violence and rhetoric followed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The surge in antisemitism on the streets is fueled by antisemitism on social media,” tweeted Cohen as he proceeded to call out Jack Dorsey directly. “Why do you allow #HitlerWasRight ?! Those who celebrate the Holocaust aim to perpetuate another.”
The surge in antisemitism on the streets is fueled by antisemitism on social media.@Jack, @Twitter — Why do you allow #HitlerWasRight ?!
Those who celebrate the Holocaust aim to perpetuate another.#StopHateForProfithttps://t.co/RMWwBZGFiX
— Sacha Baron Cohen (@SachaBaronCohen) May 22, 2021
According to the ADL report, up to 17,000 posts on Twitter positively referenced Adolf Hitler between May 7 and May 14.
ADL has documented disturbing antisemitism on multiple platforms — from Facebook and Twitter to TikTok and Instagram – with messages including explicit praise for Hitler, promoting tropes about Jewish control and demonizing all Jews. Extreme antisemitic and anti-Zionist content can be found across a wide variety of channels calling for the destruction of the Jewish state, including posts that state: “GAS THE KIKES RACE WAR NOW.”
An analysis of Twitter in the days following the recent outbreak of violence showed more than 17,000 tweets which used variations of the phrase, “Hitler was right” between May 7 and May 14, 2021. ADL has also seen an increase in on-the-ground activity that demonizes Israel and that has crossed at times into antisemitism.
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt warned people that anti-Semitic rhetoric has real-world consequences.
“As the violence between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, we are witnessing a dangerous and drastic surge in anti-Jewish hate right here at home,” said Greenblatt. “We are tracking acts of harassment, vandalism and violence as well as a torrent of online abuse. It’s happening around the world— from London to Los Angeles, from France to Florida, in big cities like New York and in small towns, and across every social media platform.”
“To those who choose to indulge in age-old antisemitic tropes, exaggerated claims and inflammatory rhetoric, it has consequences: attacks in real life on real people targeted for no other reason than they are Jewish,” he continued. “This is antisemitism, plain and simple. And it’s indisputably inexcusable in any context. ADL remains steadfast in its commitment to fight antisemitism and hate with every ounce of energy we have,” Greenblatt continued. “We are working actively with authorities in cities across the country to identify the perpetrators of hate and to protect our community. We call on leaders throughout our country to speak out against antisemitism and stand alongside the Jewish community in the face of this wave of hate before it gets any worse.”
Following the riot on Capitol Hill on January 6, Sacha Baron Cohen publicly backed the blacklisting of President Donald Trump on every major internet platform.
“Virtually every social media company has removed Trump…EXCEPT YouTube. Trump’s YouTube channel is STILL showing videos of his election lies to MILLIONS of people!” Cohen tweeted in January as he tagged YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki as well as Google CEO Sundar Pichai in the post.
YouTube later banned Trump from the platform.