The summer of 2025 saw a troubling series of violent incidents across the United States where antisemitism appeared again and again—as a motive, a symbol, or in the conspiracy theories that followed. Even when Jews were not the direct targets, antisemitic narratives surfaced immediately, with conspiracy theories reframing real violence as “false flag” operations or blaming Jews for orchestrating events — illustrating how deeply these tropes have become woven into the fabric of modern misinformation.
Over the summer a clear pattern emerged: antisemitism is not only present in violent acts but also shapes how tragedies are interpreted in real time. In some violent events over the summer Jews were directly targeted, such as in the shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in D.C., and the attack against Jewish marchers in Boulder, Colorado. However, in both cases, the events were quickly reframed online as “false flag” operations claiming the attacks were staged to benefit Jews or Israel.
In some cases Jews were not the victims of the violence, but antisemitism was a clear component of the ideological framework fueling the violence. In Minneapolis a gunman opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School killing two children. Investigators later revealed that his weapons were covered with antisemitic and anti-Israel slogans, including “6 million wasn’t enough.”
This echoed an earlier incident at Antioch High School in Nashville, where a shooter left behind writings that blended antisemitic rhetoric with broader extremist calls to violence. In September a teenager wounded two students in Evergreen, Colorado. Investigators later reported that the suspect had been immersed in neo-Nazi material online, including content steeped in antisemitic conspiracy theories.
How Conspiracy Theories Turn Tragedy Into Antisemitic Disinformation
In other cases, online conspiracy theories blaming Jews and Israel for orchestrating the violent attack spread widely, even when no direct connection to either was apparent, as was seen with the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.
Taken together, these incidents highlight three ways antisemitism seeps into violent events: First, as an explicit motive, second as an indirect influence, and lastly as a conspiracy theory.
Extremist online subcultures continue to feed shooters and lone actors a steady stream of neo-Nazi, antisemitic, and conspiratorial content. In Boulder, attacker Mohamed Soliman was influenced by anti-Zionist rhetoric, turning it into violence at a vigil. In Minneapolis, Robin Westman, 23, drew inspiration from extremist shooters and online figures who glorified guns and conspiracies.
However, antisemitism emerges in the disinformation on social media even when Jews are not directly targeted. Conspiracy theories dominate conversations irrespective of victims being Jewish. Both the murder of two Israeli Embassy staff members and the assassination of Charlie Kirk were called a “false flag” staged to draw sympathy, with the narrative shifting to blaming Jews or Israel for secretly engineering attacks for political gain. Users make comments such as “The shooter that killed the Israeli embassy staff in Washington reportedly yelled ‘Free Palestine’ Very obvious false flag.” After the Charlie Kirk assassination, for instance, posts asked if it was a “Mossad false flag” or spread false claims that “Israel did it.”
This phenomenon is not unique just to the United States. Over the summer we have seen antisemitic violence increase across the world. In Australia synagogues and Jewish restaurants have been violently attacked; in Canada, a Jewish woman was stabbed in a Kosher grocery store in Ottawa; in Italy, police investigated a hate crime against a Jewish man and his son; and in England, two individuals were murdered while attending Yom Kippur services.
When Antisemitism Becomes the Common Thread
Antisemitism today works on multiple levels. It drives violence, shapes the ideology of young radicals, and fuels conspiracy theories after public tragedies. For Jewish communities, the danger is twofold: direct targeting and indirect vilification through disinformation. The clustering of these incidents in the summer of 2025 underscores a troubling trend—one in which antisemitism continues to overlap with broader patterns of American violence, amplifying both the risks to Jews and the challenges for society as a whole.
