NEW YORK (Press Release) — The U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend immediately elicited antisemitic, conspiratorial and extreme anti-Israel reactions.
These included antisemitic tropes about alleged Jewish control of the U.S. government, open blame of Jews for the strikes, calls for the destruction of Israel and Zionism, and a surge in the narrative that the U.S. is secretly planning to draft American citizens in a war to defend Israel, which was observed across ideologies.
Phrases like “I will not die for Israel” or “Get ready to die for Israel” went viral on X, where prominent far-right influencers such as Candace Owens and Jackson Hinkle promoted the narrative — in some cases calling it an “orchestrated” effort to kill Americans. Anti-Israel and anti-Zionist users on Bluesky and Instagram also boosted this rhetoric, including by posting memes about the U.S. military telling Americans to “die for Israel,” some of which invoked antisemitic imagery such as the Happy Merchant meme.
Why it matters:
While any U.S. involvement in the conflict may draw mainstream anti-war reactions, it is important to distinguish between legitimate political criticisms and antisemitic commentary — the latter of which only fuels the existing fire of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist hate. This has led to real-world violence like the D.C. killings and the Boulder firebombing.
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Decrying Iran Strikes, Far-Right Extremists Whine About ‘America First’ Promises
Some right-wing extremists, like the Groypers, joined mainstream anti-Zionist figures in accusing the U.S. of doing the bidding of Israel. For them, President Trump’s decision to attack the Iranian nuclear sites is a betrayal of the “America First” policies that he championed.
Among them was Chief Groyper Nick Fuentes, who claimed that he has long warned that the U.S. would enter conflict in the Middle East and promoted an antisemitic conspiracy theory that “Jewish donors” paid for the Trump administration to go to war with Iran.
Members of the Proud Boys voiced mixed reactions, with some supporting the disruption to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and others complaining that Trump was violating his campaign promises to put American interests above those of foreign governments.
White supremacist Ryan Murdough, the leader of the New England White Network, wrote, “I hope every single American plane gets shot down by Iran. Trump is an Israel first piece of shit.”
Why it matters:
Unsurprisingly, white supremacists and right-wing extremists continue to play a central role in promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories when it comes to Israel — especially during times of conflict. Even among far-right groups and individuals who previously backed Trump, like the Proud Boys and Fuentes, there is no hesitation to weaponize antisemitism to push their agenda and challenge Trump, signaling further erosion of their already waning support amid the Mideast conflict and a readiness to attack him if his actions do not align with their interests.
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Nobody Asked You: ISIS Weighs in on Israel-Iran Tensions
In a June 20 issue of its weekly newsletter, the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group stated that it takes “legitimate joy” in the deaths of Jews and Shiite Muslims, described the conflict as a battle between the “Persian Empire” and the “Jewish Empire,” and claimed that solidarity with Iran for the sake of Palestine was nothing more than a nationalist and anti-Islamic power grab disguised as Islamic unity.
The group went on to say that it was itching to “exploit the chaos” of the tensions between Israel and Iran to rebuild itself into a more effective group.
Why it matters:
Beneath the lurid glee over Israeli and Iranian deaths, ISIS is signaling that it intends to strategically realign its priorities to focus on rebuilding, recruitment and financing in the hopes that it will be able to embed itself around the world. If successful, these efforts could lead to new risks to the U.S., Israel and Jews worldwide in the future.
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Preceding provided by the Anti-Defamation League