By Wendy Melillo
Publication Date: 2026-05-18 12:21:00
This article contains examples of anti-Semitic hate speech.
The men accused of carrying out high-profile anti-Semitic attacks in the United States in recent years had one important characteristic in common: They previously posted hate speech on their social media accounts.
The FBI said the man who drove his truck into a synagogue outside Detroit in March 2026 posted on Facebook that “Israel is a cancerous/malignant growth” and “Israel is pure evil.” The online footprint of the gunman accused of shooting and killing two Israeli Embassy employees at the capital’s Jewish Museum in May 2025 included anti-Israel comments. The gunman sentenced to death for killing 11 worshipers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018 frequently used anti-Semitic hate speech on his social media.
Hate speech exploits feelings, emotions and attitudes intended to dehumanize individuals or groups. Sometimes the hostility is palpable. But it can also take a more hidden form by using code words…
