Nexus In The News
Significant news articles that mention Nexus, including Op-Ed articles written by Nexus Board Members and Advisors.
Project 2025’s Other Project
Opinion: Trump’s claim of fighting antisemitism at UCLA is a dangerous charade
Most American Jews say Trump is using antisemitism as an 'excuse' to silence free speech at universities
Democrats Face a Series of Tests Over Support for Israel
“Their goal is to make the Democrats the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish party,” said Jonathan Jacoby, the director of the Nexus Task Force, a national effort to combat antisemitism while making space for political criticism of Israel. “The question the Democrats need to ask is how to stop that without playing into a game of political football underway.”
Trump’s election puts greater pressure on universities to crack down on antisemitism
“Trump will use the idea of fighting antisemitism as a way of suppressing free speech and breaking up coalitions. One of the most important things to ensure Jewish safety is to have strong coalitions with people who are also fighting hatred,” Jonathan Jacoby, director of the Nexus Task Force, told JI. “By exacerbating division, Trump is only going to make us less safe.”
Letters to the Editor: When do campus protests on Israel cross the line into antisemitism?
The report by UCLA’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias underlines the urgency of developing effective strategies for countering antisemitism on college campuses in the wake of the horrific Hamas attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and its aftermath. The Nexus Task Force’s Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in a Time of Perplexity, created by a leading group of academic experts on antisemitism, provides
US colleges failed to hold students accountable for antisemitic harassment, House committee says
“Republican leaders are exploiting the very real danger of antisemitism to advance their own hyper-partisan agenda and to suppress free speech, instead of doing the difficult but important work of building responsible bipartisan coalitions to help students and fight hatred,” Jonathan Jacoby, the National Director of The Nexus Project, a research group dedicated to countering antisemitism, told CNN.
We asked Jewish leaders about their priorities under a second Trump term
The administration and its Republican congressional allies will use last month’s House Education Committee report on campus antisemitism as a platform to target federal funding for higher education and academic freedom. The Nexus Project will continue to advocate for robust funding for the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
A time for reflection and renewal: Countering antisemitism in the wake of October 7th
Hannah Rosenthal, a member of the Nexus Task Force and a former US Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, reflects on this period of profound reflection as we commemorate the Jewish High Holidays and the anniversary of the horrific events of October 7, 2023.
Can legitimate campus protest be distinguished from antisemitism? This guide aims to help
Writing in The Los Angeles Times, David N. Myers and Nomi M. Stolzenberg discuss how university administrators, faculty and students can understand when terms and calls for action in college protests should and should not be considered antisemitic – using the Nexus Task Force’s “Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism in a Time of Perplexity.”
Netanyahu confronts his critics by exploiting antisemitism
Writing an opinion for the Boston Globe, Jonathan Jacoby discusses how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come to America armed with familiar tactics: casting himself as a victim of unjust persecution, portraying his critics as enemies, and labeling Israel’s detractors as antisemites.
The GOP antisemitism bill harms more than it helps
In an opinion piece for The Forward, Alan Solow writes that the Antisemitism Awareness Act handicaps our ability to fight anti-Jewish bigotry. Alan Solow serves on the board of the Nexus Leadership Project and is a former chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He is also a member of the Forward Association.
Why we should all support the Countering Antisemitism Act
This article appeared in the April 17, 2024 edition of The Hill, Civil Rights Section summarizes the Legislative bill introduced by Senators Jacky Rosen, James Lankford, and Reps. Kathy Manning and Chris Smith and calls for vigorous bipartisan support from all who cherish democratic values and human dignity. The author is Kevin Rachlin, Washington Director of the Nexus Leadership Project.
What Is Antisemitism? A Columbia Task Force Would Rather Not Say
New York Times reporter Sharon Otterman writes about the issue of antisemitism at Columbia University. In the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Columbia University set up a task force to combat and monitor antisemitism on campus. However, definitions of the term are highly contested, and the task force has avoided picking sides. It is still facing criticism because, in attempting to avoid one of the
Why using more than the IHRA definition strengthens, not undermines, the fight against antisemitism
The framers of the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism understood that the IHRA definition is too limiting to carry the weight of fighting antisemitism on its own, so they endorsed additional definitional resources — including the Nexus Document — to help sharpen and clarify the strategy’s application.
Jewish Scholars Defend Harvard Professor on Antisemitism Task Force
Members of the Nexus Task Force defend the appointment of Derek Penslar as co-chair of the Harvard antisemitism task force. “We reject efforts to cynically weaponize antisemitism by inflaming divisions or undermining university initiatives to help students. . . Leaders should applaud appointments like Professor Penslar’s to bring insight rather than ideology to this difficult task.”
How the Nexus Leadership Project is convincing Democrats to separate Israel criticism from antisemitism
The Nexus Project, which has been advocating for a more nuanced understanding of issues related to Israel and antisemitism, has found traction with the White House and Congress — and is staffing up.
Is Anti-Zionism Always Antisemitic? A Fraught Question for the Moment.
Writing for The New York Times, Jonathan Weisman discusses the political debate surrounding anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Jonathan Jacoby said Nexus Task Force had wrestled with the issue for several years now, seeking a definition of antisemitism that captures when anti-Zionism crosses from political belief to bigotry.
Nuance is crucial in fighting hate. That’s why I helped write an alternative definition of antisemitism. – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Jewish Americans face the threats of escalating antisemitism and growing white nationalism at the same time that the Israeli government’s anti-democratic policies are eliciting increasingly harsh condemnation worldwide. An article written by Jonathan Jacoby which was posted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Israel mudslinging threatens to overshadow White House antisemitism strategy
Both sides say debate over what definition of antisemitism should be used is a waste of energy — but that hasn’t dampened the dispute
Is Our Fear of Antisemitism Poisoning Our Discussion of Israel?
Overused accusations of antisemitism are preventing open and nuanced debates about Israeli policies and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Outrage over far-right Israeli government has American Jewish leaders stewing
“Our criticisms emanate from a love for Israel and a steadfast support for its security and well-being,” said the statement. “Some will try to dismiss their validity by labeling them antisemitic.” Instead, the statement said, the criticisms “reflect a real concern that the new government’s direction mirrors anti-democratic trends that we see arising elsewhere.”
Prominent Jewish leaders add to drumbeat of criticism of Israel’s new government
A slate of 169 prominent American Jews, including former leaders of major mainstream Jewish organizations, called on U.S. politicians not to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism, a signal of worsening relations between the new far-right Israeli government and the U.S. Jewish community.
169 liberal US Jewish leaders sign letter expressing concern over Israeli government
The statement calls for a “critical and necessary debate” about the government’s policies and cautioned against false accusations of antisemitism aimed at Israel’s critics.
The Holocaust teaches us to recognize our shared destinies
The growth of White Nationalism in our country is exponential: from social media to traditional media, from school boards to law enforcement to the United States Congress. Today’s White Nationalists descend from last century’s Nazis, and our Jewish experience of White Nationalism today is haunted by this history.
Kevin McCarthy and the weaponization of antisemitism
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was a featured speaker at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Meeting last weekend at the Venetian. After being elected as Republican Leader on Nov. 15, McCarthy now needs to strengthen his position to get the votes to become
I rallied for the survival of Israel in 1967 but now I worry about its future
The occupation has tempered my confidence in Israel’s survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people. Weaponizing antisemitism also hurts Israel. Toxic environments leave no space for debate. Without an open debate about Israeli policy, the occupation will metastasize.
Most American Jews say Trump is using antisemitism as an ‘excuse’ to silence free speech at universities
A newly released Impose poll conducted in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Rochester, showed that 72% of Jewish Americans are concerned about antisemitism on campus and nearly 60% disapprove of the Trump administration’s decision to withhold federal funding from Harvard and UCLA over allegations of antisemitism.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace to Jewish progressive: ‘I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done’,
After GOP Rep. Nancy Mace made a hateful comment to Jewish Congresswoman Sara Jacobs reflecting antisemitic stereotypes, the Nexus Project swiftly condemned Mace’s remark, calling on Mace and all members of Congress to refrain from “antisemitic, schoolyard bullying about [Mace’s] Jewish colleagues’ noses generally, and especially in a post about respecting women’s bodies.”
UCLA’s Jewish community unites against Trump’s $1-billion demand: ‘Misguided and punitive’
Professor David Myers, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles, highlighted that universities settling litigation related to antisemitism claims with the Trump administration could set a “dangerous” precedent. Myers told the Los Angeles Times
GOP probes UCSF on claims of ‘hostile environment’ for Jewish students
After House Republicans requested that three universities produce detailed documentation of their responses to allegations of antisemitic behavior on their campuses, Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby warned that the Trump administration was once again using antisemitism as a guise for cracking down on civil liberties.
A pro-Palestinian activist came to Oakland to practice medicine. An outrage campaign followed
Nexus Project’s Washington Director Kevin Rachlin spoke with the San Francisco Chronicle about Project Esther and other organizations that dangerously weaponize antisemitism to target free speech and harass students on college campuses. While Project Esther has gained the most recognition, Rachlin shared: “Project Esther is actually stealing from [Canary Mission, Accuracy in Media, Physicians Against Antisemitism]. They were doing these doxxing campaigns first.”
Opinion: Trump’s claim of fighting antisemitism at UCLA is a dangerous charade
Professor David Myers, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Los Angeles, co-wrote an op-ed for the LA Times calling the Trump administration’s lawsuits around antisemitism on college campuses a “dangerous charade.” After the Trump administration announced it would suspend $584 million in federal research grants to UCLA, Myers wrote the suspension is a “shallow and disingenuous plot
American Jewish support for Israel is cracking. Occupying Gaza may break it
After Prime Minister Netanyahu’s announcement of a planned Israeli occupation of Gaza City, The Forward reported on perceptions among American Jews toward the war. Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby warned that Israeli military action can have negative repercussions for American Jews, “When Israel takes over Gaza, kills innocent people, starves babies and kills journalists, it creates conditions that lead to violence against Jews.” He continued, “I
American Jews’ Support for Israel Is Near Its Breaking Point
The New Republic reported on waning support for the ongoing war in Gaza among American Jews, particularly following reports of mass starvation of Gaza. Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby spoke on the trend saying, “This is more than a crisis in the relationship between Israel and American Jews. It’s a turning point. And nobody really knows in which direction we’re headed.”
After Boulder attack, American Jews are afraid
Professor Joshua Shanes, a Nexus Project Task Force member and professor of Jewish history at the University of California, Davis, spoke to JTA about antisemitic conspiracy theories related to the Jeffrey Epstein files. He shared: “Whenever you have this notion of collectivizing all Jews as this global nefarious force, that’s the most dangerous thing. It’s not about Israel, per se. It’s about this global Jewish conspiracy. And
What is Project Esther? Unpacking the effort to curb pro-Palestine activism
Investigative reporting outlet Snopes reported on Project Esther, a blueprint for silencing pro-Palestinian protests under the guise of countering antisemitism. The article extensively cited Nexus Project’s analysis on Project Esther, stating that though the project claims to be a strategy to combat antisemitism, it blurs “the line between legitimate protest and hate speech, while simultaneously ignoring and obscuring right-wing antisemitism.”
Trump’s Student Arrests, and the Lawsuit Fighting Them, Tread New Ground
As a Boston court weighed the legality of the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism, Nexus Project National Director Jonathan Jacoby spoke with The New York Times about how the White House’s campus policies reflect Project Esther, a Heritage Foundation blueprint for silencing pro-Palestinian protestors under the guise of countering antisemitism. Jacoby said: “These are examples of the Trump administration weaponizing legitimate
Project 2025’s Other Project
The New York Times’ podcast, The Daily, released an episode discussing Project Esther, a blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation, and embraced by the Trump administration, that laid the groundwork for deporting pro-Palestinian students under the guise of combating antisemitism.
To appease Trump and retain grants, UC bars student governments from boycotting Israel
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on measures universities are taking to avoid retribution over their handling of antisemitism by the Trump administration. The article highlights Nexus Project’s work as an antisemitism watchdog, and Nexus’ concerns that the Trump administration is exploiting “false accusations of antisemitism for political gain.”
Federal pressure on Harvard over antisemitism echoes conservative attacks on higher ed
After the Trump administration told Harvard University it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act over antisemitism on campus
About That New York Times Editorial
The New York Times’ June 14, 2025, editorial on antisemitism made some important points. It called attention to the significant surge in antisemitism and the importance of calling it out. It accurately noted that “the political right, including President Trump, deserves substantial blame” for rising antisemitism, including Trump’s use of antisemitism for political purposes and his normalization of hatred.
Jewish groups in US line up to oppose Trump anti-Semitism strategy
Nexus Washington Director spoke to AFP about Project Esther and attacks on higher education institutions, “[t]here is anti-Semitism on those campuses… But to give the broad claim that the thrust to fight anti-Semitism is to go after higher education is just absolutely ridiculous.” Rachlin continued, “We as Jews are safer when we’re in coalition with other groups and other minorities.”
How Oct. 7 has changed antisemitic attacks in the U.S.
Nexus Washington Director Kevin Rachlin told The Washington Post, “since Trump came [into office, the Trump administration is] weaponizing Jewish fear to advance a very specific agenda.” Rachlin noted that the Trump administrations endanger Jewish Americans, questioning, “What will you do to protect us? Shutting down and defunding schools, deporting people? That doesn’t protect Jews.”
After Boulder attack, American Jews are afraid
In the wake of the violent attack on Jewish and Israeli advocates in Boulder, Colorado, Jonathan Jacoby, National Director of the Nexus Project told Religion News Service, “there’s a correlation between the violence in Gaza and the violence against Jews,” noting that when there is a major military operation in Gaza which leads to Palestinian casualties, there is a pattern of “surges of antisemitic incidents and hate
The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement
The New York Times published an investigative article on the Heritage Foundation’s Project Esther, a divisive plan to counter antisemitism on college campuses that laid the groundwork for deporting students and defunding universities. Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby was quoted saying, “Project Esther changed the paradigm by associating anyone who opposes Israeli policies with the ‘Hamas Support Network.’ It’s no longer about ideology or politics; it’s about
The Coming Jewish Civil War Over Donald Trump
Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby highlighted Nexus Project’s report, “Fighting Antisemitism, Protecting Democracy: A Strategy for the Trump Era,” stating that “[the Trump administration] cannot exploit our fear for your nefarious purposes. We will not let you destroy our democracy in our name. We will not let you endanger our community, and the communities of disadvantaged groups and of other minorities, and ultimately, all Americans, in our
Progressive Jewish groups oppose Antisemitism Awareness Act ahead of Senate vote
The Nexus Project and 10 progressive Jewish organizations signed onto a joint letter opposing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, stating the legislation would “represent an endorsement of the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to weaponize antisemitism as a pretext for undermining civil rights, deporting political dissidents, and attacking the fundamental pillars of our democracy.”
Trump Fires Doug Emhoff, Other Biden Appointees From U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council
Following President Trump’s targeted firings of Democratic nominees to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Board of Directors, Nexus said, “the Holocaust Museum, of all places, should not be used by the president as a vehicle for retribution.”
Harvard antisemitism and Islamophobia task forces find widespread fear, bigotry
Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby told Reuters, “By taking a strong stand against antisemitism and Islamophobia without criminalizing dissent and the right to peaceful protest, the report demonstrates what we know: combating antisemitism and protecting democratic freedoms go hand-in-hand.”
The Antisemitism Awareness Act Is Back
Jonathan Jacoby, National Director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit dedicated to combating antisemitism, discussed the dangers of codifying the IHRA definition, or any other definition” of antisemitism. Jacoby told Moment Magazine that the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) “goes hand in hand with the Trump administration’s strategy of using accusations of antisemitism as a pretext for undermining educational and democratic institutions.”