Project Esther: A Nexus Project Briefing

Key Points

Project Esther reframes protest as antisemitism and dissent as a national security threat
It was developed with minimal Jewish input, it advances a far-right agenda, not Jewish safety
It is already being implemented: visa revocations, university funding cuts, faculty targeting
The Nexus Project is leading a national response to Project Esther, rooted in democratic values and pluralism

What is Project Esther?

Project Esther is a policy initiative released by the Heritage Foundation in October 2024. It claims to be a “National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism,” but in practice, it redefines antisemitism in ways that blur the line between legitimate protest and hate speech, while simultaneously ignoring and obscuring right-wing antisemitism.

The plan frames pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israeli government policy as inherently antisemitic, designating them part of a so-called “Hamas Support Network.”

It has become a blueprint for aggressive government action against protesters, educators, and entire academic institutions. Many of its proposals are already being implemented, including visa revocations, campus funding cuts, and immigration enforcement against student activists.

Using Antisemitism Claims to Shut Down Speech

Project Esther collapses critical distinctions between:

Anti-Zionism and antisemitism
Peaceful protest and terrorist activity
Criticism of Israel and support for Hamas

Its goal is to establish a legal framework in which expressions of solidarity with Palestinians, such as calls to boycott Israel, critiques of Israeli military actions, or demands for Palestinian rights, can be criminalized.

This approach lacks support among most American Jews. It is part of a broader campaign to tear apart our democratic institutions and undermine academic freedom under the guise of Jewish safety.

Background and Origins

Project Esther was created following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the protests that followed. Rather than addressing rising antisemitism from all sides, the Heritage Foundation convened a task force designed to weaponize antisemitism for its own political goals. The goal was not to protect Jews, but to exploit legitimate Jewish fear as to justify cracking down on protest, targeting universities, and reshaping civil society. The task force focused almost entirely on left-wing criticism of Israel, including antisemitism in the pro-Palestine movement. while ignoring the growing threat of right-wing antisemitism. From the outset, the initiative framed its target not as antisemitism broadly, but as a supposed domestic “Hamas Support Network” embedded within schools, nonprofits, and protest movements

Core Components of Project Esther

The 44-page strategy outlines more than 40 proposed actions, including:

Deportation of foreign students and faculty involved in pro-Palestinian activism
Revocation of visas and green cards for pro-Palestinian speech
Designation of civil society groups as terrorist-linked
Cuts to federal funding for institutions accused of tolerating antisemitism
Removal of curriculum and professors seen as sympathetic to Palestinians
Coordination with states to suppress protest
Monitoring of student groups and activist networks

Who Is Being Targeted

The Project Esther blueprint explicitly names and targets individuals and organizations, including:

Faculty at Columbia, Tufts, UCLA, and others
Donors and institutions such as the Tides Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund
DEI-related offices and civil society organizations on college campuses
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)

Faculty and students have already faced disciplinary action, surveillance, and legal penalties simply for participating in protest or expressing pro-Palestinian views.

Project Esther in Action

The impact of Project Esther is no longer theoretical. Its policies are actively reshaping American higher education and protest rights:

Detentions and Deportations: Students from Columbia and Tufts have been detained and face deportation
Academic Crackdowns: Faculty have been suspended, and curricula altered
Immigrants Targeted: More than 300 student and faculty visas have been revoked
Funding Cuts: Hundreds of millions in federal funding have been pulled from leading institutions
Surveillance: Campus activism is being tracked and treated as extremist behavior

If left unchecked, Project Esther sets a precedent for:

Criminalizing protest across political lines
Eroding academic freedom in the name of neutrality or safety
Restructuring the law to punish dissent through deportation or defunding
Transforming civil institutions into tools of ideological enforcement

This is a direct threat not only to Jewish safety, but to democratic pluralism and civil society.

Nexus’s Response

The Nexus Project is exposing and challenging Project Esther:

We have released a comprehensive strategy document, Fighting Antisemitism, Protecting Democracy: A Strategy for the Trump Era, which outlines the deeper political dynamics at play and provides a principled alternative vision.
Our Washington Director, Kevin Rachlin, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the damage this initiative is already causing
We equip journalists, advocates, and lawmakers with resources to understand and oppose Project Esther’s agenda

We believe the fight against antisemitism must uphold democracy, not dismantle it.

Comparing Project Esther to the 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism

The 2023 National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism was created by the Biden administration with input from over 1,000 Jewish leaders and organizations. The Nexus Project was part of that process. The strategy emphasized civil rights, coalition-building, and education.

Project Esther takes a very different path. Developed with little Jewish involvement, it centers on criminalization, surveillance, and silencing dissent.

The table below shows how fundamentally different these two strategies are in values, goals, and impact.

2023 National Strategy

Project Esther

Emphasizes civil rights, education, and solidarity

Emphasizes surveillance, criminalization, and fear

Addresses antisemitism across the political spectrum

Targets only pro-Palestinian and progressive voices

Preserves academic freedom and speech

Suppresses protest and DEI initiatives

Created with input from over 1,000 Jewish leaders and organizations

Developed with minimal Jewish involvement

The difference is stark: one affirms democracy, the other undermines it.