The Nexus Project Newsletter

After Charlie Kirk was assassinated, conspiracy theories surged. A Jewish philanthropist was blamed by name. Israel was accused of orchestrating the killing. And the Vice President amplified it all.

Meanwhile, a member of Congress mocked a Jewish colleague’s nose. A national watchdog smeared two actresses as “modern-day Nazis.” And the federal government turned over the names of 160 people as part of a sweeping antisemitism probe.

Each of these moments is different. But all of them show how antisemitism is being manipulated to gain power and fuel outrage.

At Nexus, we are keeping our eye on all this to ensure it doesn’t get lost in the mix. Read below to learn more.

Understanding Antisemitism

Weaponizing Tragedy: The Antisemitic Fallout of the Charlie Kirk Shooting

The assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University unleashed a wave of antisemitic conspiracy theories, starting at the highest levels of government.

Within hours, Vice President J.D. Vance blamed “Soros’ OSF and the Ford Foundation,”invoking classic antisemitic tropes of Jewish puppet-masters setting fire to “the house built by the American family.”

Online, the rhetoric exploded:

Over 10,000 posts claimed “Israel killed Charlie Kirk.”

Others said he was assassinated for “turning on Israel” or for platforming anti-Zionists

Some called it a false flag timed to “revive the energy” of 9/11

This is not new. Moments of political violence often create information vacuums—and Jews are routinely scapegoated to fill them.

From Tree of Life to January 6, we’ve seen this playbook: in moments of chaos, antisemitic conspiracies rush in to assign blame, deflect responsibility, and stoke rage.

What’s different now is where it’s coming from. When the Vice President echoes the conspiracy theories, it doesn’t just validate them: it escalates them.

Holocaust Trivialization Masquerading as Antisemitism Work

After Emma Stone and Ayo Edebiri signed a pledge supporting a cultural boycott of Israeli institutions, the group StopAntisemitism labeled them “Modern Day Nazis.”

This is Holocaust memory used as a weapon, not a warning. And Nexus National Director Jonathan Jacoby called it out directly in a passionate video.

Showing a photo of Joseph Mengele, the Nazi who sent his uncle Moshe to the gas chamber, he drew a line: “Please stop trivializing the Holocaust. Please stop disrespecting the memory of my uncle and of millions murdered by real Nazis.”

He reminded viewers that the real source of Jewish safety hasn’t been ideological purity or social media callouts, whether or not one supports boycotts. It’s been democracy, dissent, and the right to disagree.

“American democracy. Freedom of speech. Freedom to debate: even with people we strongly disagree with.”

Antisemitism in the News

Antisemitic schoolyard bullying in Congress

Rep. Nancy Mace (SC-1) told Jewish Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, “PS – I have a good surgeon if you ever want to get your nose done.”

The comment, made during a debate about transgender health care, invoked one of the oldest antisemitic slurs. Mace, who regularly postures as an advocate for Jewish students and against antisemitism on campuses, revealed just how hollow that stance is.

As we posted: “We call on all members of Congress to refrain from antisemitic, schoolyard bullying about their Jewish colleagues’ noses generally, and especially in a post about respecting women’s bodies.

McCarthyism Returns to Campus

UC Berkeley turned over the names of 160 students and staff to the Department of Education as part of a federal antisemitism investigation. Many were never told they were under scrutiny.

As we wrote, “The government asking for names of those they potentially disagree with is a chilling callback to the McCarthy era. Jewish Americans must oppose government coercion of academic institutions.”

What’s being framed as a safety measure is, in reality, surveillance. Jewish identity is being used to justify political targeting, not prevent hate.

Smearing Jewish Leaders to Silence Labor

Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-5) falsely claimed that AFT President Randi Weingarten “never spoke out against antisemitism.”

Weingarten, who is Jewish and married to a rabbi, has spent her career speaking out against antisemitism: in the labor movement, in public education, and in U.S. politics.

We responded clearly: “Randi Weingarten is one of the most outspoken leaders on antisemitism in the U.S. today. And Rep. Walberg is clearly more concerned with union-busting than he is about Jewish safety.”

This is not an isolated attack. It’s part of a broader pattern: weaponizing Jewish identity to discredit progressive voices.

Nexus in the News

Nexus Featured in JTA on Nancy Mace’s Antisemitic Remark

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency featured Nexus’s response to Rep. Nancy Mace’s “nose job” comment, quoting our callout of “antisemitic, schoolyard bullying… especially in a post about respecting women’s bodies.”

Support Nexus

This is what we do: track real antisemitism, call out when it’s weaponized, and make clear the difference. If you’d like to support this work, please reach out to us. We’d love to connect.

We’ll continue offering clear responses, frameworks, and resources as these stories develop.