The Nexus Project Newsletter

The relationship between anti-Zionism and antisemitism remains hotly debated. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s handling of antisemitism accusations has raised concerns, and artificial intelligence is creating new complications in the fight against hate.

This mix of sustained dangers and emerging risks demands clarity and focus. We’re here to help you navigate both. Welcome to this week’s Nexus Project newsletter.

Understanding Antisemitism

When Anti-Zionism Is and Isn’t Antisemitism

A new Nexus explainer video tackles the debate reignited by Jonathan Greenblatt’s recent claim that all anti-Zionism is antisemitic. The question is urgent: too often, a zero-sum framing erases both the weaponization of the term and the legitimacy of some critiques.

Clear definitions are essential. Legitimate criticism of Israeli policies should not be smeared as antisemitic, and genuine antisemitism should not be minimized or ignored. Getting this right is not an academic exercise: it is a shield against both rising hate and political exploitation.

For more on this, read the Nexus Document on our website.

AI as a New Arbiter of Truth

In a new article, Nexus examines how AI models define antisemitism. When asked whether anti-Zionism is antisemitic, the models gives clean, confident answers that erase disagreement. AI cites almost no Jewish voices and presents contested political positions as if they are settled facts.

This is not just about one answer. With a third of Americans using AI chatbots like ChatGPT, it’s about a new, hidden power shaping how millions of people understand antisemitism, quietly redrawing the boundaries of debate. And this is only the beginning.

This article is the first in a Nexus series on AI and antisemitism, unpacking how new technologies are rewriting the terms of public conversation, often in ways that go unnoticed. Stay tuned for the second part of the series in our following newsletter.

Antisemitism in the News

Weaponization: Shifting the Definition of Antisemitism

A new Atlantic piece highlights how the pro-Israel right is pushing to redefine antisemitism itself. By collapsing criticism of Israel into antisemitism, this project silences dissent and obscures genuine threats. It also hardens the conflation of Jewish identity with Israeli policy, making Jews less safe while empowering authoritarian politics.

This effort is not isolated. It is part of a broader campaign to control the boundaries of public debate. As Nexus has shown, weaponized definitions don’t fight antisemitism: they feed it.

For more, watch our video analysis of the article.

Antisemitism: Epstein Conspiracies Spread

Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes continue to dominate headlines. And with them, antisemitic conspiracy theories are surging. An article in JTA explores this ever-evolving threat. From Tucker Carlson on the right to figures on the left, claims that Epstein was a Mossad asset or part of a Jewish “cabal” are spreading across mainstream platforms.

These ideas are not new. They recycle one of the deadliest tropes in Jewish history: that Jews secretly control governments and societies. When such rhetoric goes mainstream, it does more than smear. It creates conditions for violence. Nexus Task Force member Joshua Shanes is quoted, warning that this isn’t fringe chatter. It’s a flashing red light.

In his words: “It’s not about Israel, per se. It’s about this global Jewish conspiracy. And that is deadly, literally deadly.”

Weaponization: Disaster Funding and Boycotts

The Trump administration briefly imposed a rule that states had to renounce boycotts of Israel to qualify for FEMA disaster relief. Billions in life-saving funds, from search-and-rescue gear to emergency power to medical response, were suddenly tied to a political pledge. After enormous backlash, the policy was rescinded.

The reversal doesn’t erase the message: Jewish concerns are being used as a tool of coercion. This was never about keeping Jews safe. It was about using us to enforce a partisan litmus test, at the expense of democracy and disaster relief itself.

Nexus in the News

Jonathan Jacoby in The Forward

Our National Director warned that an Israeli occupation of Gaza would endanger American Jews. “When Israel takes over Gaza, kills innocent people, starves babies and kills journalists, it creates conditions that lead to violence against Jews,” Jacoby said . His words underscore the connection between Israeli policy and antisemitism here at home.

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.