A new CyberWell report found that the Arabic phrase “son of a Jew” is being widely used across social-media platforms, often to associate its targets with “negative stereotypes historically attributed to Jews,” and that X has recorded a 0% removal rate of the flagged posts examined in the study.
The report, released on June 14, analyzed antisemitic content on X, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. The phrase appeared in 100% of the posts in CyberWell’s dataset and was frequently used to celebrate deaths, promote boycotts through antisemitic shaming and, in some cases, directly threaten violence.
“In practice, the expression operates on two levels simultaneously: it insults the individual and the family of the individual while also framing Jewish identity itself as inherently contemptible,” the report stated.
One Instagram post paired the message, “We’re coming for you, O son of a Jew,” with graphic imagery depicting violence against a visibly Jewish victim. Another showed a knife-wielding figure targeting a Jewish person alongside the caption, “My land is forbidden to you, you son of a Jew. Go to the settlements.”
CyberWell also identified repeated use of a slogan popularized by Hamas spokesman Abu Obaida: “You threaten us with what we await, you son of a Jew.” According to the report, the phrase has circulated online for years and is frequently repurposed as a chant, taunt or social-media caption.
The tech nonprofit, which monitors and analyzes online antisemitism, found significant differences in platform enforcement. TikTok removed 80% of the flagged posts, and Meta removed 59%. According to the report, X increasingly relies on visibility-limitation measures rather than removal, but only 15% of posts in this dataset received visibility restrictions. CyberWell stated that the figures point to “limited enforcement overall” on the platform.
“Platforms should also work toward consistent enforcement standards that apply regardless of the political framing of the content in question,” the report stated. “Antisemitic language does not become acceptable simply because it appears within boycott messaging or political advocacy, and moderation policies should reflect that clearly.”
CyberWell noted that early detection of harmful trends is “significantly more effective than responding after they have already reached millions of users.”
