Rising antisemitism post Oct. 7, college campus safety among chief topics

By Sharon Wisch-Ray

ADL Texoma held a town hall-style gathering in the Mankoff Center at the Aaron Family JCC on Wednesday, June 18. ADL Executive Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer George Selim joined Regional Director Alex Horn to discuss key issues of interest to the North Texas Jewish community.

The discussion centered on the state of antisemitism — particularly since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the ensuing war — campus safety and challenges, advocacy and community engagement, the geopolitical context of Jew-hatred, and ADL’s mission and approach.

Chuck Butler, ADL board chair, welcomed attendees and shared what motivated him to get involved with the organization. After a conversation with ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, Butler learned how the fight against antisemitism had changed with the rise of social media.

“These really disturbing messages were being amplified in the nether range, and what was happening is people were starting to believe it,” he said.

He cited Charlottesville in 2017 as a tipping point. With his children entering high school, Butler felt compelled to act. “I need to be part of fighting antisemitism, but hate in general, as that was being launched at a lot of people. So it’s been an extremely rewarding journey.”

Selim had a distinguished career in public service before joining ADL, serving under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He was a member of the National Security Council staff and led the Countering Violent Extremism task force. At ADL, he serves as Greenblatt’s chief deputy.

Before joining ADL, Horn held leadership roles at Temple Emanu-El and is a graduate of ADL’s Glass Leadership Institute.

Horn opened the evening by acknowledging the difficult events of recent weeks.

“From the senseless murders in D.C. to the firebombing in Boulder, Israel at war with Iran, to elected officials being murdered in their home in Minnesota, the news has been absolutely horrific, and ADL has been on the front line of this work,” she said. “Through our connections with law enforcement and our Center on Extremism, ADL staff have been working around the clock to address these issues across the world and the country.”

In April, ADL released its annual audit of antisemitism, covering the first full year since Oct. 7. Selim emphasized that many of the incidents discussed — including attacks in D.C., Boulder and Minnesota — had occurred “just in the past two and a half weeks,” underscoring the rapid escalation of threats.

He noted that 2024 marked the highest number of reported antisemitic incidents in the United States since ADL began collecting data more than 40 years ago.

Selim described the current climate as “epidemic levels of antisemitic incidents across this country.” The wave of recent attacks, he said, “only make this more acute and so much more potentially dangerous for us as a community, as people of conscience.”

He emphasized the need for ADL and others combating antisemitism to be mindful of the current climate as they develop solutions.

The aftermath of Oct. 7

Selim likened the fallout from the Oct. 7 terrorist attack to the experience of Americans after 9/11. From travel to homeland security to everyday tasks like opening a bank account, 9/11 fundamentally altered daily life.

“Until hostages are released, and until this current period of hostilities starts to subside, we’re going to be experiencing that — the same thing that we remember saying after 9/11. For every 9/11 anniversary, we say, ‘Never forget.’ When we talk about the Holocaust, we say, ‘Never again.’ We need to continue reminding ourselves of those slogans and teach young people what they mean and why they’re important.”

A global issue

Horn and Selim also discussed the J7 report, which documents rising antisemitism in seven established Jewish communities: the United States, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Selim noted that antisemitic incidents are happening globally — from Alaska and Hawaii to London, Paris and the Netherlands. “There’s no corner of the globe that’s immune to what we’re talking about here today.”

The J7 data allows ADL to identify trends and apply those insights to improve security and integration efforts in the United States.

Anti-Zionism and antisemitism

Selim emphasized that antisemitism and anti-Zionism are not just Jewish issues — they’re societal ones.

“Simply put,” he said, “it’s Jew-hatred.”

Speaking as a non-Jew, Selim said he explains antisemitism to others not through formal definitions, but by asking: “Are you treating someone in the Jewish community, or the Jewish community at large, in a way that you wouldn’t treat anyone else based on their faith, ethnicity, religion, background or other classification?”

He added, “If you don’t believe that Israel has a right to exist, if you don’t believe that Jewish people have a right to a homeland, that’s fundamentally, in my view, antisemitic in and of itself.” This view, he said, reflects ADL’s policy.

Although some claim to be “anti-Zionist, not antisemitic,” Selim argued that denying Israel’s right to exist is inherently antisemitic — a view aligned with ADL’s formal stance.

Allyship and challenges

Horn pointed out that ADL fights extremism in all forms, not only antisemitism.

“ADL is seeing this level of hate in other marginalized communities as well,” she said.

Selim noted that cultivating partnerships with other communities is essential. ADL has long supported those targeted for their sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, immigration status and more.

Still, he said, after Oct. 7, “The ADL’s phone was not ringing off the hook from our allies saying, ‘What can we do to support ADL or the broader Jewish community in the wake of this horrific tragedy of more than 1,500 people murdered, killed, hostages taken in Israel?’”

Nevertheless, he emphasized, “ADL will not stop working on behalf of other marginalized communities while prioritizing the safety and security of the Jewish community.”

Antisemitism is not political

Selim affirmed that ADL’s mission remains consistent, regardless of which political party is in power.

“When it comes to ADL’s 115-year-old mission to combat antisemitism and secure justice and fair treatment for all, you don’t get to pick who is in the White House or who the majority or minority members of Congress are,” he said. “It’s our job — and our fiduciary responsibility — to act forthrightly, irrespective of the politics of the administration.”

Campus safety and advocacy

Selim and Horn addressed audience concerns, including those about being visibly Jewish in public.

“It’s tough,” Selim said. “I’ll never tell someone not to be who they are out of fear. But I would say, be smart, understand your surroundings, know where you are and have a plan. If you do that nine and a half out of 10 times, it’s going to go fine.”

On confronting antisemitism on campus, Selim advised taking the high road.

“Fighting or yelling doesn’t get anybody anywhere. You’re not going to convince that person. You have to know when to walk away and when to engage.”

He also recommended documenting incidents with a phone if they feel threatening.

Horn added that ADL recently launched the Campus Antisemitism Legal Line — a resource for students and families seeking legal help after incidents on campus.

Fighting hate and extremism

Selim shared insights from ADL’s Center on Extremism, which employs 40 to 50 researchers who use data science to detect threats early.

“In the past year alone, we found about a dozen cases where a social media post combined antisemitism, a threat of harm, and a geographic location. We turned that over to the FBI or local law enforcement, and in many cases it led to investigation, arrest or prosecution,” he said.

Because publicizing those interventions could compromise effectiveness, ADL does not widely share those stories — but they are critical to preventing tragedy.

Horn closed by highlighting recent advocacy wins at the state level, including work on the legal definition of domestic terrorism and nonprofit security funding. She also urged community members to support ADL’s ongoing work.

“We can’t do this work without funding,” Horn said. “That’s how we’re able to eradicate hate, disrupt extremism and fund our analysts.”