Media Reports on the Rise in Antisemitism, Ignores the Cause
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Key Takeaways
- Legacy media outlets and the ADL report on the rise in antisemitism but often leave out discussions about what is causing the increase.
- MIG Reports data shows 51% of online discussions blame the left and Democrats for rising antisemitism.
- While the media is quick to point out the antisemitic right and Trump’s policies directed at correcting liberal influence in institutions, Americans are split about who to blame.
Our Methodology
Demographics
All Voters
Sample Size
1,000
Geographical Breakdown
National
Time Period
5 Days
MIG Reports leverages EyesOver technology, employing Advanced AI for precise analysis. This ensures unparalleled precision, setting a new standard. Find out more about the unique data pull for this article.
Recently, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported more than 9,000 antisemitic incidents in 2024—a record-setting figure amplified in publications like Axios. From defaced synagogues to aggressive campus protests, the raw data confirms a surge that policymakers, pundits, and advocacy groups are concerned about.
But beyond vague gestures toward the Trump administration and MAGA voters, news reports are not clear about why these incidents are rising. MIG Reports data on public sentiment, however, sheds light on who Americans blame for increased antisemitism.
How Voters Are Assigning Blame
Based on public discussion covering the Israel-Palestine conflict and domestic political discourse, MIG Reports data shows:
- 51% of voters blame the political left, citing AIPAC, Democratic elites, and institutional media as enablers of narrative suppression.
- 35% blame the political right, associating the rise with MAGA populism, far-right rhetoric, or conspiratorial undertones.
- 14% attribute the trend to systemic or fringe sources, including political polarization, globalist influence, or cultural rot.
While both sides generally agree that antisemitism is rising, most voters are debating why this is happening and who is to blame .
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Axios Addresses the Fire, Not the Fuel
Media outlets like Axios note that 58% of antisemitic incidents were Israel-related—not restricted to Jewish Americans. The left also admits the most significant spikes of antisemitic incidents occurred on college campuses, which is up 84% year-over-year. That finding matches MIG Reports data, where voter discussions focus on universities as a hotbed for speech suppression and ideological purity tests masquerading as activism.
Mainstream media reports often suggest that conservative responses—particularly Trump’s attempt to defund universities—could “backfire,” making Jewish people more vulnerable. The implication is that crackdown efforts, like defunding liberal institutions or deporting foreign student protesters, may escalate resentment rather than resolve it.
On the surface, legacy reporting acknowledges the problem’s geography (campuses) and ideological triggers (anti-Israel rhetoric) but stops short of placing the political blame where MIG data shows voters already have—on a progressive cultural regime that created the conditions for this explosion.
Campus Chaos and Israel-Centricity
There is real common ground on both sides, however.
- Campus radicalism is central. Both sides recognize universities as a primary breeding ground for the shift from protest to hate.
- Israel is the flashpoint. Over half of all antisemitic incidents now occur in the context of Israel discourse—whether in defense of or in opposition to it.
But even here, the interpretations split. Some take a defensive posture, worried that harsh policies targeting pro-Palestinian protestors might feed the problem. Others say Trump administration policies are long overdue.
The 35% of voters in MIG Reports data who blame the right for rising antisemitism also focus on the Israel discussion. Irael supporters point out that antisemitism can come from both the pro-Palestine left and the anti-Israel right.
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Strategic Messaging vs. Public Perception
The Axios report framing is institutionally cautious, focusing on incident spikes while subtly insulating the structures that voters say cultivate ideological extremism. Mainstream outlets warn about government overreach but gloss over the concerns of those who say the institutions themselves crossed boundaries by protecting terrorist sympathizers.
Many online say countermeasures to combat strains of progressive leftism which infect institutions have not gone far enough. This group fears normalizing antisemitism in the name of tolerance is exactly the kind of ideological contradiction the left is known for.
Israel specific MIG Reports data sets:
- 40% blame AIPAC and its lobbying influence
- 30% blame Democratic political and media figures
- 20% blame Trump’s Israel-first approach
- 10% point to global Zionist influence or conspiratorial control
Voters across ideological lines are alarmed by how criticism of Israel often is equated with antisemitism, effectively shutting down debate. The underlying fear is that antisemitism has become a political weapon for some on both sides.
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