Far-right antisemites using encrypted site to compile list of Jews, says ADL
Anti-Defamation League claims white nationalists are using a website called 'Telegram' to put together the list of people who oppose their ideology
Antisemites using an encrypted messaging app are compiling a public list of Jews who oppose white nationalism, the Anti-Defamation League has said.
The list is being put together on the Telegram chat platform and analysts say it is the fastest growing compilation for the month of September, led by popular pseudonymous alt-right figures. The group has about 2,400 subscribers.
Its originator is believed to be a neo-Nazi who posted earlier this month that they were “14 away from the magic number”.
At the time it was 14 names short of 1,488 – a number used by neo-Nazis, because there are 14 words in a popular white nationalist phrase, while 88 represents HH, or Heil Hitler.
Among the senior figures on the list is US Senator Richard Blumenthal but there are believed to be hundreds of unknown names identified as Jewish through their social media posts.
“A private list like this, in and of itself, is problematic and potentially dangerous,” said Oren Segal, director of the ADL’s Centre on Extremism.
“That this one is public demonstrates that they’re using this platform, that they want to amplify the goals of this channel. They’re just exploiting Telegram as a place that they know there will be no repercussions for posting this list.”
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