Instagram removes antisemitic hashtags ‘#911wasdonebythejews and ‘#jewsdid911’
Social media giant takes down offensive trends after New York Times report revealed the platform to be full of hateful posts
Instagram removed two anti-Semitic hashtags after a New York Times report showed that the social media site was home to thousands of hateful posts.
The Facebook-owned site deleted “#911wasdonebythejews” and “jewsdid911,” both of which promoted the conspiracy that the Jews were responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
On Monday, The New York Times reported that it had found nearly 12,000 posts under the latter hashtag. The Times also said it found other anti-Semitic hashtags that referenced Nazi ideology.
Even after the two hashtags were taken down, reporters for The Atlantic and Forbes said they could still easily find anti-Semitic posts on Instagram.
Social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, have come under fire for not doing enough to crack down on hateful content. Facebook said it was looking into the hashtags after it was notified of them by The Times.
Robert Bowers, the suspect in the killing of 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue complex on Saturday, used the far-right social media site Gab to rail against Jews. The site was founded in August 2016 in response to Twitter banning some right-wing accounts due to hateful content.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
