A new Indiana University study released uncovers a well-organized and digitally coordinated network of anti-Israel activism across American college campuses. The research identifies the national Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) organization as the strategic center of this network, driving radical narratives and linked to a measurable rise in antisemitic incidents at institutions of higher learning.
The study analyzed more than 76,000 Instagram posts connected to anti-Israel student groups, revealing a tightly structured campaign that extends far beyond campus borders. Researchers found that SJP and its affiliates frequently collaborate with external radical organizations like the Palestinian Youth Movement. These partnerships use Instagram’s “collab” feature to distribute identical or jointly branded content, dramatically increasing their reach. Since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel, the volume of posts glorifying “resistance” and “martyrdom” has surged. This rhetoric closely mirrors the language promoted by terrorist organizations, according to the university’s findings.
Faculty groups, outside political organizations, and ideologically aligned student clubs help legitimize and amplify these messages. Radical leftist movements and groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and DISSENTERS provide intellectual and activist support, contributing to an echo chamber that marginalizes pro-Israel and Jewish voices. The researchers warn that this structure has turned many universities into breeding grounds for extremist ideology under the guise of social justice.
The study also notes a direct correlation between the presence of anti-Israel groups and a spike in campus antisemitism. Institutions hosting such groups consistently report higher rates of antisemitic incidents. Professor Günther Jikeli, one of the report’s authors, emphasized that these digital collaborations are not accidental or loosely affiliated—they represent a tactical operation to normalize radical narratives and shape public discourse.
On October 8 alone, coordinated posts between campus and outside groups garnered hundreds of thousands of interactions. The researchers traced this activity to accounts affiliated with entities previously linked to U.S.-designated terrorist organizations. These findings show that anti-Israel activism on campus is not isolated protest—it is part of a larger, interconnected propaganda operation.
