Ok
@Yale @Penn @CarnegieMellon @Columbia
I want to sponsor a multidisciplinary study to identify the specific genetic variants, neural circuits, and social media mechanisms associated with antisemitism, particularly its escalation since October 7th events.
The study would combine genomics, functional brain imaging, behavioral and personality phenotyping, and detailed analysis of social media exposure in people with strongly antisemitic views, matched controls, and a particularly important group: individuals who were raised in strongly antisemitic or anti-Zionist environments but later underwent a major reversal and became strongly pro-Israel or pro-Zionist.
The goal is to identify biological predispositions, the neural systems engaged by antisemitic beliefs and propaganda, the forms of online reinforcement most strongly associated with those beliefs, and, by studying people who genuinely changed, the mechanisms that allow deeply embedded hatred or ideology to reverse.
Ultimately, the purpose is not only to understand antisemitism, but to develop evidence-based ways to prevent radicalization, dehumanization, and the real-world violence that can follow, including assaults, stabbings, shootings, arson, and other attacks against Jews.
I’m aware there are a lot of different types of hate, and I’m not trying to have a contest here, but this is the work that I’d like to sponsor, and I do think there are some unique attributes associated with antisemitism given its long historical context and associations with mass dehumanization and as a recurring tool for gaining political power.