Antisemitic misinformation targets US officials amid hurricane Helene recovery efforts

North Carolina officials and FEMA representatives responding to Hurricane Helene are being targeted by antisemitic mis- and disinformation ISD finds, leading to concerns for their safety as they prepare for another hurricane to hit Florida. In an ISD rapid analysis covered by the Washington Post, 31 false narratives were identified, revealing a troubling trend in which Jewish officials are falsely portrayed as sabotaging recovery efforts and endangering public safety.

ISD’s Director of Technology and Society, Isabelle Frances-Wright, highlighted that this trend could undermine trust in institutions, particularly FEMA, and emphasized the urgent need for better content moderation on the platform. “We’re seeing an alarming trend of antisemitism being included now in false narratives around pretty much any breaking news event,” she said to the Washington Post. “This portends a grim outlook for the information ecosystem, both on X itself but also on other platforms where these narratives trickle into and evolve.”

Adding: “When you already have these narratives that the government is bad, that FEMA can confiscate your property, and then you layer on to that FEMA is controlled by the Jewish ‘deep state,’ it just further undercuts people’s trust,” she said.

The report also indicates a concerning pattern since Elon Musk’s platform (X; formerly Twitter) takeover, allowing a resurgence of extremist views.