Aggressive government crackdowns on antisemitism can actually deter Jewish students from reporting their own experiences of it.
April 1, 2026
Original Paper
Smothering (the Fight Against) Antisemitism
SSRN · 6502985
The Takeaway
When the state uses high-profile political maneuvers to fight antisemitism, some victims feel they are being 'involuntarily conscripted' into a political project they do not support. Fearing their personal trauma will be weaponized as political ammunition, they choose silence over seeking redress.
From the abstract
Just one year into his second term, the Trump administration has—under the guise of fighting antisemitism—shattered preexisting norms that historically acted to limit governmental power. These actions have been widely criticized on a multitude of grounds, an obvious one being the chilling effect such suppression has had on pro-Palestinian expression. This Article, however, will draw attention to another, less obvious impact of these endeavors: the chilling effect they have on Jewish students exp