Project Esther Isn’t for Us — And It’s Not About Our Safety

First chapter of a hand-written scroll of the Book of Esther, with reader's pointer

Have you heard about Project Esther? It’s been coming up more often in my work conversations lately, and a lot of folks still don’t know what it is. On the surface, it claims to fight rising antisemitism in America. But once you look closer, it becomes clear: Project Esther isn’t about protecting Jews. It’s a political weapon—used to silence dissent, target progressives, and push a far-right agenda that puts all of us at risk.

Let’s start with this: Project Esther was not written by Jews. It was created by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank closely aligned with evangelical Christian groups and the folks behind Project 2025. No major Jewish organizations were involved in shaping it, but somehow, it still claims to speak on behalf of our safety.

The initiative identifies the “Hamas Support Network” (HSN)—a term completely invented to lump together various progressive groups and individuals who have espoused criticism of the government of Israel. According to Project Esther, these groups are wrong and dangerous. Their solution? Deport non-citizen activists. Pressure universities to fire faculty and defund student groups. Use law enforcement to create "uncomfortable conditions" for protestors. And ultimately, label organizations as terrorist-affiliated to justify surveillance and criminal charges.

The project does not mention the historical roots of antisemitism, nor does it address right-wing extremism—particularly white supremacist movements, which have been the leading source of violent antisemitic attacks in the United States. This omission reflects a deliberate choice to downplay the most urgent and well-documented threats to Jewish safety. By ignoring these realities, Project Esther reveals its true focus, using the fear of antisemitism as a cover to advance a specific political agenda.

Project Esther also does not address that antisemitism on the left and right are different—and both are dangerous. Right-wing antisemitism is often explicit, conspiratorial, and violent. It’s rooted in white nationalism and has inspired deadly attacks—from Pittsburgh to Poway to Charlottesville. For the far right, antisemitism is central to their worldview; Jews are often blamed for immigration, social progress, and the very idea of multiracial democracy.

Left-wing antisemitism, by contrast, is generally more diffuse and often arises in rhetoric surrounding Israel and expressions of solidarity with Palestinians. While that solidarity is often rooted in justice work, it can sometimes diminish Jewish trauma, apply double standards, or cast all Jews as aligned with oppression. It may also appear as the erasure of Jewish identity or peoplehood—especially when Jewish voices are excluded from justice-centered conversations.

Left-wing antisemitism is not central to the left’s worldview. It is more of a byproduct of incomplete or unexamined frameworks than a core ideology. It is far less likely to be violent, not backed by systemic or institutional power, and is largely absent from the halls of government. For the far right, antisemitism is fundamental. For the left, it is not a central pillar of its political project, but rather a reflection of where the conversation still falls short.

Project Esther falsely suggests that Jewish safety requires state crackdowns on progressives, students, and Muslims, while ignoring the threat of the far right entirely.

Project Esther relies on age-old antisemitic tropes that portray Jews as global puppet masters or enemies of 'Western values'—narratives that have fueled centuries of persecution and violence. These ideas falsely cast Jews as orchestrating societal decay, a tactic long used by fascist and authoritarian regimes to justify repression. And perhaps most chilling, we have to wonder whether the Heritage Foundation is invoking not just the bravery of Queen Esther, but the violence that follows in the story’s conclusion—a bloodbath in which thousands are murdered. Are they inspired by Jewish survival—or by vengeance masked as justice? Naming this strategy after Esther doesn’t protect Jews. It weaponizes our story.

So what’s really going on here? Project Esther isn’t about ending antisemitism—it’s about consolidating political power. By labeling progressive movements as threats and using Jewish safety as justification, it builds a case for censorship, criminalization, and control. It’s a blueprint for suppressing justice-centered movements—especially those led by students, Muslims, and Jews who criticize Israeli policies. It turns Jewish fear into a tool for silencing others, while ignoring the white nationalist threats that have repeatedly targeted our communities.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a bad strategy—it’s dangerous. Project Esther pretends to protect Jews, but ends up using us as cover. It blames Jews while claiming to defend us, shifts attention away from real threats, and reinforces the same patterns that have made our communities vulnerable time and again.

What makes this even more concerning is that Project Esther is largely backed by evangelical Christian organizations, not Jewish ones. While interfaith solidarity can be powerful, this is not that. Jewish voices were excluded from shaping the document, and many prominent Jewish organizations publicly distanced themselves from it after being falsely listed as participants. When a strategy to fight antisemitism is built without the input of the people it claims to protect, that strategy cannot be trusted.

It is dangerous when people who are not directly affected by antisemitism take it upon themselves to define it—especially when their definition is used to advance political agendas that do not reflect the needs or safety of Jewish communities. When outsiders write policies “for Jews” without our input, they often end up reinforcing harmful tropes, silencing dissent, and weaponizing our identities. These efforts don’t protect us—they erase us. They turn real Jewish fear into a tool for control and strip away the nuance, diversity, and lived experience that must be at the center of any honest fight against antisemitism. We are not props. We are not pawns. And we cannot be protected by strategies that exclude our voices and experiences.

Project Esther also dangerously conflates criticism of the Israeli government with antisemitism. In doing so, it erases the valid concerns of Palestinians, delegitimizes human rights advocacy, and silences the voices of Jews who demand accountability. Critique of a nation-state is not hate speech and does not equate to bias against its people—and pretending otherwise endangers both democracy and the integrity of our Jewish values.

Project Esther doesn’t build Jewish safety—it builds division. It pushes out Jews who hold nuanced or critical views and alienates those who understand that fighting antisemitism must go hand-in-hand with fighting racism, Islamophobia, and fascism. It imposes a Christian nationalist vision of Jewish identity—and punishes those who don’t conform to it.

We need a real strategy to confront antisemitism. But that strategy must be rooted in truth, solidarity, and freedom—not scapegoating and fear. Safety doesn’t come from deportations and surveillance. It comes from communities standing together, fighting for each other, and refusing to be pitted against one another.

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Thanks for reading. If you’ve seen Project Esther referenced in your community, ask who it really protects—and at what cost. Project Esther is part of a larger effort to weaponize Jewish fear, erase Jewish diversity, and push an agenda that undermines democracy in the name of protection. Speak up. Share this piece. And stand firm in the belief that true Jewish safety will never come from Christian nationalism or authoritarian power.

Learn more:

• Today, Explained podcast: Spotify

• Politico – “Trump’s pro-Palestinian activism crackdown closely mirrors a plan from the creators of Project 2025”: Read here

• Axios – “How Project Esther forecast Trump’s plan to silence protests, boost deportations”: Read here

• The Forward – “The group behind Project 2025 has a plan to protect Jews. It will do the opposite.”: Read here

• The Heritage Foundation – Project Esther: A National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism: View report