Open Society Foundations Pledges $30 Million to Combat Antisemitism and Anti-Muslim Hate Amid Global Surge
NEW YORK – In a significant move to counter surging prejudice, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), the global philanthropy established by hedge fund billionaire George Soros, announced a commitment of $30 million over the next three years to organizations dedicated to fighting antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate.
The substantial pledge, revealed on Wednesday, comes amidst a stark rise in hate incidents targeting both Jewish and Muslim communities worldwide. The foundations cited the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the precarious current ceasefire as critical factors fueling these escalating tensions and indiscriminate prejudice.
A Global Surge in Hate
Evidence underscores the urgent need for such initiatives. Last year, the world witnessed the highest level of deadly violence against Jews in over three decades, according to an annual study released last month by Tel Aviv University. This grim statistic includes tragic events such as the December shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia. Concurrently, anti-Muslim rhetoric has intensified, with one congressional Republican controversially asserting that Muslims “don’t belong in American society,” highlighting a worrying trend of Islamophobia.
Binaifer Nowrojee, President of the Open Society Foundations, articulated the gravity of the situation in a statement: “The deep injustices occurring in the Middle East are fueling indiscriminate prejudice, dehumanization, and violence directed against both Muslims and Jews. Entire communities cannot be targeted simply because of their religion. Bigotry and intolerance in any form must be called out and confronted.”
A Personal Connection and Strategic Investment
Alex Soros, who assumed leadership of his father’s foundations in late 2022, emphasized the personal resonance of this fight. As the son of a Holocaust survivor and husband to a Muslim American, he stated that “discrimination and hate” are far from abstract concepts for him. He further noted that his father, George Soros, a prominent liberal megadonor, is frequently subjected to conservative conspiracy theories that manipulate his philanthropic influence into antisemitic tropes. “At a moment like this we need to stand together and act,” Alex Soros conveyed in a prerecorded video. “This investment is about keeping people safe and pushing back against hate.”
This new initiative marks one of the foundations’ most prominent campaigns since reports last fall indicated the U.S. Department of Justice was considering charges against OSF under the Trump administration for alleged “left-wing terrorism” – an accusation the foundations vehemently denied, consistently underscoring their mission to fortify democracy globally.
Broadening Impact and Interfaith Collaboration
The $30 million commitment aims to foster education on various forms of discrimination, empower cross-community leaders to build trust, and safeguard rights to lawful free speech. While some grantees have already been selected, OSF is inviting other nonprofits to apply for funding. Initial recipients include the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), and the Nexus Project. Additionally, Shoulder to Shoulder, a multifaith alliance dedicated to equipping religious leaders to address anti-Muslim discrimination, is a key partner in combating Islamophobia.
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, lauded the integrated strategy to address both antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate simultaneously. She highlighted how the grant will bolster JCPA’s crucial solidarity work with Muslim and Arab American communities, efforts that have intensified since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Spitalnick pointed to successful collaborations, including a fellowship and a Capitol Hill discussion on Jewish-Muslim solidarity, both launched with the Muslim Public Affairs Council.
Spitalnick underscored the interconnected nature of prejudice: “The normalization of Islamophobia, racism and broader anti-democratic extremism creates the conditions for antisemitism to flourish… We need funders and others to recognize that treating any of these issues in silos doesn’t get at the root cause, doesn’t get at the broader resiliency we need right now. The fact that Jewish safety requires Muslim safety, that Muslim safety requires Jewish safety.”
Navigating Complex Definitions
A critical, yet unaddressed, aspect of OSF’s announcement is its definition of antisemitism. This remains a significant point of contention across college campuses and in state legislatures, where intense debates persist over whether criticism of Israeli policies equates to hatred of Jewish people. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) contend that vilifying Zionism – the movement supporting a Jewish state in Israel – constitutes a form of antisemitism. In contrast, the Nexus Project, one of OSF’s grantees, promotes definitions of antisemitism that explicitly exclude opposition to the Israeli state’s policies. Spitalnick herself, when the National Education Association considered restricting the use of ADL’s educational resources, remarked that “one does not need to align with the ADL on every issue,” reflecting the nuanced landscape of these discussions.
Andrés Spokoiny, President and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, estimates that the philanthropic sector has collectively allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars to combat antisemitism, irrespective of its specific definition. Notable efforts include the $25 million “Stand Up to Jewish Hate” advertising campaign launched in March 2023 by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. However, Spokoiny also noted a sense of “perplexity around what actually works” and significant frustration among funders given the persistent and evolving nature of antisemitism.”
