Justifying antisemitism: political liberalism and perceptions of prejudices

Antisemitism has surged in the U.S. since the onset of the Israel–Hamas War. Yet, responses from liberals—who generally vigorously defend marginalized groups against prejudice and discrimination—have been tepid, leading some to suggest that liberals tolerate antisemitism. In three pre-registered experiments (N = 979), we investigate how Americans—liberals and conservatives—perceive antisemitism, and whether their perceptions depend on how the antisemitism is justified. We find that, absent justifications, individuals expressing antisemitism (and other prejudices) are generally disliked, and more so by liberals than by conservatives. However, when these individuals justify their antisemitism by disapproval of Israel and the war in Gaza, or violations by Israel of the human rights of Palestinians, they are liked more by liberals (but not conservatives). We find support for two group-based explanations for this “licensing” effect of justifications: Liberals evaluate individuals who express antisemitism and other prejudices more positively to the extent that the justifications they express (1) identify them as liberals (ingroup favoritism) and (2) suggest that they are not generally bigoted and are therefore less of a threat to their political alliances (alliance politics). A fuller understanding of why antisemitism is presently not more broadly condemned requires considering how it is expressed, the social information contained in the expression, and the implications of this information for perceivers.