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Exposing Hate: A Super Bowl Ad and an Israeli Olympic Team
Sports events are intended to be where politics can be set aside and shared values, grit and teamwork take center stage. Events like the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games are designed to bring large, diverse audiences together around competition, not conflict. The cheers and boos over the past several decades have eroded the healthy competition, friendship and love of the game that had been hallmarks decades before.
Anti-Jewish Hate on the Home Field
This year, Super Bowl LX made antisemitism a topic of national attention following the airing of a commercial during the Super Bowl. The ad was funded by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. It attempted to address rising antisemitism through a simple message. The clip showed a Jewish teen with a hateful, anti-Jewish slur taped to his back – unnoticed by him, visible to everyone else. The ad also highlighted a deep, long-standing allyship between the Jewish and Black communities and urged viewers to intervene whenever they see hate. The $15 million campaign was designed to introduce antisemitism to an immense, mainstream audience during the most‑watched sports event in the U.S.
Following the broadcast, the campaign received mixed reactions from Jewish communities, media commentators and advocacy groups. For some viewers, the commercial served as a first exposure to the idea that antisemitism is rising. Some praised the visibility of the message, while others questioned whether the depiction reflected current experiences of antisemitism, particularly among younger Jews who felt the message was disconnected from their daily reality. Jewish teens and educators said the ad did not reflect the kinds of hostility they routinely face – including being shouted at, blamed for global events or targeted online just for being Jews.
Critics argued that hatred against Jews today is hardly subtle – it is loud and combative. Jews are often confronted directly with slurs, accusations of genocide, or blatant threats of violence. For these audiences, the portrayal of a hidden insult in the commercial understated the scale of the problem. Others defended the campaign, noting that broad messaging can help open conversations in spaces where antisemitism has long been ignored.
The ADL’s Center for Antisemitism Research independently tested the ad with some audiences, and found that, after viewing the Blue Square ad, the likelihood people think antisemitism is a serious problem goes up 8 percentage points. The survey reflected a higher likelihood that they’ll interrupt friends or family who make antisemitic comments and they agree that their local public schools should host antisemitism awareness education.
The American Jewish Committee (AJC), a leading global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, has published its annual State of Antisemitism in America report, offering vital insight into what has been one of the most violent and challenging years for American Jews in recent memory. Some of the most disturbing statistics:
Roughly nine in 10 American Jews (91%) say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the U.S. because of major attacks on American Jews in the past 12 months, including the burning of a Jewish governor’s home, the firebombing of Jews in Boulder, CO, and the murders outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
More than half of American Jews (55%) report changing their behavior in the past year because they fear antisemitism.
17% of American Jews report that they have considered leaving the U.S. to move to another country due to antisemitism in the past five years.
86% of American Jews say antisemitism has increased in the U.S. since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks.
Two versions of the ad were produced, but only the shorter of the two was aired during the game, according to Adam Katz, President of Blue Square Alliance Against Hate. A 60-second version featured an alternate ending where the Jewish student seeks to confront the haters, but his friend advises him not to because “they’re not worth it.” That version is available online and is being shared across social media.
The Israeli Experience: from fair play to fear at the Olympics
Around the world, at another sports forum – the Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics – Israel’s delegation faced open hostility during two of the three opening ceremonies, with members of the team being met with boos as they entered the stadium. Leading up to the games, pro-Palestinian groups joined anti-Olympics protests – shouting slurs and echoing Hamas propaganda while calling for Israel to be excluded from Olympic competition altogether.
Despite the hostilities towards the Israeli Olympians, they have held their heads high and proudly represented the Jewish state. Skeleton Olympian Jared Firestone carried the Israeli flag in the opening ceremonies while wearing a kippah that bore the names of the 11 Israeli Jewish athletes and coaches who were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The concern expressed by Jewish communities is not only about a commercial or a single Olympic Games. It is about a broader pattern – that antisemitism is recognized in theory but minimized in practice.
Allyship is essential – no community should stand alone: The Blue Square Alliance Super Bowl commercial underscored that antisemitism does not exist in isolation. Jewish communities are not the only minority to experience demonization, exclusion, or collective blame. Building authentic alliances with other communities who understand what it means to be targeted for identity is essential. Solidarity strengthens resilience, expands moral clarity and reinforces the principle that hate against one group threatens the fabric of society as a whole and the values that hold humanity together.
Visibility without accountability: antisemitism in sports draws no action: Despite public hostility, political protests, and reported security concerns surrounding Israeli athletes, international Olympic leadership issued no significant response. For many Jews, the contrast was telling: antisemitism was acknowledged during a high-profile Super Bowl broadcast in the U.S., yet real-world hostility toward Israelis on the global stage drew limited reactions. The episode underscores a broader pattern – antisemitism is becoming normalized, but responses remain inconsistent, particularly when incidents move from rhetoric to reality.
From Munich to Milan, politics turns Jewish athletes into targets: The Olympics’ aspiration was framed as apolitical, yet Jewish and Israeli athletes have repeatedly faced political hostility at the Games – most vividly in 1972, when 11 Israelis were murdered in Munich. The Games were paused briefly and resumed shortly afterward – a decision that became a lasting reference point for how quickly the international community moved on – ignoring the atrocity. For many Jews, Munich established a pattern that still shapes public behavior.
Today’s anti-Jewish hate is shapeshifting, but not shrinking: In the decades since the Munich Olympics massacre, protests, boycotts, and attacks targeting Israeli athletes are frequently treated as inevitable byproducts of political conflict rather than safety concerns or anti-Jewish discrimination. This reflects a broader shift in modern antisemitism, which increasingly operates not through quiet exclusion but through open accusation and demonization. What surfaces at international sporting events mirrors a wider cultural trend: hostility is being reframed as activism and prejudice is being reframed as politics.
There is no single response to antisemitism – but inaction is not one: The Blue Alliance’s Super Bowl ad spotlighted one expression of antisemitism, but hatred of Jews takes many forms – and so do the responses to combat it. Some respond with visible Jewish pride and a refusal to hide. Others act through legal action, enforcing education codes, strengthening security, advancing policy or expanding education. There is no single strategy that fits every moment. What matters is rejecting passivity. A victim mentality does not protect Jewish communities; thoughtful engagement – in all its forms – does.
Practical actions can make a significant impact, but sometimes, the strongest actions we can take are assessing and shifting our inner beliefs, so we are immune to warped thinking and indoctrination. Examples of both types:
Treat anti-Jewish hate as a real‑world issue. When antisemitism appears in public events, take it seriously as a lived issue, not just a PR challenge. Avoid dismissing concerns about hatred against Jews as oversensitivity or politics.
Support efforts that bring antisemitism education into mainstream spaces, even when they are imperfect. Campaigns like the Super Bowl ad do not solve the problem, but they broaden the audience who can understand the problem.
Listen to Jewish teens and young adults describe their experiences. When younger Jews say antisemitism is direct, aggressive and public, take that reporting seriously. Avoid substituting assumptions for their first-person accounts. Their experiences shape how the next generation understands safety and belonging. Listening and having empathy and understanding is an active step, not a passive one.
Stay engaged beyond the news cycle and notice patterns. Controversies move quickly, but patterns develop over time. Individuals can track what incidents prompted investigations, statements, or campaigns and which faded quickly; notice what generates urgency and what does not. Attentiveness prevents issues from disappearing once headlines fade. Watching for insidious trends is one of the most effective actions available. Paying attention itself is a form of accountability.
Talks Without Trust: Iran, the U.S., and Regional Uncertainty
U.S.-Iran tensions have intensified as indirect nuclear talks have resumed. American warships, aircraft carriers, destroyers and troops are massing in the Middle East as Iran issues threats to attack Israel, American bases and U.S. allies. Amid the tensions, the U.S. has warned American citizens to leave Iran due to deteriorating security conditions and the risk of arbitrary detention.
During negotiations, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone and Iran harassed shipping vessels in the region, underscoring the volatility surrounding the talks between the U.S. and Iran. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has also seized oil tankers and threatened U.S. forces – reinforcing concerns that escalation risks remain high. Israeli leadership has remained skeptical while emphasizing freedom of action and warning that talks could provide Iran time rather than restraint. Israel has also told Pres. Trump that it may “act alone if Iran crosses ballistic missile red line.” PM Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Trump on Wednesday regarding the U.S-Iran talks.
At least 30,000 Iranians have been reported murdered, 50,000 arrested and the internet has been blocked for more than a month. Reports document underground medical networks treating injured protesters amid state crackdowns, while analysts described a second wave of protests challenging regime legitimacy. The convergence of strained diplomacy, military signaling and domestic instability suggests that engagement is occurring in parallel with rising fragility — not de-escalation.
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This content is developed by The Focus Project in partnership with MERCAZ USA. The Focus Project distributes weekly news and talking points on timely issues concerning Israel and the Jewish people, including antisemitism, anti-Zionism and the delegitimization of Israel. It represents a consensus view across a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations. MERCAZ USA recognizes and respects the diversity of views on these issues among its readers and the community at large.
The Focus Project develops and distributes news, background, history and weekly talking points on timely issues to inform individuals and organizations about issues affecting the American Jewish community and Israel, and help readers speak with more consistency and clarity. The editions also provide potential responses for addressing incidents of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. With input from a spectrum of major American Jewish organizations, we focus on that which unites us, rising above political and individual agendas.
Recognizing that hatred of Jews comes in many forms and directions, we strive to address all sources as they arise, and educate our growing audience on topics ranging from inter-religious relations to relevant international developments. From week to week, we may focus on issues arising from the political left, university campuses, from the political right and from institutions, government, and corporations. We don’t try to address all issues in each edition. We hope you will find this information useful in your writing and/or speaking. We are always open to your feedback: info@focus-project.org.
