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Victoria Coates of the Heritage Foundation leads Project Esther.
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Project Esther is a project of The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., that aims to suppress pro-Palestinian protests and what it classifies as antisemitism. The effort has received support from several evangelical Christian organizations but no major Jewish ones.[1][2]

According to The New York Times, Slate, Haaretz, The Forward, and Jewish Insider, Project Esther does not address right-wing antisemitism.[1][2][3][4][5] It has also been criticized for incorporating antisemitic tropes into its rhetoric.[6] Project Esther broadly labels criticism of Israel as terrorism and calls for targeting universities, students, and American progressive politics and politicians.[2]

Politico described Project Esther as "a lesser-known blueprint from the same creators of Project 2025."[7] In May 2025, The New York Times found that the second Trump administration had called for or acted upon more than half of Project Esther's proposals.[2]

History

[edit]

The Heritage Foundation launched Project Esther in October 2024; it is named after the biblical figure Esther.[2][8] The plan was drafted by Victoria Coates, Robert Greenway, and Daniel Flesch following the October 7 attacks.[2] The project describes pro-Palestinian groups as part of a "Hamas Support Network",[9][10] and aims to dismantle the pro-Palestinian movement in the US, its support at schools and universities, progressive organizations, and in Congress by labeling them as "effectively a terrorist support network".[2][11] According to The New York Times, the plan built on efforts from summer 2024 to create a national strategy to "convince the public to perceive the pro-Palestinian movement in the United States as part of a global 'Hamas Support Network' that 'poses a threat not simply to American Jewry, but to America itself.'"[2]

The project reportedly struggled to find Jewish organizations with which to partner, while sidelining those that do partner with it.[1][12] Several Jewish and Christian Zionist organizations told The New York Times that they did not want to associate with the plan because its failure to focus on right-wing antisemitism was too partisan.[2]

Goals and tactics

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See also: Timeline of Wikipedia–U.S. government conflicts § August 2025 – present: House investigation of Wikipedia

As part of its plans, Project Esther said it would wait until a friendly presidential administration, after which "We will organize rapidly, take immediate action to 'stop the bleeding,' and achieve all objectives within two years." A New York Times report found that many of the second Trump administration's actions called for and closely matched more than half of Project Esther's proposals. In an interview with The Times, Project Esther's architects said that while there were "clear parallels" between its proposals and Trump administration actions, Heritage officials did not know whether the White House had used Project Esther as a guide.[2]

In January 2025, a report by The Forward revealed a leaked pitch deck the Heritage Foundation sent to Project Esther donors that included a plan to identify and target Wikipedia editors the group said were "abusing their position" by publishing allegedly antisemitic content.[13][14]

The New York Times described Project Esther's goal as "branding a broad range of critics of Israel as 'effectively a terrorist support network,' so that they could be deported, defunded, sued, fired, expelled, ostracized and otherwise excluded from what it considered 'open society.'" It highlighted attempts to remove curriculum viewed as "Hamas support" from schools and universities, remove "supporting faculty", purge social media of alleged antisemitic content, rescind institutions' public funding, and revoke visas for and deport those who engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy.[2]

Project Esther accuses "America's Jewish community" of "complacency". Its sole Jewish co-chair, Ellie Cohanim, has criticized other Jewish groups combating antisemitism.[2] Project Esther has sought to identify those who attend pro-Palestinian protests as engaging in "material support" for terrorism, and targeted groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine. Project Esther's pitch materials were first reported on by The Forward, which highlighted its goals as reforming academia by defunding institutions, denying some pro-Palestinian groups access to campuses, and removing faculty. It also supported lawfare through filing civil lawsuits and identifying foreign students for deportation, and planned to enlist local state and federal law enforcement to "generate uncomfortable conditions" to dissuade groups from protesting.[2]

The group has targeted eight "masterminds"—George Soros, Alex Soros, JB Pritzker, Angela Davis, Manolo de los Santos, Vijay Prashad, Neville Singham, and Jodie Evans—who it believes are at the center of progressive politics. The Soros family is the subject of a number of longstanding antisemitic conspiracy theories that match the language used by Project Esther.[5] The New York Times reported its pitch materials to potential donors include an illustration of a pyramid of "progressive elites" with Soros and Pritzker at the top. The presentation also targeted the Tides Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as part of an antisemitism "ecosystem", along with "aligned" politicians Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.[2]

According to Mondoweiss, the project is intended not to combat antisemitism, but to combat political activism, particularly by the left.[15]

According to The New York Times, Slate, Haaretz, The Forward, and Jewish Insider, Project Esther does not address right-wing antisemitism.[1][2][3][4][5] According to Slate, Project Esther does not acknowledge or address right-wing antisemitism or white supremacy.[3] According to The Forward, "Project Esther focuses exclusively on left-wing critics of Israel, ignoring the antisemitism problems from white supremacists and other far-right groups."[5] Haaretz has also reported that Project Esther does not address right-wing antisemitism.[4] When asked by Jewish Insider to explain why the effort did not include right-wing antisemitism, James Carafano, the head of Heritage's antisemitism operations, said "white supremacists are not my problem because white supremacists are not part of being conservative".[1][5] According to The New York Times, Project Esther head Victoria Coates "acknowledged that antisemitism was also a problem on the right", adding that the progressive groups targeted by the Project are a threat to American society, not just to Israel.[2]

The Times of Israel has described Project Esther's aim as a "government crackdown on anti-Israel groups once Donald Trump returns to the White House".[16]

According to Religion Dispatches and The New York Times, Project Esther is closely tied to Christian Zionism and the New Apostolic Reformation.[2][17] The New York Times reported that a number of evangelical Christian groups involved in Project Esther had aligned themselves with conservatives in Israel who believe the Bible gives Israel the right to control occupied Palestinian territories, and that some also believe supporting Israel will hasten the end times or advance Christianity's global influence.[2]

Reception

[edit]

Inside Philanthropy wrote, "The Project Esther document is repetitive and the prose is overwrought, but given the Heritage Foundation's potential influence in a second Trump administration, it's worth taking seriously."[18]

The Project has received support primarily from evangelical Christian organizations.[19] Supporting organizations include the Family Research Council, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Coalition for Jewish Values, and the National Committee for Religious Freedom.[1]

Critics argue that Project Esther sometimes engages in weaponization of antisemitism. For example, The New York Times reported that Project Esther has been criticized for "exploiting real concerns about antisemitism" to advance "radically reshaping higher education and crushing progressive movements more generally".[2] Jonathan Jacoby, the national director of the Nexus Project, criticized Esther for making antisemitism "no longer about ideology or politics; it's about terrorism and threats to American national security."[2]

Project Esther has been criticized for incorporating antisemitic tropes into its rhetoric,[5][6] and for not addressing right-wing antisemitism.[1][2][3][4][5] The journalist Michelle Goldberg has criticized Esther for accusing progressive Jews of antisemitism.[20] According to Baptist News Global, "Project Esther's own rhetoric about battling powerful Jewish 'masterminds' reinforces centuries-old conspiracy theories about Jews who have too much power and influence."[6]

An open letter from three dozen former members of Jewish groups and former Anti-Defamation League national chair Robert Sugarman criticized Project Esther, saying, "a range of actors are using a purported concern about Jewish safety as a cudgel to weaken higher education, due process, checks and balances, freedom of speech and the press" and calling on Jewish leaders and institutions "to resist the exploitation of Jewish fears and publicly join with other organizations that are battling to preserve the guardrails of democracy."[2] Executive director Stefanie Fox of Jewish Voice for Peace criticized Project Esther and Trump as "pulling straight from the authoritarian playbook, using tools of repression first against those organizing for Palestinian rights", and "in so doing, sharpening those tools for use against anyone and everyone who challenges his fascist agenda."[2] Fox said that Project Esther has "absolutely nothing to do with Jewish safety, and it is intended solely to destroy the Palestinian liberation movement using tools that can then be used against all communities and movements and democracy itself."[21][full citation needed]

Schuyler Mitchell wrote on Truthout that Project Esther is particularly interested in finding ways to interfere with left-leaning activism, in part through the use of the RICO Act, and that its methods resemble those of McCarthyism.[22]

Jacobin has said Project Esther is part of a red scare against the pro-Palestinian movement and the political left.[23]

See also

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References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Project Esther

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Project Esther is a policy report published by the Heritage Foundation on October 7, 2024, outlining a comprehensive national strategy to combat in the United States by targeting what it describes as a global Support Network intertwined with anti-Zionism and . Named after the biblical figure , the report frames post-, campus protests and broader pro-Palestinian activism as extensions of this network, advocating for federal enforcement of civil rights laws, state-level prosecutions, private-sector deplatforming, and congressional oversight to dismantle its infrastructure. Developed by the conservative think tank in , while noting claims of "legitimate criticism of ," it argues such distinctions are often insincere and proposes tools like visa revocations for foreign influencers and funding cuts to complicit institutions, labeling much related activism as veiled antisemitic agitation. The initiative has drawn attention for its alignment with broader conservative efforts, including influences on post-2024 election policies, while critics argue it conflates with , potentially chilling on . Its core recommendations include empowering the to investigate network nodes, directing federal agencies to monitor online radicalization, and urging universities to adopt strict codes against disruptive activism, positioning Project Esther as a blueprint for institutional reform amid rising concerns over .

Development and Publication

Origins and Timeline

Project Esther was released by the Heritage Foundation on October 7, 2024, deliberately timed to align with the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel. This date emphasized the report's emphasis on events stemming from the October 7, 2023, attacks, which the foundation identified as catalyzing a surge in antisemitic activities across the United States. The initiative's origins trace to the Heritage Foundation's response to heightened campus protests and perceived institutional shortcomings in countering antisemitism following the 2023 Hamas offensive. These developments prompted the think tank to frame pro-Palestinian activism as intertwined with broader threats, motivating a structured policy examination within its research framework. Development occurred amid Heritage's ongoing policy ecosystem, leveraging internal expertise to produce the report as part of its broader conservative-oriented initiatives. The process culminated in a comprehensive document outlining a national approach, reflecting the foundation's established role in shaping policy responses to domestic security concerns.

Key Authors and Contributors

Project Esther was developed under the auspices of the National Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, an informal coalition supported by the Heritage Foundation. The task force is co-chaired by , vice president of the Heritage Foundation's Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, bringing expertise in foreign policy and security analysis. , another co-chair, serves as a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum and national security contributor to the , with prior experience as U.S. deputy special envoy to monitor and combat at the . Mario Bramnick, co-chair and president of the Latino Coalition for , contributes advocacy focused on Israel support networks. Luke Moon, the fourth co-chair, is executive director of the Philos Project, emphasizing Christian advocacy for Israel and regional security. As the publishing institution, the Heritage Foundation provided ideological and operational support, leveraging its conservative policy framework and networks in to frame the report's strategy.

Core Arguments

Framing of Antisemitism

Project Esther expands the scope of beyond traditional religious or ethnic prejudice to encompass anti-Zionism and as core manifestations of Jew-hatred. The report argues that criticism of Israel's policies often serves as a "thin veneer" to disguise intent to destroy the Jewish state, equating such positions with inherent antisemitism. This framing positions anti-Zionism not as legitimate political discourse but as a vehicle for broader hostility toward Jews, particularly evident in rhetoric demanding the elimination of Israel as a Jewish homeland. The initiative further intersects this expanded with , portraying anti-Zionist activism as aligned with efforts to undermine U.S. democracy and . are depicted as enabling or masking Jew-hatred by functioning as fronts that prioritize Hamas support over genuine humanitarian concerns, with slogans like "From the River to the Sea" interpreted as calls to remove Jews from Israeli territory. These groups are said to pressure American institutions to abandon Israel, thereby advancing antisemitic goals under the guise of solidarity with while refusing to condemn Hamas atrocities. To substantiate this linkage, Project Esther cites historical precedents such as the , a pre-World War II Nazi-affiliated network in the U.S. that propagated through organized activism. The Bund's activities are paralleled to contemporary movements, illustrating how seemingly domestic ideological campaigns can pose existential threats warranting a unified societal response.

Identification of Threats

Project Esther identifies the primary threat to combating as a "global Hamas Support Network" (HSN), which it describes as a coordinated effort involving non-governmental organizations (NGOs), student groups, and academic institutions that promote anti-Zionism under the guise of pro-Palestinian activism. This network is portrayed as extending beyond isolated incidents to form a structured apparatus that amplifies antisemitic rhetoric and actions, particularly in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Specific examples within the HSN include campus protests organized by groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which Project Esther accuses of fostering environments conducive to harassment and intimidation of Jewish students through disruptive demonstrations and calls for Israel's dismantlement. These activities are framed as integral components of the network's operations on American university campuses, where they allegedly blend ideological advocacy with support for Hamas's objectives. The report further links the HSN to international actors, asserting direct affiliations with and other designated terrorist organizations that provide funding, training, and ideological direction to domestic entities. This connection is presented as evidence that the network poses not only a cultural and social threat but also a national security risk to the United States by undermining alliances and promoting anti-American sentiments.

Proposed Strategies

Governmental Recommendations

Project Esther advocates for the to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of violations by Hamas Support Organizations (HSOs), including through federal agencies enforcing laws such as the (FARA), the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), and counterterrorism statutes. It calls for gathering evidence of HSO criminal activities to compel federal law enforcement action against incidents tied to the global Hamas Support Network (HSN). The report recommends scrutinizing federal funding flows to institutions that tolerate HSN-linked activities, highlighting concerns over anonymous foreign donations exceeding $1.14 billion to U.S. academia since 2012 from sources like Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which it links to anti-Israel curricula. To address non-compliance, it proposes legislative measures rendering HSO-affiliated entities ineligible for public funds, aiming to deter institutional support for such networks. At state and local levels, Project Esther urges authorities to deny permits for HSO demonstrations and protests, thereby regulating activities associated with the HSN and prioritizing enforcement against antisemitic disruptions. It envisions coordinated governmental efforts across jurisdictions to prosecute HSO violations under applicable state laws, supplementing federal initiatives.

Institutional and Private Sector Actions

Project Esther recommends that universities enforce strict campus policies to restrict the activities of Hamas Support Organizations (HSOs), including denying them access to campuses and limiting or revoking permits for protests and demonstrations. Institutions should identify HSO violations of existing speech codes and rules to justify these measures, aiming to create environments where such groups cannot operate freely. Additionally, universities are urged to enhance donor accountability by voluntarily refusing funds from foreign HSO supporters and ceasing internal financial support to these organizations, thereby disrupting their economic foothold in academia. In the corporate sphere, the report advocates for divestment strategies to sever HSOs' revenue streams and prevent money transfers to Hamas, targeting conduits like certain foundations identified as HSN backers. Philanthropy should be redirected toward coalitions opposing the HSN, eroding support for antisemitic networks by funding counter-efforts rather than enabling them. Media outlets and technology platforms play a pivotal role in monitoring and HSN-related content, with recommendations to treat HSO presence as a liability and restrict their propagation of material on . Platforms should deny HSOs access to dissemination mechanisms, fostering user aversion to affiliation with such groups and actively exposing supporters to diminish their influence.

Reception and Impact

Supporter Perspectives

Conservative policymakers aligned with the Trump administration have viewed Project Esther as a vital blueprint for aggressively addressing antisemitism, particularly through crackdowns on campus activism perceived as supportive of Hamas. This perspective emphasizes the report's proactive federal and state recommendations as essential for disrupting linked threats of anti-Zionism and anti-Americanism. Right-leaning have endorsed aspects of the strategy for their focus on practical mitigation of risks from organized , aligning with efforts to counter . Instances of partial adoption include the administration's university investigations and policy shifts mirroring the report's calls for enforcement against perceived terrorist support, demonstrating its influence in ongoing discussions.

Critic Responses

Progressive Jewish organizations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, have accused Project Esther of conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism, arguing that the report exploits Jewish community fears to broadly stigmatize pro-Palestinian advocacy as inherently bigoted. Critics from these groups contend that this framing undermines nuanced discourse on Israel-Palestine issues by equating anti-Zionism with hatred toward Jews. Advocacy groups have raised alarms that Project Esther's recommendations risk censoring and eroding academic freedom, portraying the initiative as a blueprint to dismantle solidarity movements under the guise of countering extremism. Organizations like the have described it as weaponizing concerns to target speech critical of Israel, potentially chilling campus protests and broader dissent. The report has also faced scrutiny for reflecting the Heritage Foundation's conservative ideological bias and insufficient diverse stakeholder input, with commentators noting its alignment with priorities over inclusive Jewish community perspectives. This has led to critiques that it prioritizes partisan strategies rather than balanced, evidence-based approaches to .
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