National Security | Military Ethics | Global Far-Right Extremism | Counter-Terrorism | Antisemitism

Infected by Hate: Far-Right Attempts to Leverage Anti-Vaccine Sentiment

The purpose of this article is to alert and educate on a new phenomenon that first appeared worldwide in November 2020, as countries started developing COVID-19 vaccination plans. Far-fight extremists, white supremacists in particular, identified pre-existing concerns in the general public regarding the potential vaccines’ effectiveness, safety, and purpose. In an effort to leverage these concerns, the far-right actors have engaged in a targeted campaign to introduce and amplify disinformation about the potential COVID-19 vaccines via online platforms. These campaigns have utilized five main themes. First, content increasing chaos and promoting accelerationism. Second, content to improve recruitment and radicalization. Third, content connecting COVID-19 or the proposed vaccines to pre-existing conspiracies in the movement. Fourth, content fostering anti-minority sentiment. Fifth, they have begun producing content advocating individual-initiative (lone wolf) attacks against COVID-19 manufacturers.

Authorities must be cognizant of this phenomenon and think of ways to prevent it. Failure to recognize and appropriately respond may result in increased recruitment and mobilization within the far-right movement. Similarly, failure to curtail this type of rhetoric will likely increase the public’s hesitancy to go and be vaccinated, increasing the difficulty of eradicating COVID-19. Additionally, far-right extremists are likely to continue suggesting that COVID-19 vaccines are part of a larger conspiracy in order to persuade potential supporters to engage in individual-initiative (lone wolf) attacks. As a result, COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and distribution venues are likely to be potential targets.

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Liram Stenzler-Koblentz PhD

Dr. Liram Koblentz-Stenzler a scholar and practitioner with a wealth of experience in fields of counterterrorism, antisemitism studies and global far-right Extremism. She is senior researcher and head of the Global Far Right Extremism Desk at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University, Israel and lecturer at Yale University. She advises security agencies, technology companies, other organizations, and communities to achieve better understanding of the language, global connections, and action patterns of right-wing extremists in order to prevent acts of terrorism, incitement to violence, and antisemitism.

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