Tracing the Violent Origins of "Globalize the Intifada": Report
Analysis by the Combat Antisemitism Movement traces the "Globalize the Intifada" chant from 2021 New York activism to coordinated attacks targeting Jews across three continents
A comprehensive new report by the Combat Antisemitism Movement reveals how “Globalize the Intifada” transformed over five years from a fringe protest chant into a mobilizing ideology for violence against Jewish communities. According to the report’s findings, the slogan was popularized in 2021 from activist networks in New York and has since permeated campuses, cultural institutions, and political structures, culminating in coordinated attacks across three continents.
Origins and Operationalization
According to CAM’s analysis, activist groups including Within Our Lifetime, Samidoun, and Decolonize This Place coordinated to popularize the slogan during a June 2021 demonstration outside the Museum of Modern Art. By July 2021, the report indicates, Within Our Lifetime released a manifesto establishing that calls to “globalize the intifada” represented a transferable model for confrontation in American cities and institutions—not a protest limited to Israel.
The report emphasizes that “intifada” historically refers to the First Intifada (1987-1993) and Second Intifada (2000-2005), campaigns involving suicide bombings, stabbings, and coordinated attacks deliberately targeting Israeli civilians in buses, cafés, and marketplaces. According to the report’s findings, activists operationalized this history through a rally toolkit that standardized chants, security protocols, and messaging.
The analysis identifies Samidoun as a critical international connection. Multiple governments have designated Samidoun as operating on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.
Escalation to Direct Targeting
The report traces a clear progression from public protests to synagogue intimidation. By March 2022, hundreds chanted the slogan at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Following October 7, 2023, Within Our Lifetime released maps identifying Jewish organizations across New York City and labeling them as targets for “popular mobilization.”
By November 2025, according to the report’s findings, approximately 200 protesters surrounded Park East Synagogue during a Nefesh B’Nefesh event. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “We need to make them scared”—echoed as a unified call by the crowd.
That same weekend, protesters in London blocked attendees at a synagogue and shouted that Jews “kill children.” The report identifies both incidents as revealing a “coordinated pattern of intimidation aimed at Jewish life worldwide.”
Violence Becomes Reality
The analysis documents two critical turning points where rhetoric transformed into mass violence. In November 2024, mobs attacked Israeli fans in Amsterdam following a UEFA match, chasing and assaulting them throughout the city center. Although attackers did not explicitly chant the slogan, the report notes the violence mirrored its logic—Jews targeted simply for their identity.
Most significantly, the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack in Sydney represented the slogan’s lethal manifestation. On the first night of Hanukkah, gunmen opened fire on “Hanukkah by the Sea,” a public celebration organized by Chabad. According to the report’s account, 15 people were killed, including a rabbi, a young child, and a Holocaust survivor. Law enforcement classified the assault as a terrorist attack.
Cultural and Political Mainstreaming
The investigation reveals how the slogan embedded across cultural spaces. Musicians incorporated intifada references into mainstream entertainment, with rapper Bob Vylan leading Glastonbury Festival crowds in chanting “Death to the IDF” in 2025. The report cites the UK Community Security Trust’s finding that 26 antisemitic incidents were recorded the following day—the highest daily total in the first half of 2025.
The report indicates social media platforms dramatically accelerated the spread. TikTok and Instagram algorithms rewarded provocation, pushing the slogan to millions while stripping historical context..
The analysis notes that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who took office on January 1, 2026, revoked protective measures for Jewish communities on his first day, including adoption of the IHRA Definition of Antisemitism and safeguards limiting protests near synagogues.
Campus and Institutional Pattern
The analysis identifies a systematic pattern of campus intimidation across multiple countries. At Cooper Union in October 2023, protesters pounded on library glass walls while Jewish students sheltered inside. Similar incidents occurred at Rutgers, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, and Harvard. According to the findings, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament Sarah Jama publicly shouted the slogan at McMaster University in May 2024, drawing national backlash.
According to the analysis, “Globalize the Intifada” meets the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism because it endorses violence against Jews and engages in collective targeting—treating Jews everywhere as legitimate stand-ins for Israel.
The Combat Antisemitism Movement has established a “Report It” app enabling documented recording of antisemitic incidents, emphasizing that documentation remains essential for accountability and community protection.