Esther and the Silence: How Project Esther Is Turning a Sacred Story into a Weapon
A civic response to the Heritage Foundation’s strategy against antisemitism and its implementation
In October 2024, the Heritage Foundation published “Project Esther: A National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism.” What some might have dismissed as merely an aggressive policy proposal has, in the months since President Trump’s inauguration, transformed into apparent government action. The implementation of key elements of this strategy—including the revocation of hundreds of student visas and the withholding of federal funds from universities—demands urgent reexamination of both the plan and its consequences.
The rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States is real and deeply troubling. Jewish students have faced intimidation on college campuses. Synagogues have increased security measures. Public spaces where Jewish Americans gather have become sites of anxiety rather than community. These realities are undeniable and demand a serious response.
However, the implementation of Project Esther raises profound questions about whether the current approach protects Jewish Americans or instead weaponizes legitimate concerns about antisemitism to advance broader political goals at the expense of constitutional rights and academic freedom.
As the recent Department of Education letters to 60 universities and the revocation of over 600 student visas demonstrate, what was outlined in Project Esther is no longer theoretical. The “Catch and Revoke” program using AI to scrape social media, the cancellation of $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, and Secretary Rubio’s characterization of student activists as “lunatics” signal a shift from proposal to implementation. These actions reflect core elements of Project Esther’s strategy, including using immigration enforcement against foreign students and deploying federal financial leverage against universities.
This reality makes a critical analysis of Project Esther not merely an academic exercise but an urgent civic necessity. By examining its approach and implementation critically, we can better understand whether these measures protect Jewish Americans or instead undermine the democratic values that ultimately keep all minorities safe.
The Symbolism of “Esther” — and What It Gets Wrong
Esther as a Moral Archetype
The selection of Queen Esther as the namesake for this initiative carries profound symbolic weight. In Jewish scripture, Esther stands as one of the most compelling figures: a woman of hidden identity who, at great personal risk, intercedes with the king to save her people from annihilation. Her story, celebrated during Purim, exemplifies courage in the face of genocidal hatred.
Esther’s narrative centers on truth-telling when silence would be easier, on using one’s privilege to protect the vulnerable, and on the moral necessity of intervention when lives hang in the balance. Her story is not about domination or silencing dissent—it is about salvation through brave truth-speaking.
A Story of Courage Under Oppression
Contextually, the Purim story unfolds not within a pluralistic democracy but under an absolutist monarchy. Esther and the Jewish people face extinction not from fellow citizens exercising rights of assembly and speech, but from a genocidal decree issued by a tyrant at the behest of his advisor Haman. The Jews of ancient Persia had no constitutional protections, no recourse to courts, no freedom of assembly to protest their treatment.
By invoking Esther, the Heritage Foundation suggests that American Jews in 2024 face circumstances comparable to those of Persian Jews awaiting execution. This framing casts college students, faculty members, and civil rights groups as existential threats equivalent to Haman—a moral equivalence that distorts both the biblical narrative and our contemporary reality.
The Weaponization of a Sacred Text
Project Esther evokes historical trauma but redirects it toward contemporary political targets. In its framework, the enemies are not ancient kings or modern white nationalists, but progressive politicians described as a “Hamas Caucus,” Muslim student organizations, and academic institutions. The document claims these entities comprise a “Hamas Support Network” that threatens not just Jewish Americans but “America itself.”
This sleight of hand risks transforming Esther’s call for bravery and justice into a rationale for surveillance, censorship, and political purging. The report advocates using tools like RICO statutes, immigration enforcement, and public “naming and shaming” against those it deems antisemitic—methods more reminiscent of authoritarian regimes than democratic governance.
True Esther-like courage in our time would mean defending Jewish dignity without undermining civil liberties or democratic norms. It would mean protecting Jewish students from harassment while preserving academic freedom and protecting political dissent.
The Real Threat of Antisemitism—And the Real Challenge of Precision
Acknowledging Complexity
Recent pro-Palestinian protests have indeed sometimes crossed the line into antisemitism. When demonstrators chant slogans that call for violence against Jews, when they harass Jewish students based on their identity rather than their politics, when they single out Jewish businesses or institutions for boycott based solely on their Jewish character—these actions demand unequivocal condemnation.
But not all criticism of Israeli policy constitutes antisemitism. Not all Palestinian solidarity work targets Jews. Robust debate about foreign policy—including dissent within the Jewish community itself—represents a healthy democratic discourse, not evidence of a “Hamas Support Network.”
The Danger of Conflation
Project Esther systematically collapses crucial distinctions. It treats:
Pro-Palestinian activism as uniformly pro-Hamas terrorism
Anti-Zionist positions as inherently antisemitic
Progressive activism broadly as part of a terrorist support apparatus
Criticism of specific Israeli government policies as hatred of Jews globally
These conflations are not merely analytically imprecise—they represent a moral failure with serious consequences. By painting with such a broad brush, Project Esther creates guilt by association, threatens academic freedom, and chills political speech. It makes no space for the many Jewish Americans who critique certain Israeli policies while remaining deeply committed to Israel’s security and right to exist.
The document further claims an “indispensable support network of activists and financial supporters” aims to eliminate “capitalism and democracy.” This language echoes antisemitic tropes about shadowy financial networks while providing minimal evidence for such sweeping claims.
How Project Esther Could Undermine the Fight Against Antisemitism
Turning a Communal Cause into a Culture War
While Project Esther claims to protect Jews, it does so by characterizing fellow Americans—including many Jews—as enemies of the state if they dissent from its politics. The document divides the American Jewish community into “righteous patriots” and “complacent leftists,” a framing that not only misrepresents the diversity of Jewish political thought but establishes a dangerous, authoritarian standard for acceptable Jewish identity.
The report characterizes Jewish opposition to its approach as evidence of “complacency” rather than principled disagreement, noting with apparent dismay that “more Jewish Democrats (15) voted against censure [of Rep. Rashida Tlaib] than voted for it.” This framing suggests that Jews who didn’t support a particular partisan censure motion are somehow complicit in antisemitism—a deeply troubling logic that would make Jewish political autonomy impossible.
Ignoring Right-Wing Antisemitism
Perhaps most tellingly, Project Esther names almost exclusively progressive or left-wing threats while remaining conspicuously silent about well-documented right-wing antisemitism. There is no meaningful discussion of:
White nationalist movements that explicitly target Jews
The Tree of Life synagogue shooting—the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history
Antisemitic conspiracy theories tied to QAnon, “replacement theory,” or globalist narratives
Far-right figures who promote antisemitic tropes about Jewish control of media and finance
This selective focus undermines the credibility of the report and suggests a political agenda beyond protecting Jewish Americans. A serious strategy to combat antisemitism would confront hatred across the ideological spectrum, not just where politically convenient.
Using Legal Tools Against Protest
Most concerning, Project Esther proposes using powerful legal mechanisms against political protesters, suggesting:
RICO statutes typically used against organized crime syndicates
Foreign Agents Registration Act investigations of advocacy groups
Immigration enforcement against foreign students engaging in legal protest
Pressure campaigns to strip academic credentials and terminate employment
Surveillance and disruption of communications between activist groups
This approach represents the architecture of an authoritarian response, not a civic one. By advocating the use of state power to suppress dissent, Project Esther risks becoming precisely the kind of threat to minority rights that it claims to oppose.
A Better Way: Fighting Antisemitism Without Abandoning Democracy
Reclaiming the Civic Middle
There is a better path forward. We must distinguish between genuine antisemitism and political critique; between calls for violence and calls for policy change. This requires nuance and good faith—precisely what Project Esther lacks.
Instead of mass investigations and public purges, we need expanded civic education, more interfaith dialogue, and stronger campus protections against harassment that don’t compromise freedom of inquiry. We need to create spaces where difficult conversations about Israel, Palestine, American foreign policy, and Jewish identity can occur without devolving into antisemitism or censorship.
Coalition, Not Crusade
True protection for Jewish Americans comes not from isolating them as unique victims requiring special measures, but from building coalitions across communities: Black, Muslim, LGBTQ+, Asian-American, and more. American Jews are safest when all minorities are safe, when democratic institutions function properly, and when civil liberties are robustly protected.
Project Esther explicitly rejects this approach, dismissing concerns about “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and claiming that Jewish Americans have received no support from other minority groups—a claim belied by numerous interfaith statements condemning antisemitism and solidarity efforts across communities.
Real Moral Courage
We don’t need Project Esther as outlined by the Heritage Foundation. We need Esther’s voice—willing to speak when silence is easier, but also wise enough to know the difference between a genocidal tyrant and a disillusioned classmate with misguided views about Middle East politics.
The answer to antisemitism is not authoritarianism or partisan weaponization. It is moral courage, historical memory, and solidarity across difference. It is creating a society where all forms of hatred are confronted, where democratic values protect all minorities, and where complex geopolitical conflicts don’t become proxies for targeting vulnerable communities at home.
Conclusion: Let Us Not Become Haman in the Name of Esther
The story of Purim carries a profound warning: when fear is manipulated, people lose their humanity. Haman’s decree against the Jews sprang from personal humiliation and thirst for power, wrapped in language of national security. In seeking to destroy others, he ultimately destroyed himself.
To truly honor Esther’s legacy, we must oppose antisemitism with moral clarity and precision—not by mimicking the very tactics that have historically threatened our own people. We must protect Jewish students and community members without compromising the democratic values that ultimately keep all minorities safe.
As we consider how best to combat rising antisemitism, let us remember that the goal is not merely the physical safety of Jews, but the creation of a society where Jews and all others can live with full dignity and equality. This requires protecting both Jewish identity and democratic principles, recognizing that in the long run, they depend upon each other.
The true lesson of Esther is not that enemies must be purged, but that courage in dark times can bring redemption. Let us find that courage now—not by silencing dissent or compromising liberty, but by recommitting to our highest values as Americans and as human beings.