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2025-03-30 Fifth Column
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An inside look at Jewish Onliner, the anonymous website that got a Yale scholar suspended
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See also here for a facial recognition initiative that is also bearing fruit.
Earlier this month, a pro-Paleostinian activist named Helyeh Doutaghi was suspended from her job at Yale University and banned from campus over alleged links to a fundraising group that supports a Paleostinian terrorist organization.
The trigger, according to The New York Times
...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
, was a report in an ostensible news site called Jewish Onliner.
The name was new to us here at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and to many others in Jewish journalism. And, as it turns out, the people behind the site don’t see themselves as journalists reporting the news, even if they are pleased to be making it.
That revelation came to us after following digital breadcrumbs to identify a person involved with Jewish Onliner, which was registered as a website on December 12.
The website’s registration shields the identity of its owner. And the site does not disclose its staff or have bylines on its articles, which it says uses AI to focus on "combating antisemitism, exposing anti-Israel movements, and dissecting the radical forces undermining the values of the Western world." But we tracked someone down.
The person affiliated with the site, who confirmed their involvement, is a recent immigrant to Israel from an English-speaking country with training and experience in open-source intelligence and counter-terrorism. The person said the team is multinational and not affiliated with the Israeli government.
And the person agreed to answer questions via email on condition of anonymity, citing the threat of antisemitism.
The subsequent exchange addresses questions about how Jewish Onliner picks its targets, the role artificial intelligence plays in its work, why its content should not be considered journalism, the cost of anonymity and how the initiative is funded. The person said they drafted their responses in consultation with the rest of team behind Jewish Onliner.
At a time when small groups are having an outsized impact on US policy — as Betar and the similarly anonymous Canary Mission have done when it comes to identifying pro-Paleostinian student protesters whom the Trump administration subsequently seeks to deport — the exchange offers unusual insight into how one of those groups says it operates. We are publishing it here, lightly edited for length and clarity.
I include key questions and answers. The rest can be read at the link. Would you consider what you do journalism? I ask because journalists rarely conceal their identities while reporting on issues that could put them at risk. The theory is that anonymity would hurt the credibility of the reporting. What do you think about that?
That’s a fair and thought-provoking question you raised.
After discussing with the rest of the team, we agreed that what we do doesn’t align with traditional journalism, nor would we characterize the initiative as a media outlet. The team is intentionally trying to carve out a different lane altogether.
What feels unique about our model is that it isn’t structured like a typical newsroom — there are no rigid roles like reporters or editors. Instead, each person handles every part of a project: conducting OSINT [open source intelligence] research, analyzing the findings, and writing the piece. AI tools also play a significant role in enhancing and accelerating the work (we’re also constantly working to improve our technology and add new abilities).
The reports we’ve produced often don’t fit neatly into conventional journalism. They are almost entirely based on verifiable OSINT and include in-depth analyses as well. Much of the content connects directly to US-designated terrorist organizations, some of which continue to operate freely on American soil. Given that the same individuals who conduct the research also publish the findings, the team ultimately decided that anonymity was the best approach to mitigate the added risks.
We’re fully aware that anonymity may cause some to view our work with skepticism — that’s a tradeoff we’ve considered carefully.
Ultimately, the team felt the work should speak for itself. And for those willing to engage with it, we believe the value is clear.
What can you say about who runs and funds Jewish Onliner? The reason you cited for anonymity is the safety of the individuals involved — that doesn’t sound like a reason to keep the identity of any institution that may be behind the initiative anonymous.
It might surprise you to learn that JO is actually a pretty low-cost initiative, so saying that it has “funders” might be a stretch.
We’re a small group of tech-savvy OSINT experts who decided to take action for the Jewish community and broader Western values. The minimal support we’ve received comes from a few concerned individuals who wanted to help us get started, but they’re busy with their own lives, jobs, and families.
Also, for what it’s worth, since we’ve seen this silly rumor floating around: No, we are not affiliated with, connected to, or supported by any government.
I also want to challenge you on that. The rumors that you are supported by the Israeli government hardly seem “silly.” The Israeli government has publicly said that it is spending millions on online influence campaigns, which reportedly make use of AI technology. Jewish Onliner would seem to fit the bill. Do you really fault people for concluding that you might be a government outfit?
As for the Israeli government, we have no idea what they may or may not be doing with any technology — and frankly, we don’t much care.
Not every civilian-run initiative addressing antisemitism using AI is tied to the Israeli government. Sometimes, believe it or not, people just care about these issues and want to try and help. 
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Posted by trailing wife 2025-03-30 00:00||
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