The Perils of Perceived Power: The Dual Threat Model of Antisemitism

Abstract: Antisemitism, characterized by prejudice, discrimination, and hostility toward Jews, is marked by two enduring paradoxes. First, although people typically defer to powerholders, perceptions of Jews as powerful are associated with disdain rather than deference among antisemites. Second, antisemitism emerges among individuals with opposing ideological worldviews—those who strongly support societal hierarchies and those who vehemently oppose them. To explain these paradoxes, this paper introduces the Dual Threat Model of Antisemitism, a framework that highlights the central role of perceived Jewish power in fueling antisemitism. The model posits that perceived Jewish power—defined as seeming control over valuable resources—elicits two distinct types of threat. Among proponents of hierarchy, perceived Jewish power threatens in-group dominance, challenging their desire to maintain group superiority. Among opponents of hierarchy, perceived Jewish power threatens egalitarian ideals, undermining their vision of a fair and equal society. These two threats fuel antisemitism among individuals who subscribe to opposite ideological worldviews. We review evidence that stereotypes, conspiracy beliefs, and measures of antisemitism emphasize perceived Jewish power. Building on the model, we propose interventions that aim to reduce feelings of threat, and are tailored to individuals’ ideological worldviews.

Keywords: Antisemitism, threat, dominance, egalitarianism, ideology.