A first-of-its kind leaderboard evaluating how major video game companies address antisemitism and extremism in online games was released on Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Insider has learned.   

The leaderboard assessed 10 of the most popular games and their respective companies on their policies and in-game safety features. “Fortnite” was rated the best at implementing safeguards to combat antisemitism, with “Grand Theft Auto Online,” “Call of Duty” and “Minecraft” following closely behind. Other major games evaluated included “Roblox,” “Valorant,” “Clash Royale,” “Counter-Strike 2” and “PUBG: Battlegrounds.” 

ADL evaluated the product features of each individual game and the relevant policies that govern that game — for some games, the policies that govern them were specific to the game, while for some it was the company policies that apply to all of their games.

The leaderboard, created by the ADL Center for Technology and Society in partnership with the ADL Ratings and Assessment Institute, builds on the annual survey work that CTS did in partnership with gaming analytics firm NewZoo, from 2019-2023.

Games received labels of advanced, moderate or limited protections based on criteria including: antisemitism and hate policy; extremism/terrorism policy; in-game display of code of conduct; documentation of escalation to law enforcement; and in-game tooling. 

The latter criteria, which accounts for 60% of a game’s overall score, includes players’ ability to block and/or mute other players; players’ ability to report players for voice, text, usernames and user-generated content; and the game’s prevention of antisemitic and hateful extremist usernames.

Bonus points were awarded for clear appeals processes and engagement with ADL, and points were deducted for harmful content on public-facing game stores. The antisemitism watchdog shared detailed findings with each gaming company and invited them to discuss the assessment before the leaderboard’s release, to which Epic Games, Supercell and Minecraft responded.    

Popular online games boast hundreds of thousands of players, with 85% of U.S. teens reporting playing video games in 2024, according to the Pew Research Center. The Pew study found that  80% of all teens think harassment over video games is a problem for people their age, and 41% of those who play them say they’ve been called an offensive name while playing.

The leaderboard comes one year after ADL conducted a study where it asked 15 participants (university students, recent graduates and young adults) to play four leading online games (“Valorant,” “Counterstrike 2,” “Overwatch 2” and “Fortnite”) in one-hour increments with different identities (Jewish and Muslim religious and ethnic identities, as well as in national identities such as Chinese, Mexican and Israeli). It found that almost half of game play experiences included some form of harassment, such as slurs, trash-talking or disrupted play, and one-third included identity-based harassment, such as “gas the Jews” or calling people the “N-word.”  

The ADL said it plans to feature the results in an online Gaming Leaderboard, designed to be a resource that will track how gaming companies manage their online multiplayer ecosystems over time to guide parents, gamers, policymakers and the gaming industry itself.

“When a parent wants to know if an online game is safe for their child, there has been no one-stop shop to understand how a particular game approaches online safety,” Daniel Kelley, senior director of the ADL Center for Technology and Society, said in a statement. “This leaderboard addresses that critical gap by offering the most comprehensive evaluation of safety measures in online multiplayer games to date, with a focus on how companies manage antisemitism and extremism.”

Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the former U.S. envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, told Jewish Insider on Tuesday that she’s concerned by the increased pace of antisemitic rhetoric coming from Saudi Arabia, and warned that an extended change of course by Riyadh could have implications on the spread of antisemitism globally.

Lipstadt, who began in the role in May 2022, said that she saw the Saudi government initially very open to addressing antisemitism, but less willing to work with her toward the end of her term, which finished in January 2025. She said that the situation has appeared to deteriorate further since then.

“If this is a real pivot, and not just a momentary detour, it’ll be very disappointing,” Lipstadt said. If that’s the case, “then it’s very disturbing because there was a chance for a change in the culture and in the atmosphere of the Middle East.”

She said she sees antisemitic and extremist sermons recently delivered at Saudi holy sites and around the kingdom as particularly significant — noting the Saudi government also funds imams who preach around the globe. This support gives Riyadh a significant lever to “limit the amount of Jew hatred that is expressed in Muslim communities throughout the world.”

“This is more than just a geopolitical shift,” Lipstadt continued. “It’s that — and it’s certainly an important geopolitical shift — but it also has implications for the spread of hatred, Jew hate.”

The former U.S. ambassador said that she’s also seen a distinct shift in the tenor of translated articles from the Saudi press.

“It’s completely different from what I saw when I was there in July of 2022, and very different from the numerous conversations and interactions I had with Princess Reema, the Saudi ambassador to the United States,” Lipstadt said. “She could not have been more gracious and forthcoming, publicly so.”

The former envoy said that the timing of the Saudi shift is also troubling, noting that it comes as tensions in the region are otherwise easing, as the war in Gaza winds down and progress is made toward a longer-term ceasefire. The Saudi government, she noted, was subject to pressure from its public, which was upset over the war.

“It’s happening now, when things are quieting down — that’s worrisome,” Lipstadt explained. “I hope it can be turned around because it has very, very big implications. … At a time that we’re seeing the impact of radical Islamism, it’s even more troublesome.”

Lipstadt’s first trip abroad in her role in the Biden administration was to Saudi Arabia in June 2022, where she conveyed the “message that I saw real possibilities there.” She said that she came to believe that the Saudis were on a path to joining the Abraham Accords, and that she received “a very warm welcome,” including meetings with the minister of Islamic affairs, who is in charge of the country’s holy sites, and the Saudi deputy foreign minister.

“One high-ranking official, when I walked into his office, introduced himself to me. He said, ‘Hello, welcome. I come from a city of Jews,’ and he meant Medina,” Lipstadt recounted. “Mecca and Medina, where the prophet was, and grew up — that’s a pretty significant way of identifying yourself.”

Her second visit to the kingdom, toward the end of her term in office, “was less promising, less forthcoming on the part of the officials.”

She said it was difficult to gauge at the time whether that was due to a lack of interest in engaging with an outgoing administration or because of pressure from popular opinion in Saudi Arabia against the war in Gaza. 

But she said she believes the situation has continued to worsen since she left office. And, she noted, Saudi Arabia has made no further public strides toward joining the Abraham Accords, which some expected the kingdom to do once President Donald Trump returned to office.

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, the Trump administration’s nominee to be the State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, emphasized the importance of education as the critical tool to combat antisemitism during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday.

“Together with bipartisan support, we must educate the world to respect one another. Lofty goals, perhaps, but a lesson that I learned from the Grand Rabbi of Lubavitch, as well as from my grandparents and my parents, is to do my best to impact and make the world a better place,” Kaploun said. “We do this by building bridges through education and friendships and dialogue. We must learn from the past to protect and educate the living.”

“We must, educate, educate, educate about the history of the Jewish community in America and the Judeo-Christian values our country was founded on,” he continued. “I pledge to all of you here, I will not waver and I will not rest. I will commit to you to do my very best, if confirmed, to fight antisemitism everywhere and to make this world a better arena for God to dwell and spread his blessings upon us all.”

Kaploun also emphasized the importance of understanding the history of the Holocaust, describing the U.S. veterans who liberated Nazi death camps as men who “saw the worst of humanity” and became “the best advocates in the world” against antisemitism. He also said he urges people to visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“People don’t know the history, people don’t understand that we have to respect one another,” Kaploun said. “The problem is that people don’t want to listen to [WWII veterans] and hear their stories. … In America, we believe in freedom of expression and freedom of speech, but at the same time, we have to educate people as to what the facts truly are. … We’re missing that boat.”

Asked by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) about President Donald Trump’s response to Tucker Carlson hosting neo-Nazi influencer Nick Fuentes on his podcast — Trump said that Carlson has “said good things about me over the years” and that “people have to decide” how they feel about Fuentes — Kaploun emphasized freedom of speech, as well as the administration’s work to combat antisemitism.

“I think the president and the secretary of state have made it perfectly clear that any type of antisemitism [does not have] a place in America. … That’s something that guides the administration’s policy,” Kaploun said, adding that the administration’s policy is that “antisemitism is to be condemned everywhere.”

He said that antisemitism is a “global problem” that stems from “ignorance” and a lack of education.

“But freedom of speech is something that’s a right, and freedom of expression globally is an important part of what the administration’s policy is,” he continued.“You have a right to hate, but we have a right to explain and stand up and abhor everything that you say. I believe very strongly that we can condemn remarks whenever they need to be condemned and educate people.”

The friendly interview between Carlson and Fuentes has touched off a reckoning in conservative circles about antisemitism on the right, though the administration has largely stayed out of the fray on the issue.

Pressed on the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism, Kaploun pointed to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, which has been used by the State Department for years.

He said that anyone has a right to criticize Israel, but that when individuals single out Israel without offering criticisms of any other countries, that can cross the line into antisemitism.

In his opening statement, Kaploun detailed the ways that antisemitism has impacted him throughout his life: he heard shouts of “dirty Jew” while walking to synagogue as a child; he grew up during the Crown Heights riots, hearing cries of “kill the Jews” in the streets; and his sister died of 9/11 related cancer and his cousin was killed on Oct. 7 protecting her children who are now orphans.

He said he also had the opportunity to sit with former hostage Yarden Bibas, whose family was killed by terrorists in Gaza after being taken captive, the night before the funeral of Bibas’ wife and children.

“Yes, I have seen the worst that humanity can do. When asked to serve my country by our president in a role that I truly wished did not need to exist there was no hesitation,” Kaploun said. “I sit before you humbled by the opportunity to serve my country. It is a daunting task.”

Kaploun also emphasized that antisemitism is a “symbol of a larger hatred” and that “when a country starts allowing antisemitism, the results are not kind to that country.”

“That is why President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated there can be no compromise with antisemitism,” he said. “Antisemitism is anti-American. Those who chant ‘death to the Jews’ all too often chant ‘death to America.’ We cannot allow anyone to teach children from infancy to kill and to be a martyr.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chair of the Senate antisemitism task force and a member of the committee, told Jewish Insider in a statement, “I’ve worked closely with Special Envoys under both Republican and Democratic Administrations. Maintaining this bipartisan tradition will be critical to the success of this role. If confirmed, I look forward to working with Rabbi Kaploun to achieve our shared priorities.”

In a letter to the committee, the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center’s Nathan Diament and Isaac Pretter — while not directly endorsing Kaploun — emphasized the importance of filling the role quickly and noted Kaploun’s qualifications.

“As an easily identifiable member of the Jewish community, and longtime activist, Rabbi Kaploun is familiar with the issues facing Jews around the world,” the OU Advocacy leaders wrote. “As a member of the Orthodox community, we are familiar with Rabbi Kaploun and his commitment to combatting antisemitism.”

The also noted that he had “shown a willingness to cross the partisan divide” to issue a joint op-ed with predecessors Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt and Elan Carr in response to the Capital Jewish Museum shooting.

“In short, Rabbi Kaploun has proven an eager and capable ally in the fight against antisemitism,” Diament and Pretter said.

Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, urged the “swift confirmation of Rabbi Kaploun to help the United States continue to lead the fight against antisemitism across the globe,” in a post on X.

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), a co-chair of the House Jewish Caucus, and 17 other House Democrats wrote to committee leaders in opposition to Kaploun’s nomination, calling it “partisan and controversial.” 

They criticized him for past comments accusing Democrats of failing to condemn the Oct. 7 attackers as terrorists or call out antisemitism, saying that the comments raise concerns about his “judgement, temperament” and capacity to work with Democrats, and that a vote to support him would be an endorsement of those sentiments and an insult to committee Democrats.

They also condemned him for failing to condemn antisemitic comments by Trump and members of his administration, and highlighted past reporting on a lawsuit relating to an alleged extramarital affair.

“Ultimately, Mr. Kaploun, when confronted by antisemitic rhetoric, did not speak out against it and himself engaged in speech that was deeply damaging to the Jewish community at a time of peak antisemitism,” the letter reads. “We must demand better.”

Other signatories to the letter included Jewish Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Becca Balint (D-VT) and Steve Cohen (D-TN), as well as Reps. Adam Smith (D-WA), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Andre Carson (D-IN), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Cleo Fields (D-LA), Mark Takano (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Troy Carter (D-LA), Emily Randall (D-WA) and Joe Courtney (D-CT).

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, nominated to be deputy U.S. representative to the United Nations, testified alongside Kaploun. She affirmed that the administration is committed to preventing the U.N. Relief and Works Agency from having any role in the future of Gaza.

“Other nations, other entities, NGOs know that this is something now, it is a new way forward, it is something they can work forward with,” she said, praising the Trump administration’s Gaza peace plan, recently approved by the U.N. Security Council. “The World Food Program, other entities associated with the U.N. and other nations and their assistance will make the difference. We will pick up the difference of whatever UNRWA claimed that they were doing.”

She also highlighted concerns about UNRWA’s educational programs radicalizing young generations of Palestinians through antisemitic and anti-Israel school curricula and said these issues must end.

Bruce also committed to pursuing “bold reform” at the U.N. and pursuing an end to its anti-Israel bias.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism is rebranding under the name Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and launching a new advertisement focused on antisemitism that’s slated to debut on “Sunday Night Football” this weekend, Jewish Insider has learned. 

The rebranded group, whose blue square pins have become a ubiquitous symbol in the fight against antisemitism, is airing the “Sunday Night Football” ad as part of a $10 million media campaign designed to redouble awareness of the steep rise of anti-Jewish hate.

The new ad campaign, titled “When There Are No Words,” will be airing on one of the most watched shows on broadcast television — during a game between the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions. Taylor Swift, engaged to Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is also expected to be in attendance and to draw her own fans to the broadcast, expanding the audience for the advertisement’s debut.

“What do you say when a Jewish boy is kicked on a New York city sidewalk?” a voice asks as the 30-second commercial begins. “What do you say when a Holocaust survivor is firebombed in the streets of Colorado? What do you say when one in three Jewish Americans were victims of hate last year? When there are no words, there’s still a symbol to show you care. The blue square.” 

The name change and advertisement campaign — which will be supplemented by billboards and social media posts — are an extension to the foundation’s “Blue Square” campaign, which launched in March 2023, aiming to turn the blue square into the symbol for Jewish solidarity and opposition to hatred against Jewish people. The organization has since debuted a blue square pin and bracelet for allies against Jewish hate to wear publicly. 

“This campaign is laser-focused on building recognition and appreciation for what the Blue Square represents and the importance it has in cultivating allies against antisemitism,” Adam Katz, the organization’s newly minted president, told Jewish Insider. 

Katz said a primary goal of the campaign — and the organization overall — is “to awaken people” to antisemitism, particularly to those outside of the Jewish community. While the foundation is not maintaining  “antisemitism” in its name, it spotlights in its commercial the rate of antisemitic incidents that have spiked around the U.S. in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel. That focus on violence against Jews is distinct from some of its previous, high-profile ads. 

“[The name change] is meant to be inviting and bring people in and also not to feel off-putting to someone who is not part of the Jewish community but wants to participate — that’s who our target audience is, the 47% of Americans who are apathetic on the topic of antisemitism. They’re not doing anything of substance either positive or negative. This is about reaching them,” Katz said.

“The purpose of it is to raise broader cultural awareness about the magnitude and severity of antisemitism. I wish every person in this country knew [about the shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers] in D.C. in May or knew about [the firebombing at a walk advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas] in Boulder a few weeks later. Even more than that, I wish they knew about the smaller but much more frequent transgressions that take place every day.” 

Most recently, the organization’s 30-second commercial titled “No Reason to Hate,” sparked criticism from some Jewish activists for not focusing on — or even mentioning — antisemitism when it ran during the Super Bowl earlier this year. The ad featured rapper Snoop Dogg and NFL legend Tom Brady exchanging deliberately vague insults. 

“The challenge is that we just can’t explain the complexity of Judaism or antisemitism in a 30-second ad. But what we can do is invite Americans into a conversation about something they do have experience with: hate,” Kraft told JI at the time.

But Katz, who in May was tapped to lead the organization, said that the group is trying something different now to ensure that awareness of rising antisemitism is widespread, while still attempting to appeal to a wide audience. “It’s different from our other television work in that it’s a little bit more emotionally raw and jarring,” he said. “We need the wake up call.”

“Our mission of ultimately creating allies against antisemitism has not changed,” Katz told JI. “That’s why it was so important with this campaign and future campaigns to make antisemitism as prominent as it should be.” 

“We’re trying to bring people in with a low-barrier-to-entry activity. That’s what digitally sharing the blue square is. When there are no words, at a minimum, you can show your support with a blue square.”

The Justice Department’s newly formed Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism filed a statement of interest in court on Monday night supporting Jewish students and a professor in their case alleging that the University of California Los Angeles permitted antisemitism on campus. 

According to the suit, in the spring of 2024 UCLA violated Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by knowingly allowed members of an anti-Israel protest encampment to physically prevent students and faculty from accessing portions of the campus if they were wearing items that identified them as Jewish if they refused to denounce Israel. The filing comes as the task force is separately investigating the University of California system for Title VI violations. 

The brief filed on Monday marks the first time the federal government has filed a statement of interest in court to argue that a university should be held accountable for the campus antisemitism that has skyrocketed across the country since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.  

Leo Terrell, head of the antisemitism task force, said in a statement that “the President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin.” 

The Trump administration’s new multi-agency task force to combat antisemitism announced earlier this month that it would visit 10 university campuses that have experienced an increase of antisemitic incidents. 

The task force already announced it will cut $400 million from Columbia University’s federal funding due to antisemitic demonstrations unless the university agrees to a number of conditions by Thursday. At the time, Terrell said that was “only the beginning” of university funding cuts.