The Trump administration has been arresting and detaining protesters who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. They have justified the action by calling those protesters — without evidence — “Hamas supporters.”

In so doing, the administration appears to be following Project Esther, a plan from the Heritage Foundation with the stated purpose of cracking down on antisemitism. Published in October, it is seen as an addendum to Heritage’s better-known Project 2025.

Project Esther — which appears to have been written by evangelical Christians with almost no Jewish input — asserts that the country is facing a collection of “virulently anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, and anti-American groups” that it calls the “Hamas Support Network.” It names organizations like the left-leaning nonprofit Tides Foundation and Jewish Voice for Peace among the perpetrators.

Project Esther calls for the administration to rebrand pro-Palestinian supporters as Hamas supporters. It suggests public firings of pro-Palestinian professors and the deportation of student visa and green-card holders who have spoken critically of Israel, and advocates using anti-racketeering laws to break up pro-Palestinian groups.

To be very clear, there has been a rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since the outset of the war in Gaza. But Project Esther suggests that any protest — any critique of Israel — is likely antisemitic and should be dealt with accordingly.

While some Jewish groups have come out in support of Project Esther’s proposals, others have rejected it as a Christian nationalist project.

Dove Kent is among those who reject Project Esther. Kent is the US senior director of the Diaspora Alliance, a nonprofit that aims to combat antisemitism and its distortion. Kent joined Noel King on Today, Explained to discuss her response to the plan — and why she thinks it will ultimately stoke antisemitism, not mitigate it.

Below is an excerpt of the conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today,........

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