Wikipedia: Project Esther
"Project Esther is a project of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based conservative think tank, that aims to suppress pro-Palestinian protests and what it classifies as antisemitism. The effort has received support from several evangelical Christian organizations but no major Jewish ones."
"According to The New York Times,
Slate,
Haaretz,
The Forward, and
Jewish Insider, Project Esther does not address right-wing antisemitism. Project Esther broadly labels criticism of Israel as terrorism and calls for targeting universities, students, and American progressive politics and politicians."
"
Politico described Project Esther as "a lesser-known blueprint from the same creators of Project 2025." In May 2025,
The New York Times found that the second Trump administration had called for or acted upon more than half of Project Esther's proposals."
"According to
Truthout, Project Esther isn’t just about Palestine. Crafted by the Heritage Foundation — the same far right organization behind Project 2025 — the playbook purports to provide a “national strategy to combat antisemitism.” First published and reported on last year, the document has seen new life in recent days following a New York Times investigation into Trump administration policies that mirror the plan. But Project Esther’s authors make clear that their war on the Gaza solidarity movement is just a Trojan horse for a far more ambitious project: destroying the American left."
The Times of Israel
"Documents from Project Esther reveal a disquieting strategy. It reportedly seeks to identify and pressure individuals it labels as “masterminds,” including Jewish figures such as philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. This language evokes long standing antisemitic tropes of Jewish control and manipulation — tropes that have historically fueled discrimination and violence. The project also proposes targeting “foreign members vulnerable to deportation” and working with law enforcement to “generate uncomfortable conditions” for progressive activists, raising serious concerns about civil liberties and the weaponization of antisemitism for political ends. We’ve already seen this playbook in action at Columbia University, with Trump declaring it “the first of many.” History shows the dangers of authoritarian regimes defining citizenship based on identity and political views."