Project Esther: A Dangerous Threat to Free Speech and Democracy

In recent months, Project Esther has been quietly but aggressively promoted by the Heritage Foundation as a National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism. On the surface, this may sound like a noble and necessary cause. But beneath the surface lies a much more troubling reality—one that poses a clear threat not just to those speaking out for Palestinian rights, but to the very foundations of democratic expression and civic participation in communities like ours.

What Is Project Esther Really About?

While Project Esther claims to protect Jewish Americans from antisemitism, its structure, authorship, and execution reveal a different agenda: one designed to suppress dissent, criminalize protest, and control speech—especially when that speech challenges conservative ideology or U.S. foreign policy. Created by the same forces behind Project 2025, this initiative represents another step in a broader effort to silence viewpoints that diverge from a narrow, right-wing orthodoxy. Launched by the Heritage Foundation in October 2024, the project’s co-chairs—Pastor Mario Bramnick and Luke Moon—are self-identified Christian Nationalists.

A Trojan Horse for Censorship

The danger of Project Esther isn’t limited to its immediate targets. Yes, it currently focuses on Palestinian solidarity movements and critiques of Israeli government policy—but the framework it creates could easily be expanded to target any movement, institution, or individual seen as ideologically inconvenient.

If implemented fully, Project Esther will set the stage for:

Criminalizing protest and labeling dissent as extremism
Stripping civil society groups of funding and legal protections
Revoking student and faculty visas for political speech
Using surveillance to monitor political activity at schools, workplaces, and beyond
Pressuring local governments, schools, and community organizations to conform to an ideological litmus test

This is not just about campus protests or foreign policy debate. It is about reshaping what kind of speech is allowed in America.

A Local Impact with National Implications

Here in Horry County—and across South Carolina—local Democratic organizations, student groups, immigrant advocates, and grassroots activists could all be swept up in this chilling campaign. The vague and expansive language used in Project Esther opens the door for repression at the local level.

Community leaders and elected officials to be accused of supporting “extremist” causes simply for speaking out for human rights.
Teachers and students to face punishment or loss of funding for engaging in honest conversations about race, inequality, or international affairs.
Immigrants and non-citizens to be detained or deported for their political views—even if those views are protected by the First Amendment.

Project Esther empowers GOP members of state and local governments—including counties like ours—to investigate, monitor, and punish dissenters, particularly those within progressive movements. This could include surveillance of campus groups, defunding of educational institutions, and the criminalization of protest—practices that undermine local governance and democratic norms.

This Is About More Than One Movement

Critically, Project Esther centers its attention on “left-wing antisemitism,” completely ignoring the very real and deadly threats posed by white supremacist and Christian nationalist groups—many of whom are closely tied to the Heritage Foundation itself. These are the same groups that marched in Charlottesville chanting “Jews will not replace us.” Their history of violence is well-documented, yet Project Esther conveniently excludes them from its narrative.

In doing so, Project Esther co-opts the real and pressing issue of antisemitism and turns it into a political weapon—one that can be used to stifle progressive voices across the board, from environmental advocates to labor organizers to racial justice coalitions.

Why We Must Push Back

Stand firmly against antisemitism in all its forms. But also stand for free speech, academic freedom, immigrant rights, and the right to protest. These rights are not conditional, and they cannot be compromised under the pretense of “national security” or “public safety.”

Project Esther is not just a policy paper—it is a roadmap for authoritarianism, cloaked in the language of protection. Its implications stretch far beyond any single movement or cause. If we allow it to take hold, we risk undermining the open, pluralistic society that democracy requires.

We urge all community members—regardless of your political beliefs or affiliations—to be vigilant. To read the fine print. To challenge the narratives that pit communities against each other. And to defend the rights of everyone to speak, assemble, and advocate without fear of retaliation.

This moment calls for unity and courage—not silence.