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Are the goblins in ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ antisemitic? The Harry Potter video game renews criticism.
(JTA) — When people enter the world of “Hogwarts Legacy,” the blockbuster video game that was officially released on Friday, they will find themselves immersed in the fictional universe of “Harry Potter” — and face-to-face with an alleged antisemitic caricature.
The narrative of the game centers on a goblin rebellion in the 1890s, about a century before the fantasy books take place. Some who have had an early look at the game have echoed longstanding concerns that the creatures’ prominent hook noses, and their role in the “Harry Potter” universe running the wizard bank, Gringotts, teeter on the edge of an antisemitic stereotype that Jews control the world’s banks.
Others have taken issue with “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender people, which LGBTQ rights groups have called transphobic.
The criticism does not appear to have significantly impeded sales of “Hogwarts Legacy,” which has become the best-selling game on Steam, the world’s most popular vendor for computer games. On Twitch, the popular video-game streaming platform, the game reached 1.2 million concurrent viewers at its peak, the most views ever achieved for a single-player game.
While there have been Harry Potter games in the past, this is the first major studio video game from Avalanche Software, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Games. It provides an immersive experience, creating hype among fans who are hungry for a wizard simulator that makes the player feel like they live in that world. And it’s also received positive reviews, sitting at 84% on Metacritic, a review aggregate site.
It lands several years after the depiction of goblins in the extended series of Harry Potter books and movies elicited criticism. Comedian Pete Davidson criticized J.K. Rowling, the books’ author, on “Saturday Night Live” in 2020 for creating a world in which “little giant-nosed Jew goblins” control the banks. In a podcast episode in 2021, comedian Jon Stewart said, “You can ride dragons, and you’ve got a pet owl, and who should run the banks? Jews.”
Those accusations have resurfaced in the days leading up to the video game’s release. Jack Doyle, a writer for The Mary Sue, a publication that describes itself as “the geek girl’s guide to the universe,” wrote that the video game “revives the antisemitic trope.” Doyle added that “the game seems to be of the opinion that the ‘moral’ choice is to crush the [goblin] rebellions, thereby returning goblins to subjugation.”
The website for “Hogwarts Legacy” says that “J.K. Rowling was not involved in the creation of the game,” though developers “collaborated closely with her team on all aspects of the game.” Rowling herself does not appear to have directly addressed the antisemitism allegations.
Rowling does have defenders in the Jewish community — even as some of them acknowledge antisemitic undertones to the goblins. She has repeatedly condemned antisemitism publicly, particularly among supporters of former British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Following Stewart’s comments, the U.K.’s Campaign Against Antisemitism said in a statement that “the portrayal of the goblins in the Harry Potter series is of a piece with their portrayal in Western literature as a whole” and “is a testament more to centuries of Christendom’s antisemitism than it is to malice by contemporary artists. So it is with JK Rowling, who has proven herself over recent years to be a tireless defender of the Jewish community.”
Travis Northup, who wrote a glowing review of the game for IGN, a popular video game journalism website, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he did not think the game’s premise echoed an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
“The story does not depict a cabal of bank-controlling goblins trying to take over the world,” Northup wrote in a Twitter direct message. “It’s about one particular goblin rebelling against the Wizarding World’s insistence on keeping magic out of the hands of their kind.”
Northup added, though, “I certainly won’t deny that the Wizarding World’s depiction of goblins in general has always been a bit questionable — even before this game.” Northrup added that whether concerns over that “questionable” portrayal should have influenced game developers is “a tough question.”
“I imagine that Avalanche had to work within established Potter lore, which includes the goblin rebellions,” he said. “I don’t know enough about the situation there or the creative freedoms they were allowed to take.”
Northup noted that the games’ writers “go out of their way to make you interact with good goblins who don’t share the evil goblin’s ideals.” He also said he thought the developers included a trans woman in the game to “almost certainly distance themselves from Rowling’s views” on transgender people.
“It’s a world a lot of people love and I think the developers did their best to make it better than it was before Hogwarts Legacy, which is admirable,” Northup wrote.
Yonah Gerber, a video game archivist, had a different take, noting other details of the game that they said verge on antisemitism. The game includes a description of a horn that resembles a shofar, which “goblins [used] during the 1612 Goblin Rebellion to rally troops and generally annoy witches and wizards,” Gerber said.
“If this was the first time a Rowling property has been antisemitic, that’s a woopsie. But it’s not,” Gerber tweeted. “Even if these are coincidences, had the development team made a point to avoid antisemitic caricatures and educated themselves on that history, this wouldn’t have happened. They chose not to care. And that’s not much better, really.”
Gerber, who is Jewish and nonbinary, told the New York Jewish that “it sucks” that so many people are playing the game.
“I can’t do anything about the fact that people care more about entertainment than actual people harmed by said entertainment,” Gerber said.
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The post Are the goblins in ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ antisemitic? The Harry Potter video game renews criticism. appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Mamdani Taps Anti-Israel Voices Ms. Rachel, Cynthia Nixon, Jewish Voice for Peace Director for Inaugural Committee
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani attends a press conference at the Unisphere in the Queens borough of New York City, US, Nov. 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday unveiled the members of his inaugural committee, and the list includes a slate of anti-Israel appointments, sparking renewed concerns over the incoming administration’s commitment to protecting the Jewish community.
Among the most controversial appointees are high-profile activists and cultural figures who have taken public anti-Israel positions or are affiliated with organizations sharply critical of the Jewish state, such as children’s entertainer Rachel “Ms. Rachel” Accurso and actress Cynthia Nixon. Another controversial name on the list is Beth Miller, political director at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an organization that rejects Zionism and has defended protests targeting Israeli institutions.
In the two years following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel, Accurso has used her sizeable platform to launch an unremitting barrage of condemnation toward Israel, accusing the Jewish state of committing so-called “genocide” and starving children. She sparked backlash after posting about a three-year-old Gazan girl named Rahaf, who lost her legs in an Israeli airstrike. Accurso did not contextualize the situation by acknowledging that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas often uses children as human shields during their operations, instead framing Rahaf’s injuries as a result of Israeli military malfeasance. She has also falsely accused Israel of purposefully triggering starvation in Gaza against the civilian population.
“We must not let one more baby or child die of starvation. This isn’t about politics, it’s about basic humanity,” she posted on Instagram.
Nixon has repeatedly lambasted Israel and signed a petition supporting South Africa’s genocide case against the Jewish state at the International Court of Justice.
Miller helps lead one of the most vocal anti-Israel organizations in the country. She recently shared a post on X which read that Israel has “starved, abducted, and displaced Palestinian children every day in 2025.” She also shared another post which characterized Israel’s military operations as “unfathomably evil” and wrote that Israel is “actively carrying out a genocide,” citing allegations from “Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights organizations.” She even condemned outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams for visiting Israel, saying he “continues to demonstrate what it looks like to truly not give one single flying f–k about New Yorkers.”
Despite JVP’s name, a poll released earlier this year found that the vast majority of American Jews believe that anti-Zionist movements and anti-Israel university protests are antisemitic. The findings also showed that Jews across the US overwhelmingly oppose the views and tactics of JVP.
Meanwhile, StandWithUs (SWU), an organization which promotes a mission of “supporting Israel and fighting antisemitism,” released a report in January examining how the far-left JVP organization “promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories” and even partners with terrorist organizations to achieve its “primary goal” of “dismantling the State of Israel.”
According to the report, JVP weaponizes the plight of Palestinians to advance an “extremist” agenda which promotes the destruction of Israel and whitewashes terrorism, receiving money from organizations that have ties to Middle Eastern countries such as Iran.
JVP, which has repeatedly defended the Hamas-led Oct. 7 massacre, argued in a recently resurfaced 2021 booklet that Jews should not write Hebrew liturgy because hearing the language would be “deeply traumatizing” to Palestinians.
Critics of the organization often point out that many JVP chapters do not have a single person of Jewish faith. The organization does not require a Jewish person to found a chapter and has even helped orchestrate anti-Israel demonstrations in front of synagogues.
The new appointments cast doubt over whether the Mamdani administration will protect the city’s Jewish population amid a record wave of antisemitic attacks in the city. The mayor-elect has vowed to defend Jewish New Yorkers and attempted to mend relations with outreach to Jewish leaders. He has also expressed public grief over the recent Bondi Beach massacre targeting a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.
Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist and anti-Zionist, is an avid supporter of boycotting all Israeli-tied entities who has been widely accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric. He has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide”; refused to recognize the country’s right to exist as a Jewish state; and refused to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been associated with calls for violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide.
Leading members of the Jewish community in New York have expressed alarm about Mamdani’s victory, fearing what may come in a city already experiencing a surge in antisemitic hate crimes.
A Sienna Research Institute poll released in early November revealed that a whopping 72 percent of Jewish New Yorkers believe that Mamdani will be “bad” for the city. A mere 18 percent hold a favorable view of Mamdani, according to the results, while 67 percent view him unfavorably.
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Melbourne Firebombing Suspect Identified as Jewish Community Calls for Federal Royal Commission
People walk at the scene of a shooting incident at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, Dec. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kirsty Needham
Australian police have identified a person of interest in a Christmas morning arson attack on a vehicle with Hanukkah decorations, marking the latest antisemitic incident in Australia as the local Jewish community continues to face a growing climate of hostility.
On Thursday, a local rabbi’s car in Melbourne, decorated with a “Happy Chanukah” sign, was firebombed by an unknown individual, forcing his family to flee their home.
Shortly after the incident, Melbourne police launched an investigation into the firebombing, treating it as an antisemitic and targeted attack.
Authorities have now identified a 47-year-old man as their main suspect, who also has an outstanding arrest warrant for allegedly using a stolen credit card, but he has not yet been charged in connection with the firebombing.
Speaking at a press conference, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Gilbert said, “The most important thing” was to understand the motive behind the attack and to “make sure the community doesn’t live in fear as a result of this incident.”
This latest attack has sparked outrage within the local Jewish community, drawing condemnation from both Jewish leaders and government officials, as the country continues to mourn the deadly Hanukkah attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people and injured at least 40 others.
According to Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, antisemitic incidents in Australia surged by 600 percent following the Bondi Beach massacre, with data showing a sharp spike in verbal and physical attacks against Jews in public in the two days after the attack.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the latest incident, calling it a disturbing act of hatred and emphasizing the need for stronger measures to protect the Jewish community.
“The firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another terrible act of suspected antisemitism,” Albanese wrote in a post on X. “There is no place in Australia for this kind of hatred, and it has to stop.”
Australia’s Jewish community is in mourning after the Bondi terrorist attack.
The firebombing of a car in Melbourne is another terrible act of suspected antisemitism. Federal authorities stand ready to assist.
There is no place in Australia for this kind of hatred and it has to…
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 25, 2025
As the local Jewish community continues to grapple with a shocking surge in violence and targeted attacks, Australia’s rabbis urged Albanese in a letter to establish a federal Royal Commission into antisemitism — a formal public inquiry empowered to investigate, make recommendations, and propose legislative measures to address the issue.
“We have sat with grieving families. We have visited the injured. We have stood with children who no longer feel safe walking to school. We have watched members of our communities withdraw from public spaces, universities, and civic life out of fear,” the letter reads.
“We are demanding nothing less than the banning of [anti-Israel] marches and demonstrations, and the criminalization of the phrases ‘death to the IDF,’ ‘globalize the intifada,’ and ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ This is not an abstract concern. It is a lived reality,” it continues, referencing three popular chants among anti-Israel activists that have been widely interpreted as a call for violence against both Jews and Israelis.
BREAKING – Australia’s Rabbis have written to the Prime Minister calling for a Royal Commission pic.twitter.com/gCpuhdszZS
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 25, 2025
Amid this increasingly hostile climate, the Australian government has been pursuing a series of firearm reforms, including a national gun buyback and limits on the number of firearms an individual can own.
On Wednesday, New South Wales passed its own legislation further restricting firearm ownership. Police will also be granted more powers to impose restrictions on protests for up to three months after a declared terrorist, and public display of flags and symbols of designated terrorist organizations has been outlawed.
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Israel Becomes First Country to Recognize Somaliland, Establishing Diplomatic Ties Amid Regional Security Concerns
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signs the joint declaration of mutual recognition with Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, officially establishing full diplomatic relations between the two nations. Photo: Screenshot
Israel on Friday became the first country to officially recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state, in a move expected to reshape regional power dynamics as the two governments expand political, security, and economic cooperation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a joint declaration of mutual recognition, formally establishing full diplomatic relations between the two sides.
Somaliland is an unrecognized state in the Horn of Africa, situated on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somalia to the east.
In a statement on the newly signed agreement, Netanyahu praised Abdi for “his leadership and commitment to promoting stability and peace” in the region, while also inviting him to make an official visit to Israel.
“The State of Israel plans to immediately expand its relations with the Republic of Somaliland through extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy,” the Israeli leader wrote in a post on X.
I announced today the official recognition of the Republic of Somaliland as an independent and sovereign state.
Together with Foreign Minister Sa’ar and the President of the Republic of Somaliland, we signed a joint and mutual declaration.
This declaration is in the spirit of… pic.twitter.com/WlZuN1HB5z
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) December 26, 2025
With the newly signed agreement, Saar said plans would also move forward for the appointment of ambassadors and the opening of embassies.
“We will work together to promote the relations between our countries and nations, regional stability, and economic prosperity,” the top Israeli diplomat said.
For his part, Abdi announced that Somaliland would also join the Abraham Accords, calling it a “step toward regional and global peace” and affirming his government’s commitment to building partnerships, boosting mutual prosperity, and promoting stability across the Middle East and Africa.
Although no other country has formally recognized Somaliland, several — including the United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Kenya, and Taiwan — have maintained liaison offices, allowing them to engage diplomatically and conduct trade and consular activities without full formal recognition.
Israel’s move has provoked outrage among several regional powers, with the foreign ministers of Somalia, Egypt, Turkey, and Djibouti condemning its recognition of Somaliland as undermining Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
According to experts, the growing Israel-Somaliland partnership could be a “game changer” for Israel, boosting the Jewish state’s ability to counter the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist group while offering strategic and geographic advantages amid shifting regional power dynamics.
Unlike most other states in the region, Somaliland has relative security, regular elections, and a degree of political stability — qualities that make it a valuable partner for international allies and a key player in regional cooperation.
Last month, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a prominent Israeli think tank, released a new report arguing that Somaliland’s strategic position along the Red Sea, its closeness to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, and its willingness to work with pro-Western states make it a key ally for Israel, benefiting both sides amid rising regional volatility.
“Somaliland’s significance lies in its geostrategic location and in its willingness — as a stable, moderate, and reliable state in a volatile region — to work closely with Western countries,” the INSS report said.
“Somaliland’s territory could serve as a forward base for multiple missions: intelligence monitoring of the Houthis and their armament efforts; logistical support for Yemen’s legitimate government in its war against them; and a platform for direct operations against the Houthis,” it continued.
This strategic partnership comes at a critical moment, as Israeli and US officials have warned of rising Islamist terrorist threats across Sub-Saharan Africa, placing the region at the forefront of global concern over jihadist activity.