The Roots to Antisemitism
I am often asked where does antisemitism come from? Why do some people hate Jews? I have my theories. I believe it’s often created by centuries old misinformation and conspiracy theories directed at the Jewish people. Jews make up less that one percent of the Canadian population, two percent of the US population, and 0.2 percent of the world population. In many countries, including Canada, Jews are the number one target of religious hate crimes. Unlike other forms of discrimination, antisemitism is not just a social prejudice, it is a conspiracy theory centered on how the world operates. The Internet is rife with symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism, such as blood libel, to characterize Jews. Conspiracy theories allege the existence of a secret society and weaponize false accusations of child trafficking and murder; these conspiracies are built on centuries-old antisemitic tropes, including claims that the fictional deep state cabal consumes the blood of children.
Demonizing or stereotyping Jews as individuals or a collective – such as the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy that controls the media, economy, government, and other societal institutions – has become commonplace. A classic example involves Hungarian Jewish billionaire, philanthropist, and Holocaust survivor George Soros, who is widely recognized for funding progressive political and social causes. Soros has become a lightning rod for conservative and right-wing groups who object to his funding of liberal causes. In far-right circles worldwide, Soros’s philanthropy often is recast as fodder for conspiracy theories, including claims that he masterminds specific global plots or manipulates certain events to further his goals. Many of those conspiracy theories employ long-standing antisemitic myths, particularly the notion that rich and powerful Jews work behind the scenes, plotting to control countries and manipulate global events.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the phrase “poisoning the well” re-emerged on far-right fringe platforms that blamed Jews for spreading the virus. Far-left platforms replaced the word “Jews” with “Israel” and accused the Jewish state of using the virus to hurt Palestinians or to profit off the vaccine.
Since October 7th, new conspiracy theories have appeared. One theory suggests that there was no attack by Hamas. The attack was staged by Israel to justify genocide in Gaza, and that it was the IDF that killed Israeli civilians. This campaign spread despite videos and documents posted by Hamas in which they boasted about the attack. Some are suggesting that there were no hostages or sexual violence and that the alleged kidnappings are Israeli propaganda. On several occasions following October 7th, age-old antisemitic tropes such as Jewish world domination have been seen at anti-Israel rallies. This parallels the conspiracy theories following the September 11th attacks where fringe groups claimed that Mossad was behind the attacks and Jews working in the Twin Towers were told not to show up for work that day.
October 7th denial falls in the same realm is Holocaust denial. Over the past 70 years, a new form of antisemitism has emerged: denying or distorting the fact or scope of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II. This includes the number of Jews murdered and the existence of extermination camps and gas chambers.
Holocaust deniers will tell you that Auschwitz inmates were taught trades. Townspeople in the surrounding area saw life at Auschwitz as “luxurious,” what with the inmates’ attractive redbrick sleeping quarters, complete with bunk beds with mattresses, flush toilets, porcelain-covered stoves for cozy heating, and double-paned casement windows. The paths were tree-lined, there were flowers planted before every barracks, and the Nazis regularly showed movies to the inmates. Not only that, but Auschwitz had an art museum, a library, regular concerts and sporting events, a theater for music and drama, and a brothel for lonely inmates. It also had two fine post offices because the Geneva Convention rules, strictly followed by the Germans, ensured the sending and receiving of mail by all prisoners. The kindly SS guards even provided special pre-printed cards and form letters. And their health care system was world class– after all, for the Nazis, the health of the labor force was a prime concern.
Where does all this nonsense come from? Some of it is spread but stupid gullible people who are incapable of analytical thinking. I believe much of it is produced by antisemites. Why would they spread such lies? Holocaust denial is one of several conspiracy theories directed at Jews. It is a radical form of antisemitism that denies Jews the ability to be considered victims and suggests that the Holocaust is part of a worldwide conspiracy. The revisionists claim Jews around the world knowingly fabricated evidence of their own genocide in order to extract reparations from Germany, gain world sympathy and facilitate the alleged theft of Palestinian land for the creation of Israel.
I believe there is a collective responsibility for all Jews to remember. Jewish communities around the globe have built museums and memorials to preserve that memory, from Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington to the new Toronto Holocaust Museum which opened in June 2023. Every death was once a life, and their stories need to be told, because we need to honor their lives, and not their deaths. I’ve tried to contribute to that collective memory through this book. Not only are the survivors passing away, but so are the perpetrators, which will end the possibility for justice and vengeance. But what is most important is remembering the lessons of the Nazis’ rise to power. We are presently living in an era of democratic backsliding. Antisemitism is on the rise in an almost unprecedented way, both on the right and left.
