Anti-Semitism demands our immediate attention

Example of an anti-Semitic internet meme from the website of the Goyim Defense League, a group recently responsible for distributing anti-Semitic fliers in Napa among hundreds of other incidents nationwide. The meme contains a combination of traditional anti-Semitic tropes such as the "smirking merchant" along with the implication that Jews are responsible for the 9/11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic

By Evan Jackson staff writer

Every year in Mr. Hart's AP language and composition class, students read the classic American novel The Great Gatsby and encounter the character of Wolfsheim, a scheming Jewish gangster with a prominent nose. While many people think that anti-Semitic caricatures like Wolfsheim only exist in hundred year old novels, there is still significant and growing anti-Semitism in the modern day. The Anti Defamation League, an advocacy group created to fight anti-Semitism, recorded record numbers of anti-Semitic hate incidents in 2021.

Anti-Semitic tropes and stereotypes are far more common than most people may realize. Many popular conspiracy theories have their roots in anti-Semitism. Many forms of anti-Semitism are subtle and can be hard to notice without knowledge of specific tropes and stereotypes. Being educated is a highly important part of preventing this kind of hate because it is necessary to be able to recognize anti-Semitism in order to be able to combat it. “When they see or hear anything that smacks of it [anti-Semitism] they should step up” and confront it, said local Rabbi Cheryl Rosenstein. A lot of anti-Semitism goes unnoticed and can slip under the radar, or even be spread by people who don’t know any better.

Greed is among the most common anti-Semitic stereotype of Jews. It stems from the European middle ages, where discriminatory laws limiting the economic activities Jews were allowed to participate in forced many Jews to become money lenders. The association with greed carries into many variations on this stereotype, such as the “smirking merchant” meme (a common caricature of a scheming Jewish merchant) and conspiracies that Jews control global finance. One common example are the conspiracy theories involving the Jewish Rothschild banking family secretly running the world.

Another anti-Semitic trope is disloyalty, which has its origins in the New Testament story of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas. A prominent manifestation of this stereotype was the Dreyfus Affair in France, where a Jewish officer in the French military was accused of selling military secrets to the Germans. Though innocent, he was convicted several times and his trials led to anti-Semitic riots. After World War I, the Nazis spread the idea that Jews in Germany had betrayed the German army and caused their defeat. The belief that Jews were undermining the German army was then used as a justification for the Holocaust.

The belief that Jews are secretly controlling the world is a common anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. This includes a wide variety of strange theories and made-up organizations, such as the Illuminati, believing Jews are working to bring about “the New World Order”, and the Rothschilds are funding space lasers. The Jewish billionaire George Soros is a common target of modern anti-Semitic conspiracies. He is often accused of funding Antifa, a loose movement of groups and individuals who militantly oppose facism, and staging Black Live Matter protests. The QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges that a cabal of satanic pedophiles rules the world, has strong elements of anti-Semitism with George Soros and the Rothschilds being frequent targets. A major historical inspiration for these conspiracies is The Protocols of the Elder of Zion, a forgery that purported to show a Jewish plot for global domination that gained traction in Nazi Germany and with American automaker Henry Ford. Euphemisms associated with these conspiracy theories include referring to “Globalists'' and suggesting that Jews control institutions like banks and the media. 

Blood Libel is an anti-Semitic myth that dates back to the medieval period. Blood Libel is the false accusation of the ritual murder of non-Jews to use their blood. It often takes the form of blaming Jews for various murders and atrocities.

Deicide is the myth that Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus. The modern consensus is that Jesus was killed by the Roman authorities. The Catholic Church denounced the notion in 1964, but the claim still endures.

Holocaust denial is one of the most obvious forms of anti-Semitism. It is indisputable fact that Nazi Germany killed about six million Jews in a genocide. Anti-Semitic attempts to deny the Holocaust vary in how they go about rewriting history but do so with the general intent to portray the holocaust as a hoax. “Holocaust education should be part of every public school curriculum,” says Rosenstein. 

There is a long history of anti-Semitic caricatures of Jews. These usually involve exaggerated facial features such as large hooked noses along with dark eyes. These caricatures are instantly recognizable in Nazi propaganda posters and old political cartoons, and can still be found in some internet memes.

It is important to be aware of anti-Semitic tropes in order to avoid accidentally repeating them and to be able to identify the often subtle ways in which they appear. Through ignorance these tropes can spread into the mainstream, so it is critical to be aware and act early to stop anti-Semitism. “Being bystanders doesn't lead to human progress.” said Rosenstein.