Godwin’s Law posits that any online argument, if it continues long enough, will inevitably invoke a comparison to Hitler.
Perhaps there should be an updated version: If you examine any given conspiracy theory, even seemingly innocuous ones, it won’t be long until you find coded and explicit antisemitism.
Some cases are obvious. Remember how far-right U.S. congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene embraced the “Jewish space lasers” theory after the California wildfires in 2018?
Other conspiracy theories, such as those that claim 9/11 was an inside job, require a little more deciphering.
More recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin spread an outlandish conspiracy theory to justify his military invasion of Ukraine. Nothing less than the de-nazification of Ukraine was required, Putin bizarrely claimed, while neglecting the fact that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and lost family members in the Holocaust.
Longevity of antisemitic conspiracy theory
One of the longest lasting conspiracy theories — even though it has been repeatedly proven false — is the narrative of a Jewish world conspiracy presented in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. British historian Richard Evans will explore the longevity of the Protocols and how they are seen within the framework of Nazi ideology, in Toronto on Nov. 2, opening Holocaust Education Week 2022. Evans’s book The Hitler Conspiracies is an important reminder of the perennial fascination with and longevity of the inherently antisemitic conspiracy theory that historian Norman Cohn famously described as a “warrant for genocide.” As Yehuda Bauer, honorary chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, stated, “a half truth is worse than a full lie.” Myths and disinformation about the Holocaust continue to permeate social media and increasingly, political discourse, even while the Holocaust is one of the most thoroughly documented events in history.Distortion, misinformation
Whether intentional or not, disinformation breathes new life into old, often violence-inducing antisemitic narratives. The power of distortion and misinformation is its seemingly immutable ability to defy the historical truth. Dangerous narratives found in the Protocols continue to inform attempts to deny and distort the Holocaust. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum calls it the most notorious and widely distributed antisemitic publication of modern times. Born out of fear and hatred, Holocaust conspiracy theories have enormous longevity and regain traction in times of uncertainty and societal unease. As distortion and disinformation attempts to erode our belief in the historical record and cast aspersions on Jews, it simultaneously nourishes conspiracy theories that encourage extreme nationalism, and not infrequently antisemitism. Antisemitism is inherently conspiratorial. In the 20th century, it became deeply enmeshed in western antidemocratic and fascist politics. Visions of shadowy Jewish cabals pulling the strings behind world events and orchestrating disasters, both macro and personal, continue to hold sway in our political imagination.Holocaust distortion disrespects victims & threatens societies. We can all help #ProtectTheFacts & ensure the Holocaust is not excused, minimised or misrepresented. New report analyses Holocaust denial & distortion on social media: https://t.co/J1036wLZPL via @UNESCO pic.twitter.com/aQWauN14I5
— United Nations (@UN) July 13, 2022
