https://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/qanon-attracts-jewish-believers-despite-anti-semitic-leanings/
Rothschild believes the “disillusionment is only temporary. They will find a way to reconcile what happened. The vast majority are too imbedded into it. They’ve sacrificed so much for it, their health, family. Most people want to believe. There’s very much a feeling of this movement understanding me, while my family doesn’t. My family thinks I’m crazy. It’s very cult-like.”
Rothschild, whose book, “The Storm is Upon Us,” will be published in October, said that he doesn’t speak to Q believers as part of his research. “They are very evasive,” he said. “But I spend a lot of time talking to family and friends, those who are left behind by it.”
He believes that the Jan. 6 riots were just the beginning. “I could foresee an act of mass violence and it could be directed against Jews,” he said. “Jews are always the first target. But we should all be concerned, not just Jews. We can’t ignore QAnon and hope it will just go away.”
Whether or not some of the Jewish believers understand the anti-Semitic underpinnings of QAnon, many have been eager to share their beliefs with friends, much like evangelical Christians are driven to “witness” to Jews.
This may actually provide an opening for friends or family members to intervene, Mayo said.
“Today, there are so many people who don’t know what truth is. People are in a bubble,” Mayo said. “If you hear family members talk about pedophiles, learn how to challenge them by asking questions. That’s the best way to reach people. They’re in a rabbit hole and it’s hard to pull them out. Ask them for evidence.”
ADL, meanwhile, is keeping its eye on what QAnon may morph into. “We’re still living through a pandemic and a very polarized society. What happens when people are angry and feel disenfranchised and what ideologies might they espouse?” Mayo added. “There’s always stuff percolating, on all sides. Our job is to expose it.”