Understanding antisemitism: Scapegoating Jewish people

Throughout history, the Jewish people have often been accused of heinous crimes and of being the cause of society’s problems, especially tragedies—whether health, economic or political—that were difficult, if not impossible, to explain.

Two reports released in November 2020 by the WJC found that harmful conspiracy myths targeting Jews have been increasingly widespread online and that the once United States-centric movement QAnon has spread and is evident in Europe as well. Across social media the use of phrases such as “Jewish virus” and epithets such as “kike” and “dirty Jew” have increased.

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/understanding-antisemitism-scapegoating-jewish-people

>>15657628

Understanding antisemitism: Scapegoating Jewish people

The definition includes a list of eleven reference examples to aid in the identification of antisemitism, but most relevant are the following:

Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as a collective — such as, especially, but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government, or other societal institutions.

Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/understanding-antisemitism-scapegoating-jewish-people

>>15657660

Understanding antisemitism: Scapegoating Jewish people

At WJC’s 16th Plenary Assembly a resolution was passed outlining the state of antisemitism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resolution:

CONDEMNS the targeting of Jews and other minorities, in particular Asians and individuals of Asian descent, as responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic in many parts of the world;

FURTHER CONDEMNS the targeting of Jews as convenient scapegoats in an alarming revisiting of other periods throughout history when Jews were blamed during times of crisis, including, for example, for poisoning wells and causing the Bubonic Plague;

DEPLORES the fact that despite this pandemic’s universal effect, disinformation, antisemitic hate speech and conspiracy myths are increasingly being disseminated, both on- and offline;

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/understanding-antisemitism-scapegoating-jewish-people

>>15657761

Understanding antisemitism: Scapegoating Jewish people

What are other manifestations?

Blaming Jews for the death of Jesus

Accusing Jews of being responsible for the Bubonic Plague

Alleging that Jews poisoned wells (in an attempt to kill Christians)

Alleging that Jews used the blood of missing children for Passover matzah

Accusing Jews of ritual murder, e.g., Anderl von Rinn, the Damascus Affair, Simon of Trent, etc.

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/understanding-antisemitism-scapegoating-jewish-people

>>15657850

Understanding antisemitism: Scapegoating Jewish people

This antisemitic diatribe was codified in the early-20th-century publication of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which has become a foundational document of much of modern-day antisemitism.

https://www.worldjewishcongress.org/en/news/understanding-antisemitism-scapegoating-jewish-people