Republican politicians and white nationalists spreading antisemitism along with COVID denialism
newsdepo.com
In many ways, antisemitism and conspiracism are twins with common origins: The original conspiracy theory is the “blood libel” (claiming Jews use the blood of Gentile babies for matzoh) that arose in medieval times, and the ur-conspiracy theory of the 20tRepublican politicians and white nationalists spreading antisemitism along with COVID denialism
In many ways, antisemitism and conspiracism are twins with common origins: The original conspiracy theory is the “blood libel” (claiming Jews use the blood of Gentile babies for matzoh) that arose in medieval times, and the ur-conspiracy theory of the 20th century is the “Protocols of the Seven Elders of Zion” hoax claiming a cabal of Jews secretly run the world. Where conspiracism thrives, so does antisemitism. So it’s unsurprising to see that the COVID denialist conspiracy theories flourishing online are also driving people to antisemitism. The most recent examples include public officials—all conservative Republicans—ranging from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers, promoting antisemitic tropes while embracing conspiracy theories related to the pandemic. At the same time, overt white nationalists like Nick Fuentes have gone all-in promoting anti-vaccination propaganda that is likewise deeply antisemitic. Read more
