Throughout history this same conspiracy theory has reared its ugly head in a variety of forms.
Religious antisemitism presents Jews as “Christ-killers,” developing over time into the antisemitic canard of “blood libel,” in which Jews were accused of murdering Christians or other non-Jewish children and using their blood in religious rituals.
Economic, social, and ideological antisemitism presents Jews as a devious and subversive force on the national or international scene, deliberately undermining the structure of civilization for their own benefit, whether it be through warfare, political influence, or financial control. The fabricated text, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, played a significant part in fueling the continued spread of such a belief across Europe. The roots of the Holocaust can be found in a potent combination of these conspiratorial fantasies and concepts of racial “purity.”
The latest form—so-called “contemporary” antisemitism—attempts to re-brand this ancient hatred by hiding behind the false banner of “anti-Zionist” ideology, with “Israel” often being a convenient synonym for “the Jews.”
Over and over, these conspiracy theories and tropes raise their heads. They can be seen in Kanye West’s recent claims that Jewish people control the media and the financial world; claims by high-profile politicians and commentators arguing that Jews have “hypnotized” the world or control the weather through space lasers; and in violent attacks targeting Jews in the Middle East, Europe, and the streets of America.
In his excellent book, “Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories,” Rob Brotherton provides the following “portrait” of a conspiracy theory:
“The prototypical conspiracy theory is an unanswered question; it assumes nothing is as it seems; it portrays the conspirators as preternaturally competent; and as unusually evil; it is founded on anomaly hunting; and it is ultimately irrefutable.”
And it is the final characteristic of conspiracy theories—their ultimate irrefutability—which makes antisemitism so viciously durable.
Consider West as a high-profile example. In recent days, he has managed to push almost every antisemitic trope in the book, including that Jews control the media and the financial system, that Jews hold power over information, and that all these pillars of power are leveraged against their collective enemies.
And those who have defended West’s definitional antisemitism have relied on one of Brotherton’s fundamental principles of conspiracy theories—their irrefutability—to obfuscate or deflect accusations of wrongdoing.
That is why those who point out West’s antisemitism are not labeled as incorrect, but “dishonest.” That is why Jews were blamed for West’s supposed cancellation by JP Morgan. That is why Jews were blamed for West’s supposed cancellation on social media, and all after West happened to cement the irrefutability of his own claims by implying that Jews invented cancel culture.
Antisemitism can only exist alongside an immutable “Heads I win, tails you lose” philosophy.
If there is no response to West’s repeated and unapologetic anti-Jewish bigotry, then this proves that he wasn’t antisemitic. “Heads, I win.”
If there is a response to West’s repeated and unapologetic anti-Jewish bigotry, then this is further proof of the devilish Jewish control pulling the strings in the shadows. “Tails, you lose.”
Ian Haworth is the host of “Off Limits with Ian Haworth.” Follow him on Twitter @ighaworth.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
