Over the past several months, experts have reported seeing an increase in influential individuals with significant platforms invoking longstanding prejudices about Jewish people.
Examples of anti-Semitic tropes and conspiracy theories about Jews could include: the false belief that Jews control the entertainment industry, media, politics or finance; offensive themes of Jewish greed and that Jewish people exploit others for financial gain; and extreme criticism of the Jewish state of Israel.
Sharing false anti-Semitic tropes can lead to real-world consequences that can be deeply dangerous for Jews. For example, in January 2022, a man took congregants at a synagogue in Texas hostage because he believed conspiracy theories about Jewish control.
To prevent the further spread of these ideas, the ADL created the Antisemitism Uncovered: A Guide To Old Myths in a New Era series to provide important historical context and further understanding around what these tropes are and how to recognize the threat they pose to not only the Jewish community, but to other minority groups as well.
Below, you’ll find background on some common tropes that are too often invoked to promote anti-Jewish hate, as well as a sampling of the resources included in the series. To learn more, visit ADL’s Antisemitism Uncovered guide: https://antisemitism.adl.org.
Greed:
One of the most prominent and persistent stereotypes about Jews is that they are greedy. They are seen both as relentless in the pursuit of wealth and also as stingy misers determined not to let any money slip from their grasp. Jews are imagined to exert control over the world’s financial systems, but are also accused of regularly cheating friends and neighbors out of a buck.
Power:
Jews account for approximately 0.2 percent of the global population. And yet anti-Semites believe that this tiny minority is not only on a quest for total world domination, but is already in control of banks, the media, the entertainment industry and government. At the core of this conspiracy is the belief that Jews do not deserve to have power. And there are some who believe that Jews try to wield this power for malicious ends.
Anti-Zionism:
Criticism of Israel is not necessarily anti-Semitic in and of itself. But much of contemporary anti-Zionism, or the delegitimization of Israel and its supporters, draws on and perpetuates anti-Semitic tropes.
Zionism — the movement for Jewish self-determination and statehood, reflects the millennial longing of Jews to return to their ancestral homeland in the land of Israel. Zionism asserts that the Jews have the same right to self-determination and nationhood that is typically afforded to other nations.
