I enjoy writing for the Purim edition. A good satirical article has elements of truth, plays on the biases on the reader, and comes up with a conclusion that most people would realize is fiction. At the end of the article I said “Happy Purim” to make sure that the reader realized that it was fake. I have had people read my past Purim articles and believe that I was serious (regarding both this and past articles).
The other side of the coin are those who present positions with elements of truth and play to biases in order to come up with what they believe is a serious theory. Unfortunately, the Jewish community has been the target of many of these theories, which have had a large following in a segment of the population. One of the most famous is the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. It was shown to be a forgery, but to this day, many people still believe its authenticity. Henry Ford wrote an American version of the Protocols in a series of articles in the Dearborn Independent in 1920 entitled “The International Jew, The World’s Foremost Problem.” To understand how significant it was, imagine today if Jeff Bezos wrote this in a series of articles in the Washington Post. As he was probably the most well-known industrialist in the country at that time due to his success with the Model A and Model T, Henry Ford’s words were given instant credibility.
For example, Ford’s June 5, 1920 column of “Jewish History in the United States” starts out: “The story of the Jews in America begins with Christopher Columbus. On August 2, 1492, more than 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain, with which event Spain’s prestige began its long decline, and on August 3, the next day, Columbus set sail for the West, taking a group of Jews with him. Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor, did not entirely approve of their settling among his people and ordered them to leave, but the Jews had evidently taken the precaution to assure their being received even if not welcomed, because upon revoking the order of Stuyvesant, the Directors gave as one of the reasons for the Jews being received.
“The theatrical business, of course, as everyone knows, is exclusively Jewish. Play-producing, booking, theater operation is all in the hands of Jews.” This is incorrect, although it is true that there were many Jews involved. Then comes the kicker: “This perhaps accounts for the fact that in almost every production today can be detected propaganda, sometimes glaringly commercial advertisement, which does not originate with playwrights, but with producers. The motion picture industry. The sugar industry. The tobacco industry. Fifty percent or more of the meat packing industry. Upward of 60 percent of the shoemaking industry. Men’s and women’s ready-made clothing. Most of the musical purveying done in the country. Jewelry. Grain. More recently, cotton. The Colorado smelting industry. Magazine authorship. News distribution. The liquor business. The loan business. These, only to name the industries with national and international sweep, are in control of the Jews of the United States, either alone or in association with Jews overseas.”
Today the big story is the coronavirus. For anti-Semites, it comes back to Jews. Philip Giraldi, Ph.D., executive director of the Council for the National Interest, wrote in an article, “Who made Coronavirus? Was it the U.S., Israel or China itself?” Giraldi worked for the CIA for 18 years in counterintelligence and has a degree from the University of Chicago and a doctorate from the University of London. Although Giraldi may not be as well-known as Ford was, his background gives legitimacy to his position.
Giraldi argues that the coronavirus may have been created by United States together with Israel.
“…there is an Israeli story that just might shed some light on what has been going on in China. Scientists at Israel’s Galilee Research Institute are now claiming that they will have a vaccine against coronavirus in a few weeks which will be ready for distribution and use within 90 days. The institute is claiming that it has been engaged in four years of research on avian coronavirus funded by Israel’s Ministries of Science & Technology and Agriculture. They are claiming that the virus is similar to the version that has infected humans, which has led to breakthroughs in development through genetic manipulation, but some scientists are skeptical that a new vaccine could be produced so quickly to prevent a virus that existed only recently. They also have warned that even if a vaccine is developed it would normally have to be tested for side effects, a process that normally takes over a year and includes using it on infected humans.
If one even considers it possible that the United States had a hand in creating the coronavirus at what remains of its once extensive biological weapons research center in Fort Detrick, Maryland, it is very likely that Israel was a partner in the project. Helping to develop the virus would also explain how Israeli scientists have been able to claim success at creating a vaccine so quickly, possibly because the virus and a treatment for it were developed simultaneously.”
“It is difficult to explain why coronavirus has hit one country in particular, other than China, very severely. That country is Iran, the often-cited enemy of both the U.S. and Israel.” He also points out the United States, along with Israel, has worked together against Iran using the Stuxnet computer virus.
It would be a mistake to look at Giraldi as a crackpot. He is very intelligent and knows how to make an argument that is steeped in anti-Semitism under the guise of legitimate discussion. Unfortunately, not much has changed since the “discovery” of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Ford’s anti-Semitic series.
The names may change, but in every generation there are going to be people who are successful or present themselves as intellectuals and are anti-Semites who will blame Jews for the world’s problems.
We should not let our guard down.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
