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Re: If it smells like a conspiracy and looks like... |
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Posted by Stephen Bauman on Wed Apr 24 10:41:55 2024, in response to Re: If it smells like a conspiracy and looks like..., posted by Chicagomotorman on Wed Apr 24 10:00:27 2024. don't you think George Soros is perhaps involved?Spreading antisemitism again? Here's the Anti-Defamation League's take on the Soros conspiracy theories. https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/antisemitism-lurking-behind-george-soros-conspiracy-theories The Antisemitism Lurking Behind George Soros Conspiracy Theories Hungarian Jewish billionaire, philanthropist and Holocaust survivor George Soros is widely recognized for funding progressive political and social causes, usually through grants made by his Open Society Foundations. As a result, Soros has become a lightning rod for conservative and right-wing groups who object to his funding of liberal causes. In far-right circles worldwide, Soros’ philanthropy often is recast as fodder for outsized conspiracy theories, including claims that he masterminds specific global plots or manipulates particular events to further his goals. Many of those conspiracy theories employ longstanding antisemitic myths, particularly the notion that rich and powerful Jews work behind the scenes, plotting to control countries and manipulate global events. The right-wing government of Viktor Orbán in Hungary have attacked Soros for years, claiming that he seeks to undermine Hungary’s national ethos. The vehemence of the anti-Soros campaigns is chilling. For example, a slew of posters that appeared in Budapest last summer reminded many observers of Nazi-era propaganda used to stir up hatred and violence against Jews. However, such anti-Soros activity is not unique to Hungary. Soros long has been a punching bag of authoritarian regimes across Eastern Europe where resentment lingers for his work to build democratic institutions and governments after the fall of the Iron Curtain. And voices in some liberal democracies like Israel cast Soros as a central figure trying to undermine the national interest. In the United States, Soros long has been a favored target of the so-called alt right and other right-wing extremists. Their online echo chambers reverberate with conspiracies about Soros, accusing him of attempting to perpetrate “white genocide” and push his own malevolent agenda. In a report published earlier this year that analyzed antisemitic speech on Twitter, ADL found that Soros figured prominently in a significant number of antisemitic tweets. One noteworthy allegation claimed that Soros was responsible for the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in August 2017 in Charlottesville, Va. Other tweets referred to his Jewish heritage in pejorative terms and claimed that he’s trying to undermine all of Western civilization. More recently, we have seen conspiracy theories surface that blame Soros of funding protests against the appointment of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. A series of hateful posters on this topic were plastered on colleges campuses, all part of a campaign engineered by the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website. And just this week anti-Muslim advocate Frank Gaffney sent an e-mail blast to his supporters asking, “Is George Soros the anti-Christ?” and suggesting that his record “is one of such malevolence and destruction that he must at a minimum be considered the anti-Christ’s right-hand man.” But it's been equally troubling to see claims of Soros-driven conspiracies move into the mainstream. Even if unintentional, politicians and pundits repeating these unsubstantiated conspiracies essentially validate the same hateful myths propagated by antisemites. A person who promotes a Soros conspiracy theory may not intend to promulgate antisemitism. But Soros’ Jewish identity is so well-known that in many cases it is hard not to infer that meaning. This is especially true when Soros-related conspiracy theories include other well-worn antisemitic tropes such as control of the media or banks; references to undermining societies or destabilizing countries; or language that hearkens back to the medieval blood libels and the characterization of Jews as evil, demonic, or agents of the antichrist. Even if no antisemitic insinuation is intended, casting a Jewish individual as a puppet master who manipulates national events for malign purposes has the effect of mainstreaming antisemitic tropes and giving support, however unwitting, to bona fide antisemites and extremists who disseminate these ideas knowingly and with malice. Here's one of the latest conspiracies that's being spread by Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/world/israels-un-ambassador-slams-soros-donations-pro-hamas-groups-seeking-destruction-jewish-state Israel's UN ambassador slams Soros for donations to 'pro-Hamas groups' seeking destruction of Jewish state Report claims Soros organization has given millions to US groups who allegedly support terror group By Benjamin Weinthal Fox News Published December 3, 2023 4:00am EST Left-wing activist billionaire George Soros is facing intense criticism from Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. for pumping over $15 million into a network of nongovernmental organizations that allegedly support Hamas. "George Soros’ donations to organizations that seek the destruction of the State of Israel as a Jewish state is shameful. However, I am not surprised," Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan told Fox News Digital. Hamas launched a full-blown invasion into southern Israel Oct. 7, resulting in the mass murder of 1,200 people, including over 30 Americans. Hamas also took more than 200 hostages. American citizens were among civilians kidnapped by the jihadi terrorist entity. "For years, Soros has backed and transferred money to organizations supporting BDS that want to isolate Israel," added Erdan, who has been leading the diplomatic campaign at the U.N. to spell out Hamas’ crimes against humanity. "They have never been about real peace or any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." BDS is an abbreviation for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign targeting the Jewish state. The German and Austrian parliaments classified BDS as an antisemitic movement that resembles the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses during the nascent phase of the Holocaust. Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of "The Soros Agenda," told Fox News Digital, "Support of pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian groups in the U.S. is not limited to foreign entities. It also comes directly and indirectly from U.S.-based foundations. George and Alexander Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) is one of them."... Here's what the Soros' supported Open Society Foundations wrote about the present situation. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/newsroom/open-society-foundations-statement-on-israel-and-palestine Open Society Foundations Statement on Israel and Palestine November 1, 2023 NEW YORK—The Open Society Foundations are profoundly concerned with the escalating violence of the ongoing Hamas-Israel war and urge all to support diplomatic efforts toward a humanitarian ceasefire and the release of all hostages. We unequivocally condemn the attacks conducted by Hamas on Israeli citizens on October 7 and grieve for the lives lost and injured. The cruelty displayed was heartbreaking and inexcusable and we mourn the loss of innocent civilians. Israel, as every nation, has a right and a responsibility to defend its citizens. Its current military campaign, however, is becoming increasingly indiscriminate. The deprivation of electricity, water, fuel, and food to the population of the besieged Gaza Strip; the blocking of almost all humanitarian relief efforts; and a bombing campaign that has caused unprecedented casualties is likely to be judged as collective punishment. International humanitarian law must be respected. Tragedy need not beget further tragedy and add to an already far too long multigenerational cycle of violence and trauma among both Israelis and Palestinians. The international community must redouble efforts to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip, secure the release of all hostages, and work to de-escalate mounting tensions within Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the wider Middle East that pose a threat to global stability. The international consensus on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the principle of national self-determination, is a laudable goal. But, in the last two decades, the international community has hollowed out this consensus, complacently using it as a fig leaf for diplomatic inaction while the situation has festered. This too must change, and recent developments should serve as a wake-up call. Open Society has long supported efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict, based on our fundamental values of support for human rights and our desire for Israelis and Palestinians alike to live in safety and dignity. However far off it may seem at this moment, a two-state solution remains the only realistic and viable outcome. The Open Society Foundations have worked in Palestine and Israel since 1999. Our grant giving has focused on supporting Palestinians and Israelis, alongside their respective civil societies, to find a fair and enduring solution that fulfills the aspirations of both to live in freedom and peace. We support a range of partners around the world that are working toward securing the rights of all who live in the region. This has included funding Israeli and Palestinian organizations that research and document violations of human rights and international humanitarian law; that contribute to international policy analysis and discourse; and that advocate for equality and justice for all. |
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