The Jeffrey Epstein affair contains all the elements needed to become fertile ground for conspiracy theories—money, power, politics, and crime are only a partial list. However, this case also involves Jews, which makes it fertile ground for blatant antisemitism as well. The conspiracy theory that has gained the most traction among certain segments of the public is that Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad agent who committed his serious crimes on Israel’s behalf; According to this claim, Israel wanted him to “trap” prominent figures, including politicians and businesspeople, so that it could later blackmail them using this information.
This claim, amplified by right-wing American opinion leaders such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, relies solely on Epstein being Jewish and on the fact that he sometimes used Hebrew words in his correspondence.
Around this theory, additional antisemitic conspiracy theories have emerged, such as the one alleging that Epstein had a bank account named “Baal,” a Canaanite name—an allegation that has been debunked yet continues to be used as “evidence” of his membership in a global Jewish network that moves money to control centers of power.
The conspiracy theories and antisemitism that erupted with Epstein’s arrest—and even more so with the release of documents by authorities in the United States—should not surprise anyone. As in other cases, current events provide people who already hold antisemitic views an opportunity to express those ignorant positions under a veneer of legitimacy, since the vast majority of people agree that the acts committed by Epstein and his associates are reprehensible and even criminal. These events do not require antisemites to invent new conspiracy theories but only to resurrect old theories from the archives that fit the new context. For example, the theory that Jews spread diseases was revived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the focus is on theories about Jewish control of politics and the economy. Therefore, combating these theories will not be enough; only education that uproots antisemitic perceptions within the population can help dismantle these dangerous ideas.
The Jeffrey Epstein affair contains all the elements needed to become fertile ground for conspiracy theories—money, power, politics, and crime are only a partial list. However, this case also involves Jews, which makes it fertile ground for blatant antisemitism as well. The conspiracy theory that has gained the most traction among certain segments of the public is that Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad agent who committed his serious crimes on Israel’s behalf; According to this claim, Israel wanted him to “trap” prominent figures, including politicians and businesspeople, so that it could later blackmail them using this information.
This claim, amplified by right-wing American opinion leaders such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, relies solely on Epstein being Jewish and on the fact that he sometimes used Hebrew words in his correspondence.
Around this theory, additional antisemitic conspiracy theories have emerged, such as the one alleging that Epstein had a bank account named “Baal,” a Canaanite name—an allegation that has been debunked yet continues to be used as “evidence” of his membership in a global Jewish network that moves money to control centers of power.
The conspiracy theories and antisemitism that erupted with Epstein’s arrest—and even more so with the release of documents by authorities in the United States—should not surprise anyone. As in other cases, current events provide people who already hold antisemitic views an opportunity to express those ignorant positions under a veneer of legitimacy, since the vast majority of people agree that the acts committed by Epstein and his associates are reprehensible and even criminal. These events do not require antisemites to invent new conspiracy theories but only to resurrect old theories from the archives that fit the new context. For example, the theory that Jews spread diseases was revived during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the focus is on theories about Jewish control of politics and the economy. Therefore, combating these theories will not be enough; only education that uproots antisemitic perceptions within the population can help dismantle these dangerous ideas.