It’s time we talk about this neo-Nazi antisemitic conspiracy that has become widely accepted among the so-called “progressive” left.
The Trump administration detained Mahmoud Khalil because he allegedly violated the terms of his permanent residency (Green Card/immigrant visa) by espousing support or encouraging others to espouse support for US-designated terrorist groups.
Whether you agree with these laws or not, or with Khalil’s detention or not, those are American immigration laws and have absolutely nothing to do with how the State of Israel feels about Mahmoud Khalil, his politics, or his activism.
That said, I do not believe the use of “shalom” here as a threat is helpful at all. In fact, it only fuels this conspiracy and places even more of a target on the backs of Jews, who are already feeling deeply vulnerable.
Again, Khalil’s detainment and potential deportation have absolutely nothing to do with Israeli law and everything to do with American immigration law.
THE CONSPIRACY THAT JEWS CONTROL FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
The conspiracy that Jews or Zionists control the American government is an evolution of the much older “international Jewish conspiracy,” which has its origins all the way back in the 13th century. The conspiracy alleges that Jews secretly command foreign governments (including, now, the United States) to conspire against Christian, Muslim, or white interests, depending on the identity of the antisemite.
This conspiracy, however, really rose in popularity in the 19th century, when Frederick van Millingen published “The Conquest of the World by the Jews.”
Then, in 1903, a newspaper called Znamya published the most infamous -- and influential -- antisemitic hoax of all time, The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, which, allegedly, declassified the minutes of secret meetings between Jewish leaders during the First Zionist Congress in 1897. According to The Protocols, which was proven to be a forgery in 1920, 1935, and 1964, Jews are power-hungry conspirators who are plotting to rule the world by controlling the economy and the media and inciting religious conflict around the globe.
ZIONIST OCCUPIED GOVERNMENT/ZIONIST OCCUPATION GOVERNMENT
In 1976, American neo-Nazi Eric Thomson wrote an article titled, “Welcome to the ZOG-World,” where he introduced the “Zionist Occupation Government” conspiracy. In his work, Thomson argued that Jews maneuver the machinations of western governments by suppressing free speech, confiscating land, and taking over military and police forces.
The “Zionist Occupation Government” conspiracy gained even more prominence in 1985 when a white supremacist group, the Silent Brotherhood, carried a series of robberies in California and Washington to raise funds for a future battle against the American Zionist Occupation Government.
Finally, in 1996, the neo-Nazi group, the Aryan Nation, wrote an “Aryan Declaration of Independence,” which, among other things, claimed that “the history of the present Zionist Occupied Government of the United States of America is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations…”
Today, we commonly hear echoes of the “Zionist Occupation Government” conspiracy not just among far-right white supremacists...but among some antisemites on the left, including members of Congress.
This should concern anyone who claims to oppose antisemitism and white supremacy.
Why is a left-wing, pro-Palestine activist exactly mirroring the language of the neo-Nazi who coined the “Zionist Occupation Government” conspiracy?
THE ROTHSCHILDS
The Rothschild family is a wealthy Jewish banking family that rose to prominence in 18th century Europe. In 1846, French journalist Mathieu Georges Dairnvaell wrote a pamphlet under the pen name “Satan,” which, just like the The Protocols a few decades later, made a number of false allegations that over time spiraled into antisemitic canards of their own. “Satan” accused Nathan Rothschild of witnessing France’s 1815 defeat in the Battle of Waterloo firsthand and weaponizing this knowledge — before the news broke to the public — to make 20 million francs in the stock exchange.
In reality, Nathan Rothschild was never in Belgium, nor did he ever profit from the Battle of Waterloo. Yet over the next couple centuries, the Rothschilds would be blamed of manipulating just about every government and instigating just about every war or calamity for economic gain...even the Holocaust.
Today the term “Rothschild” is often used as an antisemitic dogwhistle. It has become a placeholder for the supposedly rich and greedy Jewish cabal which manipulates world events for their pleasure. In reality, though the Rothschilds are still wealthy, their fortune has long been divided among many descendants and the family has declined in prominence over time.
AIPAC AS A DOGWHISTLE
Today, many on the left and right of the political spectrum echo the “Zionist Occupation Government” conspiracy in their so-called criticism of AIPAC, or he American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan, pro-Israel lobbying group.
It’s really important to understand that AIPAC, whether you agree with lobbying or not and whether you agree with its positions or not, is operating fully within the confines of American law. Notably, AIPAC did not crack the top 150 lobbying groups in the United States in 2024. In 2024, lobbying on behalf of the State of Israel did not crack the top 10 as far as lobbying goes in favor of foreign countries. There are far, far more influential lobbies that promote the interests of foreign countries than pro-Israel groups.
Here’s the truth: there are a multitude of reasons why American foreign policy often aligns with Israel’s interests (though it’s worth noting that historically, it hasn’t always been the case. In fact, in 1948, the United States led an international arms embargo against Israel). But the United States allies with Israel out of self-interest, not out of Jewish/Israeli/Zionist manipulation. For one, though the United States gives Israel billions in foreign aid, this “aid” is, by law, an investment that is returned to the American economy multifold. Second, American and Israeli geopolitical interests have frequently been aligned (e.g. opposition to the Russia-Islamic Republic of Iran-China axis). And third, the American voter base is largely Christian (and often Evangelical), meaning that it tends to be sympathetic to the existence of the State of Israel for religious reasons.
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