In the wake of the collapse of major investment banks and the government’s proposed bailout of financial institutions, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is reporting a dramatic upsurge in the number of anti-Semitic statements being posted to Internet discussion boards devoted to finance and the economy.
Hundreds of anti-Semitic posts regarding Lehman Brothers and other institutions affected by the subprime mortgage crisis have been submitted to discussion boards dealing with finance, with many more arriving by the minute. The messages rail against Jews in general, with some charging that Jews control the government and finance as part of a “Jew world order” and therefore are to blame for the economic turmoil.
Anti-Jewish invective also has surfaced on a wide variety of blogs and conspiracy Web sites, according to ADL, which monitors anti-Semitism on the Internet through its Center on Extremism. And similar messages have also appeared on neo-Nazi and white supremacist Web sites and Internet forums, which frequently seek to exploit current issues in an effort to spread anti-Semitism to potential recruits.
Wrote one poster on Stormfront of the collapse of Lehman Brothers: “No doubt many of the board of directors, which is usually composed of the major shareholders that wield power, are still largely Jewish … I would imagine the likelihood of the Fed etc. bailing the company out depends largely to what degree it is Jewish owned.”
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.