LDB Fact Sheet on Anti-Semitic Motifs Featured in Journalist Trade Media Source

Writing in The Journalist’s Resource, Jordan Fenster included LDB’s ‘Fact Sheet on the Elements of Anti-Semitic Discourse‘ for his May 26, 2022 article: ‘8 tips to help journalists cover anti-Semitism — and avoid inadvertently perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes.’

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The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law has a fact sheet on what the organization says are “some of the most common motifs in antisemitic discourse,” including the following:

  • Horns: “During the Middle Ages, Jews were frequently described as children of the devil, often portrayed with horns and bulging eyes, and associated with Satanic attributes, such as arrogance and devious logic,” the center writes. “In the contemporary world, these images are reflected in depictions of Jews, individually or collectively.”
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  • Deicide: Though the Catholic church has repudiated this idea, in the past, “Christians have condemned Jews for slaying the Christian messiah and have held Jews collectively responsible for this action,” the Brandeis Center writes. In the modern era, this has translated into expressions of “supposed malevolence, power and treachery.”
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  • Blood libel: “Since ancient times, Jews have been falsely accused of killing gentiles for ritual purposes,” according to the Brandeis center. “Today, echoes of this blood libel can be heard in allegations that Jews, especially in Israel, kill young gentile children for military or political purposes or in service of genocide.”
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  • Disease carriers: “Jews have long been described, literally or metaphorically, as carriers of a physical defect, deformity or disease, often associated with ugliness, weakness, dirt and excrement,” the center writes. “Contemporary anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli cartoons tend to emphasize physical traits associated with physical ugliness, such as the hooked nose and shallow forehead.”
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  • Money: According to the Brandeis Center, “Since medieval times, Jewry has frequently been depicted as a wealthy, powerful, menacing and controlling collectivity, demanding the sacrifice of others to their own greed.”
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  • Global conspiracy: “In its standard modern formulation, the Jews or Zionists form a powerful, secret, global cabal that manipulates governmental institutions, banks, the media, and other institutions for malevolent purposes, undermining decent values,” the center writes. “The myth of global Jewish conspiracy has echoes in contemporary opinions about the putative over-representation of Jewish people in various business sectors. This can be seen, for example, in representations of Jewish control over government, the media, academia, and financial institutions, especially when phrased in terms of a ‘Jewish lobby.’”
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  • Beastilization: “Since ancient times, Jews have been compared in derogatory terms to barnyard and wild animals,” the fact sheet states. “In contemporary texts and cartoons, Jews and Israelis are often portrayed as a variety of barnyard and zoological animals and insects.”