False accusations against Jews can lead to horrific ends, but so can false charges of anti-Semitism. The problem is that charges of anti-Semitism are almost always met with denial, and it can be difficult to separate legitimate from illegitimate claims. That makes it particularly important to expose false charges when they are uncovered. The importance is magnified when the false charges were made as part of a government plan to advance a political agenda. Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union led to some of the worst and most brutal fighting in the history of mankind. That move also forced Stalin over to the Allies and permitted the Soviets to claim a victor’s bounty after the war. Stalin found himself holding sway over numerous areas that had formerly been strong Christian nations, and that was a problem. Communist leader Mao Zedong famously said that “political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” With more nuance, Italian Communist Party founder Antonio Gramsci explained that in order for Communism to prevail, the populace must be convinced that it is acceptable to take up arms and kill, if necessary, to force people to surrender their property to the community at large. He also understood that this could never happen in a nation with a strong Judeo-Christian ethic. It is more than a coincidence that Communist nations are officially atheistic; it is a necessary part of the formula. As new Soviet-dominated governments came into power in Poland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and elsewhere, there was a clear and regular pattern. The new leaders would associate themselves with religious leaders who had stood in opposition to Nazi occupiers or similar local parties. In Croatia, for instance, posters were printed showing the new Communist leaders along with the Catholic bishop (Stepinac) who had defied the Nazi-affiliated Ustashi party. Before long, of course, these religious leaders became a problem for the new Communist governments. In nation after nation, once the Communist leadership had a firm foothold, religious leaders were arrested and charged with having collaborated with the Nazis. In Croatia and elsewhere, the Western press recognized these show trials for what they were. (Stepinac was convicted and sentenced to hard labor. Later he was moved to house arrest and slowly poisoned to death.) After the fall of Communism, many prosecutors and governmental officials admitted that these church leaders had been framed and that evidence was manufactured. When Croatia came out from under Communism, its parliament apologized for Stepinac’s show trial. In the early 1950s, however, Soviet-dominated nations were cleansed of their religious content so that Communism could flourish. In the 1960s, a similar pattern was in evidence when Soviet bloc intelligence agencies rallied around a play, The Deputy, that charged the wartime pope, Pius XII, with culpability in the Holocaust. The facts did not justify the charges, but even today many people are convinced otherwise. This plot served to discredit not only a pope, but the entire Catholic Church, Christianity itself, Western values, and in some ways the very concept of religion. That is a testament to the power of Soviet disinformation. False charges of anti-Semitism are not as deadly as the encouragement of violence toward Jews, but they are dangerous. False charges breed unjustified hatred and contempt against those who are accused, as well as reciprocal feelings from the accused. In these particular cases, moreover, the Soviet government drove a huge wedge between Catholic and Jewish communities, intentionally weakening both communities. That, of course, served its purpose of undermining religion and Judeo-Christian values. It is not always possible to identify false charges of anti-Semitism, but when it is possible, false charges must be exposed and refuted. This is even more important when the false charges were set forth as part of a governmental policy. Those who intentionally cultivate anti-Semitic or race-based hatred deserve our contempt, but so do those who frame and falsely accuse good men and women. Part 1: http://brandeiscenter.com/blog/government-created-anti-semitism-part-1/ Part 3: http://brandeiscenter.com/blog/government-created-anti-semitism-part-3/#more-1460 All three blogs are based on the book, Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism: http://superstore.wnd.com/books/Disinformation-Former-Spy-Chief-Reveals-Hardcover