International Scapegoating of Israel and Jews for Spreading COVID-19
As the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, examples of those seeking a scapegoat for the virus continue to proliferate. As ADL and other groups have explored, there have been numerous cases of xenophobia in the US related to the virus, particularly attacks against Asian individuals and groups. Internationally, there have also been many attempts to link COVID-19 to Israel, Zionists and Jews, with some people baselessly claiming the virus is part of a conspiracy of profit and gain by Israel and the global Jewish community.
Those propagating such conspiracies include media outlets, religious figures and even some government officials, primarily extremists, from several countries, including France, Switzerland, Iran, Spain, Turkey, and Venezuela. Below is a small sample from those countries in alphabetical order:
France:
Alain Mondino, head of a party list belonging to the far-right National Rally political party, posted a video on social media trying to link Jews to the spread of the coronavirus.
Iran
Press TV, a semi-official government station, broadcast a number of reports claiming “Zionists” were behind the Coronavirus. Quotes included: “Zionist elements developed a deadlier strain of coronavirus against Iran.”
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