In medieval times, Jews had to contend with blood libels and
allegations that they were responsible for poisoned wells. Later, these
accusations would come to include myths about Jewish control of the
global centers of power, which were heightened with the publication of
the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Many of these antisemitic tropes or
their derivatives persist today in the press, on social media, and in
textbooks.
One of the most peculiar aspects of
antisemitism is that it often manifests in societies in which there are
no Jews. Antisemites allege that Jews, who only account for only 0.2% of
the world’s population, control banks, the media, politics, and global
institutions.