Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory

German poster from 1935 saying, "World politics – World revolution. Freemasonry is an international organisation beholden to Jewry with the political goal of establishing Jewish domination through world-wide revolution.".

The Judeo-Masonic conspiracy is a type^{[citation needed]} of conspiracy theory involving an alleged secret coalition of a small section of Jews and Masons.^[1] These theories were popular on the reactionary right, particularly in France^{[citation needed]} with similar allegations still being published.^[2]

Elders of Zion

The Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory merges two older strains of conspiracy claims: Anti-Masonic conspiracy claims and Anti-Semitic conspiracy claims. It was heavily influenced by publication of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion a forged document that appeared in Tsarist Russia purporting to be an expose of a world wide Jewish conspiracy. The Protocols claim that the Jews had infiltrated Freemasonry and were using the fraternity to further their aims.^[3] Adherents^[who?] of the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy took the claim made by the Protocols to extremes and claimed that the leaders of Freemasonry and the leaders of the Jewish plot were one and the same.^{[citation needed]}

"Conceptual influence"

French revolution: before and after: satirical drawing by French draftsman Caran d'Ache, 1898, in the middle of the Affaire Dreyfus and the foundation of Action Française. Although the Ancien Régime is not shown as idyllic, the contemporary situation is shown as an increase of oppression, which technical improvements (notice the ploughshare) don't lighten, and to which financial capitalism (the banker with his top hat and his wallet), the francmason (with his set square and plumb line) and the Jew (with a curved nose) are contributors.^[4]

According to Dr. Danny Keren (a member of the Department of Computer Science at Haifa University), the "conceptual inspiration" of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion was the 1797 treatise, Memoirs Illustrating the History of Jacobinism by the French priest Augustin Barruel, which claimed the Revolution was a Masonic led conspiracy with the aim of overthrowing the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. According to Keren, "in his treatise, Barruel did not himself blame the Jews, who were emancipated as a result of the Revolution. However, in 1806, Barruel circulated a forged letter, probably sent to him by members of the state police opposed to Napoleon Bonaparte's liberal policy toward the Jews, calling attention to the alleged part of the Jews in the conspiracy he had earlier attributed to the Masons. This myth of an international Jewish conspiracy reappeared later on in 19th century Europe in places such as Germany and Poland."^[5]

According to the Grand Lodge of British Collumbia and Yukon website: "While it is both simplistic and specious to lay the responsibility for the French Revolution at the door of Freemasonry, there is no question that freemasons, as individuals, were active in building, and rebuilding, a new society. Considering the large number of bodies claiming masonic authority, many men identified today as freemasons were probably unaware of each other’s masonic association and clearly cannot be seen as acting in concert. Yet they did share certain beliefs and ideals."^[6]

French Masonry of the time was exclusive, denying initiation to Jews, along with many other classes of people.^[6]

Barry Domville, and The Link

The founder of a British pro-Nazi association, 'The Link',^[7] retired Admiral Sir Barry Domvile coined the title "Judmas" for the alleged Judeo-Masonic conspiracy.^[8] Domvile claimed that the "activities of Judmas are confined to a a small section of both Jews and Masons: the large majority have no idea of the work undertaken behind the façade of Judmas."^[1] Domvile alleged that "the aim of these international Jews is a World state kept in subjection by the power of money, and working for its Jewish masters"^[9] and that "Masonry is the executive partner for the conduct of Jewish policy."^[10]

Domvile said that he first started thinking about a Jewish-Masonic theory as a result of Hitler.^[1] Domvile referred both to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,^[9] and to The Secret Powers Behind Revolution by Vicomte Léon de Poncins.^[1] Domvile was aware that The Protocols of the Elders of Zion had been denounced as a forgery, but regarded their authorship as "immaterial".^[10]

Post Soviet Russia

The Judeo-Masonic Conspiracy theories found new currency among the various marginal political forces in post-Soviet Russia, where widespread destitution created fertile ground for conspiracy theories,^[11] combined with Blood Libel and Holocaust Denial. These viewpoints are also voiced by several antisemitic writers, notably by Igor Shafarevich,^[12] Oleg Platonov,^[13][14] Vadim Kozhinov^[15][16][17] and the late Grigory Klimov.^{[11][18][19][20][21][22]} An opinion poll conducted in Moscow ca. 1990 has shown that 18% of Moscow residents believed that there is Zionist conspiracy against Russia^[23]

Link to the Bilderberg group

Contemporary conspiracy theorists, who hew to theories centered on the Bilderbergers and an alleged impending New World Order, often draw upon older concepts found in the Jewish-Masonic conspiracy theory, frequently blaming the Rothschild family or "international bankers".^[24] Because of the use of themes and tropes traditionally viewed as anti-semitic, these contemporary conspiracy theorists tend to draw the ire of groups sensitive to anti-semitic terminology, such as the Anti-Defamation League.^{[24][undue weight?]}

See also

• Andinia Plan
• Anti-Masonry
• Antisemitism
• Antisemitic canard
• Masonic conspiracy theories
• New World Order (conspiracy theory)
• Synarchism

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Domvile, From Admiral to Cabin Boy, p81.
2. ^ www.sweetliberty.org Jewish persecution, Tool of the International Zionists' Plan for World Dominion, by Jackie Patru. Note this is an apparently self-published website.
3. ^ The Protocols, with comments about its condition of plagiarism and fraud:[1]
4. ^ "www.friends-partners.org ''The development of modern anti-semitism''". Friends-partners.org. http://www.friends-partners.org/partners/beyond-the-pale/eng_captions/23-4.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
5. ^ Commentary on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Dr. Daniel Keren, page 3.
6. ^ ^{a b} Freemasons in the French Revolution Grand Lodge of British Columbia
7. ^ Giffiths, Patriotism Perverted, pp39-42.
   The Link was founded in July 1937 by Domvile, and had nearly 1,800 members by March 1938, and over 4,300 by June 1938.
8. ^ Domvile, From Admiral to Cabin Boy, p80.
9. ^ ^{a b} Domvile, From Admiral to Cabin Boy, p82.
10. ^ ^{a b} Domvile, From Admiral to Cabin Boy, p83.
11. ^ ^{a b} "Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories Spread Globally As World Markets Grapple With Financial Crisis". Adl.org. http://www.adl.org/PresRele/ASInt_13/5374_13.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
12. ^ "The Jewish Role in the Bolshevik Revolution and Russia's Early Soviet Regime". Ihr.org. http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v14/v14n1p-4_Weber.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
13. ^ "Antisemitism and Racism – The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary". Tau.ac.il. http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2007/belarus.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
14. ^ "Russia – Revisionists gather in Moscow". Searchlight Magazine. http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/index.php?link=template&story=60. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
15. ^ "В.В. Кожинов «Царь иудейский» – Национальная газета. Ежемесячное русское обозрение". Nationalka.ru. http://www.nationalka.ru/2006-3-5-93-95-/v.v.-kozhinov-tsarj-iudeyskiy.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
16. ^ (Russian) http://www.hrono.info/libris/kozh39_1_5.html
17. ^ Юрий Каграманов Черносотенство: прошлое и перспективы «Новый мир», 1999, № 6.
18. ^ Simon Reznik "Blood Libel in Russia" 2000 http://www.vestnik.com/issues/2000/0118/win/reznik.htm
19. ^ Yerofeyev, Viktor. "Moscow Believes In Conspiracy Theories". Rferl.org. http://www.rferl.org/content/Moscow_Believes_In_Conspiracy_Theories/1356288.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
20. ^ "Some Russians still accuse Jews of `ritual murder' in czar's death | j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California". Jewishsf.com. 19 December 1997. http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/7671/edition_id/145/format/html/displaystory.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
21. ^ "Красный интернационал против России". Nationalism.org. http://nationalism.org/eliseev/red-international.htm. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
22. ^ "Заговор против России". OZON.ru. http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/1910485/. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
23. ^ Борис Соколов. "По данным опроса, проведенного в начале 1990–х годов, почти 18% москвичей верили в существование всемирного заговора сионистов против России, а еще почти 25% не исключали реальность такого заговора. В последние годы в России не раз переиздавались как "Протоколы", так и другие произведения антисемитской литературы, поток которой власти никак не ограничивают, не видя в них "разжигания межнациональной розни". Поэтому среди наших соотечественников доля тех, кто готов всерьез отнестись к мифу о "еврейском заговоре", вряд ли уменьшилась". Grani.ru. http://grani.ru/Society/History/m.42967.html. Retrieved 18 October 2011. 
24. ^ ^{a b} Knight, Peter, Conspiracy theories in American history: an encyclopedia, Volume 1, p124

References

• Admiral Sir Barry Domvile KBE, CB, CMG, From Admiral to Cabin Boy, pub Boswell Publishing, London, 1947.
• Peter Knight, Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia, pub ABC-CLIO, 2003, ISBN 978-1576078129
• Vicomte Léon de Poncins, The Secret Powers Behind Revolution, pub Boswell Publishing, London, 1929.
• Richard Giffiths, Patriotism Perverted, Captain Ramsay and the Far Right Club and British Anti-Semitism 1939–40, pub Constable, London, 1998, ISBN 0-09-467920-7