Hamas Attack Draws Cheers from Extremists, Spurs Antisemitism and Conspiracies Online
Antisemitic & Anti-Israel Conspiracy Theories Surface Online
By mid-day on October 7, 2023, a range of antisemitic and anti-Israel conspiracy theories were circulating.
Some claimed that Hamas is controlled opposition directed by Israel. “Shadow of Ezra,” a large QAnon related Telegram channel, posited that the attack is a false flag attack orchestrated by Mossad designed to give Israel the opportunity to grab more land and create “Greater Israel,” reflecting a classic antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Others believe that such a surprise attack by Hamas is unlikely or even impossible, citing Israel’s extensive intelligence networks, and claiming that Israel knew about the attack ahead of time but chose not to act preemptively to justify the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. White supremacist Nick Fuentes pushed this narrative on Telegram, writing that Israel’s intelligence failure “is a little suspicious in light of how the Likud government will benefit politically from this crisis both domestically and internationally.”
On X, a popular antisemitic influencer who goes by Lucas Gage posted several antisemitic and anti-Zionist conspiratorial claims. In one post, he alleged that Israel does not deserve sympathy because it helped coordinate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a common antisemitic conspiracy theory. In another post, Gage blamed “our Zionist Occupied Govt,” an antisemitic reference to the U.S. government.
Antisemitic conspiracy theorist David Icke also discussed the attack on X, alleging that Netanyahu and Hamas are “owned by the Global Cult” and that the attacks are another step towards World War 3.
