Antisemitic conspiracy theory blaming Jews for European wildfires spreads across social media

A monitoring organisation has identified a dangerous antisemitic conspiracy theory spreading rapidly across social media platforms, with posts in English, French and Spanish falsely accusing Jewish people of deliberately starting wildfires across Europe. The allegations have gained significant traction online, with some posts receiving over two million views. The misinformation campaign represents a troubling escalation in hate speech, according to researchers tracking the phenomenon. CyberWell, an organisation that monitors online antisemitism, has raised alarms about the coordinated spread of these baseless claims, which appear designed to fuel prejudice against Jewish communities during a period of heightened tensions. The posts exploit genuine public concern about devastating wildfires sweeping across the continent, weaponising environmental disasters to promote hateful narratives. The organisation has warned that such conspiracy theories carry real-world dangers, potentially inciting violence against Jewish communities. Using the phrase “the address is already on the wall, and it is written in blood” — a reference to antisemitic tropes about marking Jewish homes — the posts draw on historical patterns of scapegoating that have been used to justify persecution throughout history. Experts emphasise that while individual wildfires have multiple natural and accidental causes, blaming an entire religious or ethnic group represents a return to dangerous antisemitic rhetoric that has contributed to violence and discrimination for centuries. The rapid spread of these false narratives across multiple languages and platforms underscores the urgent need for social media companies to take stronger action against coordinated hate campaigns.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.