When the basic pact that holds society together is crumbling, which appears to be happening worldwide, wild rumors and conspiracy theories proliferate. Even, or especially, when the message is obviously nonsensical, it can evoke deep-seated fears and prejudices.
A perfect example of this, which I have noted previously, occurred in late August 2023, when a priest known as “Father Anthony” ceremoniously doused holy water on a 26-foot-tall statue of Stalin in Russia’s Pskov region. Though the Church had suffered during the Stalin era, he explained, “thanks to this we have lots of new Russian martyrs and confessors to whom we now pray and are helping us in our Motherland’s resurgence.”
This logic is just a step away from claiming that Jews should thank Hitler for creating the conditions that allowed for the State of Israel. If that sounds hyperbolic or like a bad joke, consider that some Zionist extremists close to the Israeli government openly advocate exactly this position.