17. Although Repeatedly Debunked, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion Continued to Circulate for Over a Century
The false claims resonated, and soon, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion went from a Russian right wing curiosity to a global phenomenon. In Britain, The Morning Post published them, with an introduction that warned readers of the Jewish plot: ” …the Jews are carrying it out with steadfast purpose, creating wars and revolutions…to destroy the white Gentile race, that the Jews may seize the power during the resulting chaos and rule with their claimed superior intelligence over the remaining races of the world, as kings over slaves.” In America, Henry Ford paid to print and distribute half a million copies, titled The International Jew: The World’s Problem . The Nazis cited the Protocols for propaganda purposes during their rise to power, and made them assigned readings for schoolchildren after they took over Germany.
When it comes to such claims that reinforce preexisting prejudices and buttress longstanding beliefs, truth is immaterial. In 1921, The Times of London conclusively demonstrated that the Protocols were a forgery, and the evidence that they were a forgery was widely reprinted around the world. It made no difference in right wing circles, where the debunking of the Protocols was dismissed as self-serving “fake news” from the Jewish-controlled media. Convinced anti-Semites remained just as convinced of the Protocols‘ authenticity. Today, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion are no longer acceptable fare in the Western mainstream. However, they continue to circulate within anti-Semitic circles, white nationalist groups, the alt-right, and the like. Since the 2016 elections, their circulation has seen an uptick in the US. Outside the West, the Protocols continue to be reprinted, recycled, and quoted, with little challenge to their authenticity.