By Adeel Akram
The rising anti-Semitism across the world has led to a dramatic increase in extremist views, with hate groups propagating white nationalism and anti-Semitic ideologies.
Next Time… No More, Mr. Nice Guy!
These chilling words were scrawled across an anti-Semitic flyer found by Gertrude Nussbaum near her synagogue. On the top half of the flyer is a large swastika in a white circle on a red background. Gertrude Nussbaum is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. The flyer shocked her and brought an overwhelming sense of fear. Being a family member of a Holocaust survivor, she understands the devastating impact that hate and bigotry can have on innocent lives.
Even more surprising to Nussbaum, the flyer had the address as well as the name of the website. Already disturbed by the message, the inclusion of the website and address shocked her even more, as it seemed someone was promoting anti-Semitic views so openly. When Gertrude visited the website listed on the flyer, she found it contained over 20 languages of neo-Nazi bulletins. While browsing the site, she encountered two banner ads for other websites: Zensurfrei.com and Third-Reich books.
Source: Third-reich-books.com
Intrigued, she opened the Third-Reich book’s site. There, she found a vast collection of books translated into several languages from their original versions, all of which promoted Nazi ideology. The website offers a wide range of materials, including books, magazines, posters, and propaganda materials, as well as historical artifacts and memorabilia. Many of the materials available on the website promote extremist ideologies and promote racist, anti-Semitic, and other forms of hate speech. At zensurfrei.com, says its free speech webhosting site. The text on the website reads “Our CEO is Gerhard Lauck, a former political prisoner who spent four years in a foreign prison solely for publishing a newspaper!” The bottom of the website states, “Proudly powered by RJG Enterprises.” RJG Enterprises is a business consulting firm run by Gerhard Lauck. The company works in research, artificial intelligence, publishing, and charity activity, among other things.
Who is Gerhard Lauck?
Gerhard Lauck claims to be an advocate of free speech who was jailed only for publishing a newspaper. In reality, he is a neo-Nazi political figure who was born in the United States in 1955. For decades, his extremist views and propaganda have made him prominent among white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Lauck has been associated with several far-right groups, notably the National Socialist German Workers Party, which he oversaw in the 1990s in the United States. Also, he has ties to several hate organizations, such as the Aryan Nations and the Ku Klux Klan. He has been arrested several times for committing hate crimes and disseminating hate speech. His criminal record includes a number of convictions. In 1996, Lauck received a four-year prison sentence for mail fraud after discovering he had been sending neo-Nazi propaganda materials to European customers. In 2004, Lauck was detained in Denmark and extradited to Germany, where he was found guilty of inciting hatred for disseminating neo-Nazi propaganda online. Lauck remains active in far-right circles despite his criminal history and controversial views, and he is regarded as a divisive figure against hate and intolerance.
“The Education of an Evil Genius” is Gerhard Lauck’s autobiography. This book gives a detailed account of his life and involvement with far-right political movements. It describes Lauck’s childhood and the racist and anti-Semitic experiences that shaped his views. He also discusses his involvement with many far-right groups over the years, such as the White Patriot Party and the National Socialist German Workers Party, as well as his role in distributing propaganda through his publishing house. Additionally, Lauck’s book discusses his time in prison and his experiences with other white supremacists and neo-Nazis. The book has been criticized for endorsing extremist ideologies and glorifying violence and hate.
Lauck is also the founder of the NSDAP/AO organization. This organization is named after original Nazi Germany’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). Lauck’s organization claims to be a continuation of the original NSDAP, supplying neo-Nazi materials worldwide.
Due to his views and propagation of extreme views, The Simon Wiesenthal Center called him “one of the world’s most dangerous Neo-Nazi terrorists.” The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) called him “the movement’s most dangerous propagandist.”
However, these are not the only popular sites that promote hate. Like Lauck, Andrew Anglin founded “The Daily Stormer” website in 2013 as a platform to spread messages of hate against minorities, Jews, and immigrants. Many more pages and websites propagate hateful and anti-Semitic views, like Stormfront, The Right Stuff, and Occidental Dissent. These websites often promote white nationalism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hate speech.
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism across the globe. This troubling trend is a stark reminder of the ongoing need to combat prejudice and hatred in all its forms. Jewish individuals are often targeted by racism and hostility, ranging from verbal abuse to physical violence and even death.
Unfortunately, this increase in extremist views is not limited to a few isolated incidents. Instead, it has spread rapidly over the past decade, affecting numerous countries worldwide. Countries like United States, Hungary, France, and Holland have seen a rise in far-right groups and individuals. In some cases, people with extreme views are even being elected into their respective parliaments and European Councils.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, recently, the radical right has been more successful at entering the political mainstream than in half a century.
Source: Splcenter
Presently, the United States is home to hundreds of hate groups, ranging from white supremacists to anti-immigration to the Ku Klux Klan. Of all these groups, there are currently 54 neo-Nazi hate groups operating across the U.S. These groups are known for promoting white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and other forms of extremist ideology and have been linked to several hate crimes and acts of violence. The mass shootings that took place at the Pittsburgh synagogue and last year’s hostage situation in a North Texas synagogue are clear indications that there is a wave of hate directed toward Jews in the U.S.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 2,717 anti-Jewish incidents in 2021, a 34% rise from 2020 and the most since the organization started keeping track of anti-Semitism in 1979. The ADL reported 112 anti-Semitic incidents in Texas alone in 2021, almost three times as many as in 2020.
For years, historians and experts on extremism have raised the alarm about rising anti-Semitism and what they claim are glaring indicators of the rise of fascism and violent extremism. Their warnings have only grown direr as influential American politicians, media personalities, and celebrities routinely amplify anti-Semitic conspiracies that have historically led to the killing of Jews.
The presence of theories that propagate the notion of Jews stealing and sacrificing Christian children, along with the widespread belief that Jews are controlling and meddling on the international stage, creates a dangerous environment in which extremists can easily be radicalized. With easy access to the internet, the new generation of extremists can be easily swayed by the hateful and anti-Semitic views propagated by individuals such as Andrew Anglin and Gerhard Lauck. These conspiracy theories often begin with the presumption that Jews are guilty, with the question of what they are guilty of coming later. The answer to that question could be anything under the sun, depending on who makes the accusations.
False assumptions and accusations make anti-Semitism a particularly pernicious and influential strand of hatred because it underpins many other conspiracy theories and extremist ideologies that target historically marginalized groups.
The spread of anti-Semitic sentiments is further compounded by the actions and statements of influential individuals, including celebrities like Kanye West and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who question Jewish Americans’ patriotism. In October of last year, Trump posted a comment on his social media platform, “Truth Social,” in which he suggested that Jews have dual loyalties to America and Israel. He warned them to “get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel – Before it is too late!” Such remarks from influential figures contribute to normalizing anti-Semitism and reinforce negative stereotypes about Jewish people.
Trump’s meeting with Nick Fuentes, a known white supremacist and neo-Nazi sympathizer who denies the Holocaust and advocates for the expulsion of Jews from the United States, at his Mar-a-Lago resort also raised concerns. As someone who held the highest office in the country, Trump’s actions tend to embolden extremists and provide legitimacy to those with extreme views. This kind of behavior only serves to fuel hatred and undermine efforts to combat anti-Semitism.
Source: Jewish Women’s Archive
From Hate Speech to Massacres: The Startling Connection
The impact of hateful rhetoric cannot be overstated. Gertrude Nussbaum, whose family endured the horrors of the Holocaust, knows the danger this poses. In 2021, protesters in Austin, Texas, hung the anti-Semitic sign “Vax the Jews” from a MoPac Expressway close to a large Jewish community center. And a few days later, on Halloween, white supremacists set fire to Lori Adelman’s synagogue in the area and targeted the Jews community. This incident confirmed that violence is never behind words, and these words sometimes, as history told us, could lead to massacres and genocides.
Author: Amaury Abreu
