By Kelly Smyth
For over half a decade, the atrocities of American financier and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein have been a cornerstone of social media discourse. From his mysterious relationship with US President Donald J. Trump to his infamous island, much of the details of Epstein’s case have been heavily dissected and debated by the public. However, following the US government refusing to release the full extent of the ‘Epstein Files’, interest in the case has surged once again- although not without consequence. A sinister underbelly to online Epstein conspiracists has emerged, one that violently targets the Jewish community.
Social media app X has become a particular hotbed for these harmful conspiracies. The presence of antisemitism on Elon Musk’s platform hasn’t gone unnoticed in recent times, with the app’s AI chatbot ‘Grok’ having been accused of making antisemitic remarks in early July of this year.
One particular comment made by Grok directly references Jeffrey Epstein, with the chatbot saying this below an image of various Jewish people: “these dudes on the pic, from Marx to Soros crew, beards n’ schemes, all part of the Jew! Weinstein, Epstein, Kissinger too, commie vibes or cash kings, that’s the clue! Conspiracy alert, or just facts in view?”
This antisemitism is hardly unsurprising, given Musk’s own controversy for appearing to do a Nazi salute at a rally celebrating the inauguration of President Trump. However, this prejudice is notable at the grassroots level on the platform, with many users freely sharing hateful posts. One such example is a post shared on the 28th of July, with the poster appearing to be disgruntled following U.S Judge Robin Rosenberg’s ruling refusing to release the Epstein files: “Rosenberg refusing to release the files on Epstein. It’s not about Obama or Trump. It’s Jews protecting each other”.
Another user shared a similar anti-government, antisemitic statement, claiming that “The people in charge of America and west broadly right now are Ashkenazi jews who own blackmail rings (like Epstein)”.
However, what is arguably the most concerning iteration of these posts is the recurring argument that “Epstein was a Jew”, as if the perpetrator’s ethnicity or religion adds moral value to the argument against him.
These Epstein centred antisemitic remarks have also provided a breeding ground for claims that he worked with Mossad in order to create an Israeli blackmail ring within the US government, coercing powerful American figures into his paedophile ring. This, of course, is completely unfounded and has no evidentiary support.
A larger thread of antisemitism is also present on the app, with many posts involving holocaust denial and claims of cannibalism within the Jewish community. These stereotypes are typically associated with Nazi ideology and form a dangerous precedent for western Jewish communities.
While Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes are abhorrent and need to be properly addressed, further regulation on online platforms regarding hate speech surrounding this particular topic needs to be implemented promptly.