Antisemitic flyers accusing Jewish people of masterminding COVID-19 distributed to homes across U.S. in at least 5 states
Antisemitic flyers accusing Jewish people of masterminding the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly identical to those that were distributed to Beverly Hills homes last month, have been disseminated to homes across the United States in at least five states so far.
Written at the top reads “Every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish” alongside the domain “goyim.tv”, a website affiliated with the “Goyim Defence League”, a group whose membership reportedly contains several neo-Nazis and is understood to be led by Jon Minadeo II. The group is responsible for stunts such as visiting a Chabad centre to claim that “these Jewish terrorists” were behind 9/11, and hanging a banner on a Los Angeles overpass reading “Honk if you know the Jews want a race war.” Earlier this year, Mr Minadeo II created t-shirts carrying antisemitic slogans such as the Holocaust was “a hoax”. Most recently, they hung a banner from a bridge in Austin, Texas that read “Vax the Jews”.
The states in which the flyers have been distributed so far include North Carolina, Texas, Idaho, Maryland and California.
The leaders of three Jewish institutions in Greensboro, North Carolina — Temple Emanuel, Beth David Synagogue, and the Greensboro Jewish Federation — issued a joint statement in which they said that the materials attempt “to spread antisemitic, blatantly false, and evil conspiracies about the COVID-19 virus and our nation’s efforts to combat its spread.”
The flyers were also sent to homes in northwest Austin, Texas and Boise, Idaho, the latter of which reported to have received the flyers in a bag alongside ammo for pellet guns that were dropped off on porches and forced into fences.
Similarly, antisemitic flyers that were weighed down in bags of rocks or corn kernels were dropped off at homes in Silver Spring, Maryland. A report stated that a man was seen throwing the flyers from his car at 00:45.
The California neighbourhood of Pasadena also received the flyers, as did Beverly Hills, which is where the same flyers were distributed last month. Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo said: “Our thoughts are with our residents and all those hurt by these disgusting acts. We know Pasadena residents — of all faiths — will to [sic] stand together and speak out against hatred in all forms.”
It is understood that the flyers are being investigated by local police departments in the areas in which they were distributed.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts.