The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fabricated anti-Semitic and Judeophobic document that serves as a basis for conspiracy theories about global Jewish control. Considered one of the most influential anti-Semitic texts in history, it falsely presents strategies for a supposed Jewish world takeover. The document was forged by the secret police of Tsarist Russia and has since been used to justify anti-Semitic ideologies, including Nazism and the Holocaust, and remains in use to this day.
Political Satire Turned Propaganda
When first published, the document was presented as the minutes of a meeting of the “Elders of Zion” held during the First Zionist Congress. It falsely claimed that the meeting outlined a plan for global domination through moral decay, inciting conflicts between allied nations, and manipulating power through Freemasonry and financial control.
The document was first published in the Znamya newspaper in St. Petersburg in 1903. Seventeen years later, it was released in English.
100 Pages of Anti-Semitism
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a document of approximately 100 pages, divided into 24 chapters known as “protocols.” Each protocol outlines a supposed global action plan, filled with numerous clauses and sub-clauses.
- According to the text, the alleged plan of the “Elders of Zion” includes creating conflicts between various groups, arming opposing sides, and making political power an alluring goal: “To incite power-hungry individuals to misuse authority, we have stirred up conflicts among all groups and forces… We have armed all sides and made power an attractive goal.”
- The document portrays Jews as the source of global terrorism: “We are the origin of all the devouring terror on Earth. People of all views and beliefs work for us… We have harnessed them all to our cause.”
- It claims that Jews control nations through secret plans: “Who would ever suspect that all the nations we have taken over were led by the nose through political schemes we have been devising for centuries, and of which no one has ever suspected the existence?”
- The masses are depicted as “cattle” who are disconnected from their rulers: “We have rendered the rulers and the masses – each separately – devoid of significance. A ruler and the masses, without connection, are powerless.”
- The text advocates for the corruption of family values and the destruction of religious belief: “By instilling a sense of self-importance in the voting rabble, we will undermine the value of family and its educational role… It is essential for us to erode all faith…”
- Economic Manipulation and Social Chaos
The document outlines an economic strategy involving the creation of massive corporations to achieve global dominance: “Soon we will establish enormous corporations and vast reserves of wealth… So that when we announce our political coup, they will collapse along with the credit systems of all the world’s nations.” - It also details a plan to instigate an international economic crisis to create social upheaval: “Using all the hidden means at our disposal and the gold entirely in our hands, we will provoke an international economic crisis that will drive masses of workers to the streets in a single day – across all of Europe… We will take every measure to protect ourselves and our assets.”
Refuting the Protocols’ Authenticity
Despite ongoing belief in the Protocols among some groups, the document was proven to be a forgery as early as 1920 by historian Lucien Wolf. In 1921, journalist Philip Graves revealed that the text was based on a satirical political work directed at Napoleon III, stolen and manipulated by replacing terms like “Napoleon” with “Jews” and “bourgeoisie” with “Gentiles.” In 1935, a court in Bern ruled it a forgery, and a Moscow court reaffirmed this in 1993.
Global Reception of the Protocols
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Far East: In East Asia, including Japan and Indonesia, the Protocols have been regarded as a guide to power. During World War II, the Japanese viewed Jews with admiration and considered forming alliances with them.
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West: Initially, The Times of London published an article in 1920 that lent credibility to the Protocols, but a year later exposed them as a hoax. Nonetheless, the initial report bolstered the document’s perceived authenticity, and figures like Henry Ford continued to disseminate it even after the forgery was exposed.
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Arab World: The Protocols were translated into Arabic as early as the 1920s, first in Palestine and Egypt. By the 1930s, they became widely circulated across the Arab world. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser endorsed them as a credible historical document. Today, they are promoted in Egypt, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority and even taught in educational institutions. In 2002, an Egyptian TV series titled “Horseman Without a Horse” was based on the Protocols, with the producer asserting their authenticity despite low likelihood. Former judge Hadassa Ben-Itto noted that the Protocols significantly shape Arab attitudes toward Israel, and more efforts are needed to debunk the myth.
Lessons to Learn
Modern reality shows that anti-Semitism has not disappeared—in fact, it is on the rise, as supported by research and surveys. Despite cultural and social progress in the West, prejudices and anti-Semitic sentiments remain prevalent, with forged documents like the Protocols still fueling hatred.
The situation in the Middle East is even more severe. Unlike the West, where anti-Semitism can be addressed through diplomacy and international relations, the Arab and predominantly Muslim world often harbors a strong religious motivation that perpetuates hatred. The Protocols continue to serve as a propaganda tool in educational and media frameworks, particularly in countries like Egypt, Syria, and the Palestinian Authority.
A Glimmer of Hope
In the UAE, there has been a positive trend in combating anti-Semitism, especially since the signing of the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020. The country is taking practical steps to promote religious tolerance and strengthen ties with Jewish and Israeli communities. This change is possible because the UAE recognizes Israel’s strength. However, similar progress is unlikely in Arab countries sharing borders with Israel. We must view anti-Semitism and Judeophobia through a Middle Eastern lens—accept what we see and hear and, above all, remain strong and confident.
Watch an explanation of the myth of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion:
