Soros’ Puppets: Antisemitism and COVID-19, featuring Daniel Panneton

The COVID-19 era has witnessed an explosion of bigotries, including conspiratorial antisemitism. From accusations that the virus was made in Israel to claims that the virus is a hoax being used by George Soros and a cabal of elites seeking to enslave non-Jews, baseless and hateful conspiracies are being freely circulated online. Antisemitic conspiracy theories have interacted with other hatreds, including anti-Asian and xenophobic bigotry, blending traditional conspiracies with new anxieties. Why the Jews? (70 min. 2018) and Feels Good Man (92 min. 2020) explore both the historical underpinnings of conspiratorial antisemitism, and how social media and memes have been central to their spread.

On December 17, Neuberger staff member Daniel Panneton will present and answer questions on the connections between the rise of meme culture and their usage in spreading antisemitism and Holocaust denial, particularly during the COVID-19 era. He will explore how Holocaust imagery has informed both explicit conspiratorial antisemitism and how anti-mask conspiracies have co-opted Holocaust imagery and antisemitic arguments.

Daniel Panneton is the Acting Manager of Public Programs at the Sarah & Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre. He has curated several exhibits, including The Paradox: Free Speech and Holocaust Denial in Canada and The Ward: Representations and Realities, 1890-1940. His work has been published in the Globe & Mail, The Walrus, the Literary Review of Canada, and Spacing.