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By stringing together entirely unrelated “evidence,” a false narrative about Israel as the perpetrator began to take form.

By Sharon Levy, HonestReporting

Yesterday (September 10), a loud activist voice in American conservative politics was silenced after he was assassinated at an event at Utah Valley University.

Charlie Kirk, 31, while a polarizing figure in the U.S. culture wars, was an outspoken supporter of Israel, the Jewish people, and freedom of speech.

As of September 11, the murderer is still unknown, with American authorities pursuing a manhunt.

Despite no public information being available as to the background, whereabouts, or motives of the killer, in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, large numbers of so-called activists posted online claiming that the assailant was not a lone individual but rather a body determined to silence Kirk.

Their scapegoat? Israel and the Mossad.

By stringing together entirely unrelated “evidence,” a false narrative about Israel as the perpetrator began to take form.

These conspiracy theorists insisted that Kirk’s views slowly evolved to become anti-Israel, and he had started questioning the actions of the state.

This, despite his consistent defense of Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and the threats that it faces.

In portraying Kirk as a rising critic of the Jewish state, voices online attempted to rewrite his public record, fabricating a motive for Israel to silence him.

These conspiracists pointed to his followers’ anti-Israel views and twisted them as “evidence” of Kirk’s own “shift” where he began a “JQ question” journey.

Shorthand for “Jewish Question,” these individuals peddle the theory that the Jewish people are secretly controlling politics, the economy, and the media.

Anyone who questions or challenges this alleged control is said to be punished by the Jews who supposedly wield it.

Of course, this conspiracy is not based on any factual evidence but on recycled antisemitic myths. It became yet another way of turning a tragedy into a vehicle for scapegoating Jews.

The internet claimed Israel as the perpetrator, assassinating Kirk solely to advance its own agenda, even if at the expense of the Israel-U.S. relationship.

The accusation is entirely unfounded, but it still garnered support from accounts with over one million followers.

As a result of Kirk’s support for Israel, Israeli politicians, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, rushed to offer him support upon hearing the news that he was in critical condition, praying that he would recover.

Yet voices online quickly concluded that Netanyahu’s well-wishes could only mean one thing: Israel was behind the assassination.

Naturally, terrorist supporter and conspiracy theorist Jackson Hinkle jumped on the conspiracy theory bandwagon.

This is not the first time conspiracy theories blaming Israel for the death of innocent people have been created.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001, were also made into a conspiracy theory, claiming it was the doing of a Mossad operation, alleging that it carried out the terrorist attack to advance the agenda of the Jewish state.

Because the assassination happened the day before 9/11, the same conspiracy theorists who push the Mossad narrative found an easy opportunity to link the two events.

They claimed that Kirk’s death was part of a broader, coordinated plan by Israel to manipulate global events and public perceptions of the country during a time of war.

The pattern of speculation being transformed into “evidence” is not new. However, the speed with which these false narratives can spread certainly is.

By diverting attention away from actual facts, conspiracy theorists can succeed in luring their audiences into believing dangerous tropes that fuel antisemitism.

The exploitation of Charlie Kirk’s horrific assassination demonstrates how quickly a tragedy can be weaponized to fuel age-old antisemitic tropes by blaming the Jewish people for a tragedy in which they had no part.

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