My grandmother used to consider any issue and always ask, “Is it good for the Jews?” As a woman in my new film “Protocols of Zion” answers, “If you’re a Jew, they’ll come after you no matter what. You’re screwed no matter what you say so you might as well say what you believe.”
My film explores those who blamed the Jews for 9/11 and connected it to the infamous “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” the century-old fraud that claimed to be the Jews’ secret plan to rule the world.
The movie has provoked a wide variety of reactions from fellow Jews. The diversity of opinion within the Jewish community is a sign of health, success, and yes, even assimilation. We’re no longer outsiders. Everyone has his own take and agenda. That’s one of the reasons Jewish conspiracy thinking is so out of touch with what’s going on. As Jon Stewart asked, “If the Jews control the media, why are we getting such bad press?”
I can testify that if there is some Jewish conspiracy, I’m still waiting to be drafted. Although I have gotten tremendous support from a majority of Jews, there are those who honestly believe it’s counterproductive to publicly discuss Jew hatred and “Protocols.”
I wish they could have been at the screening in Chicago two weeks ago with 500 inner-city kids from some of the city’s best public high schools. A teacher said of her students, “These kids are not hard-core bigots or Jew-haters. But it is amazing how many have heard these rumors about the Jews and 9/11 and how many have absorbed elements of the classic anti-Semitic stereotypes. This film absolutely blew their minds and provoked one of the most profound discussions I’ve ever witnessed.”
And what about this conversation last week on Michael Medved’s nationally syndicated radio show with the chairman of the New Black Panther Party, Malik Zulu Shabazz, who is credited with some of the most inflammatory anti-Semitic remarks, including some about 9/11? When I asked Malik, “After seeing my film, don’t you agree that hundreds of Jews died on 9/11?” He said, “I’m sure that there were.”
At the end of the show, Medved asked Shabazz, “Malik, what are you going to tell people about Marc Levin’s film ‘Protocols of Zion’?”
To my surprise Malik responded, “I’m going to tell them they should all go see it. We obviously have major differences but I think it is very informative and it provokes much-needed dialogue on these crucial issues.”
And that is the whole point. I’m trying to expand the dialogue, which is why the film is made in a style that is accessible to all. I respectfully disagree with those who counsel, “Ignore the haters and don’t bother with ‘The Protocols.’ You’ll only end up giving extremists more attention and power.”
I am aware of the risks but I think that you give these things more power and mystique by keeping them secret and illicit. I believe light is the great disinfectant, so I say open it up, air it out and talk to everyone.
Let’s be clear. I am not screaming “Fire! The Gestapo is coming!” This goes beyond Jew hatred. In a way, I believe we are all Jews today, meaning we Americans are all potential victims. Today fanatics of all faiths — Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus — believe their hate is holy, their violence is sacred and they alone have a direct line to the divine and anyone who disagrees is expendable. How do we combat that? How do we disarm and defuse it?
I simply tried to do what I can in my own style. I am not a spokesperson for the Jewish people or any major Jewish organizations or institutions. I am an independent filmmaker who made a personal film that asks questions. I don’t pretend to have the answers. In that sense, maybe I connected with one of the most basic tenets of the Jewish tradition, to ask why.
I hope you will see it and find your own way to continue the dialogue.
Marc Levin is the director of “Protocols of Zion.”