The Insidious 109 Lie
I’ve seen my fair share of anti-Semitic garbage online, but the “Jews expelled from 109 countries” myth is one of the most pernicious. This neo-Nazi dog whistle seems harmless at first glance, but it’s a calculated lie designed to justify hatred against my people. The origins of this trope can be traced back to an Australian hate site that also denied the Holocaust. By conflating individual towns with countries and making up claims wholesale, they arrived at the number 109 – a big, shocking figure meant to make the uninformed wonder, “Why were Jews really expelled so many times?”
Twisting Our Trauma
The most effective lies contain a kernel of truth, and that’s what makes the 109 myth so insidious. It takes the very real history of Jewish expulsions and persecutions and twists it into a way to rationalize anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism). “We’re not the hateful ones,” they claim, “we’re just pointing out a pattern.” But the pattern has nothing to do with Jewish behavior and everything to do with our status as an embattled minority. Throughout history, we’ve been an easy scapegoat and source of economic exploitation for those in power.
Guests Outstaying Our Welcome
In medieval Christian Europe, Jews were constantly reminded that our welcome was conditional. We might have lived in places like Spain and Germany for centuries, but to the Christian majority, we would always be the “other.” Whenever something went wrong, the anger and fear of the populace were directed at the only minority around – my people. Our stubborn refusal to abandon our faith and assimilate was seen as a personal insult, leading to book burnings, forced conversions, and expulsions.
Economic Exploitation
The root cause of much anti-Semitism (Jewish Racism) was economic. With most professions closed to us, Jews were forced into niches like money lending and tax collecting. This made us extremely useful to the nobility, who could tax us heavily while relying on us to grease the wheels of their economy (since Christians weren’t allowed to charge interest). But this “usefulness” was a double-edged sword. When kings like Edward I of England went broke from costly wars, they’d simply expel or bankrupt the Jewish community after bleeding them dry. Our economic value was the very thing that made us disposable guests.
Consolidating Power
Religion was also a factor, but not because of Jewish beliefs or behavior. Persecution and expulsion were tools used by those in power – whether Christian, Muslim, or Catholic vs Protestant – to consolidate their authority by purging perceived threats and heretics. As a visible minority, my people made for an easy target.
It Continues Today
Some might think this is all ancient history, but the trauma of expulsions is coded into our DNA. My great-grandparents could scarcely imagine the freedom I enjoy, and we remain haunted by the knowledge that the world’s oldest hatred doesn’t just disappear. The neo-Nazis spreading the 109 myth want to raise that number by reviving ancient anti-Semitic tropes. While currently a fringe movement, they draw on 2,000 years of persecution and expulsion – something my people can never forget or dismiss as ridiculous. That’s why I and others must confront intolerance wherever we find it. The lie of 109 expulsions is a reminder that vigilance against hatred is never optional for the Jewish people.
