When Trayon White, a 33-year-old up and coming Washington DC City Council member, drove through a recent snow flurry, he decided to let everyone know just what he thought was behind the sudden snow storm: he blamed Jews.
Steering his car through the city streets, White filmed himself musing, “Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man” and, bizarrely, went on to blame a prominent Jewish banking family for the snow: “...that’s a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man. Be careful.” He then posted his rambling speech on Facebook.
As astonished critics called on White to apologize, he initially defended his outrageous statements before posting an apology on social media a few hours later. “I work hard every day to combat racism and prejudices of all kinds. I want to apologize to the Jewish community and anyone I have offended….I did not intend to be anti-Semitic…”
This wasn’t the first time White blamed Jews for natural events. He tried to link the Rothschild family to a Washington DC office charged with responding to emergencies such as severe storms at a meeting with the District’s mayor last month.
Startlingly, White doesn’t seem to be the only one peddling these kooky theories about Jews. The Washington Post noted that fringe conspiracy theorists have been peddling the outrageously false claim that Jews are responsible for climate change for some time. As far back as 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center noted that neo-Nazis were beginning to blame Jews for climate change; increasingly, this bogus claim seems to have gained even more followers in the years since.
While it seems incredible that anyone would blame Jews for snow, there are plenty of Americans who hold extremely negative views about Jews. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) notes that in 2016, fully 20% of Americans polled agreed with statements that Jews controlled Wall Street and had too much power in business. 16% agreed that Jews have “too much power” in America. Among minorities, the numbers were even higher. 31% of foreign-born Hispanics held strongly anti-Jewish views in 2016, as did 23% of African Americans. And a 2009 ADL poll found that 31% of Europeans blamed Israel for the financial crisis that year.
It’s ironic that Councilman White’s idiotic, offensive and utterly false comments about Jews occurred in the run-up to Passover, a common time throughout history to smear Jews with the infamous blood libel.
Nearly a thousand years ago, at Passover time in 1144, a young boy named William was found murdered in the English town of Norwich. Even though there was no evidence, a local monk baselessly blamed Jews and falsely claimed that Jews selected an innocent Christian child each year to ritually murder. At first, few people paid any attention to this gory fabrication, but the monk kept embroidering his telling, adding more and more gruesome details. In time, some Christians began venerating the murdered boy, who was eventually canonized as a Saint. Local Jews, already viewed with suspicion by their Christian neighbors, were blamed for his death, and Jews were seen as uniquely evil, bent on causing unimaginable harm.
The untrue libel ultimately spread that Jews supposedly murdered Christian children in order to use their blood on Passover, either by drinking it during the Passover Seder or by using it as a key ingredient in matzah. Jews across Europe were blamed for the death of Christian children. Often, local officials tortured Jews into falsely confessing these crimes. At times, Jewish communities were massacred in retaliation for supposed ritual murders before Passover. Over a hundred blood libels resulted in thousands of deaths of European Jews throughout the Middle Ages. As recently as 1913, Russia tried Mendel Beilis, a Jewish father of five, accusing him of ritually murdering a boy and using his blood to bake matzah.
Allegations of blood libels continue to be repeated today. Prominent political and cultural figures in parts of the Arab world routinely accuse Jews of killing children for Passover, and a couple of popular made-for-TV dramas in recent years have featured blood libels. The wildly popular Syrian-made series Al-Shatat even features a graphic depiction ritual murder by supposedly venal Jews wishing to make Passover matzah. The series has been shown repeatedly, since it was made in 2002, in Syria, Iran, Libya and Jordan, and remains a well-liked series throughout the Arabic-speaking world.
In the West, the traditional blood libel has modified, leading to baseless charges that Jews somehow want to control or harm others. In 2009, the Swedish magazine Aftonbladet echoed classic blood libel smears when it falsely claimed that Israel harvested organs from dead Palestinians. The following year when an earthquake devastated Haiti, a member of Britain’s House of Lords baselessly demanded an inquiry to see whether Israeli rescue workers were using the disaster as cover to harvest organs in Haiti.
Councilman White’s inane speculation that Jews caused it to snow is being mocked across social media. Amid the ridicule, it’s important that we not lose sight that his hare-brained comments likely would not have occurred were it not for a fertile environment of anti-Semitic theories and hatred. As we prepare to celebrate Passover, it’s imperative we remember the smears and false allegations, the hatred and ire stirred up by hundreds of years of blood libels. It’s vital that we stand up to Jew-hatred wherever it occurs, that we help stop modern blood libels of supposed Jewish evil or control, whenever we hear them today.
(23) MESA, March 23, 2018 3:53 PM
If we control the snow, why haven't we dumped it on him, his home, and his car? Let him dig out!
(22) Mike, March 22, 2018 11:39 PM
How to deal with this fool.
The best thing to do is to expose this man for being a fool. He should be hounded by TV reporters until he is forced to either defend his position or apologize. And let me tell you, there are plenty of influential folks in Washington DC who could put an end to his political career.
(21) Anonymous, March 22, 2018 10:06 PM
and yet Jews NEVER fight back
each and every time i read one of these Jew-hating slobs spew their anti-Semitism, I get their email and tell them off. Jews need to let these turds know we are not soft, we are not gonna take it. It angers me when Jews put up with it...I wrote to him and told him off, I wrote to Farrakhan, Tamika Mallory, the UN, etc etc....i don't care if they get angry. LET THEM. LET THEM KNOW we are NOT GONNA TAKE IT.
Anonymous, March 23, 2018 11:10 AM
To commenter #21 Anonymous
What a brilliant idea you have! Have you ever gotten a response from any of these individuals? You say that Jews never fight back, but you are doing just that. Good for you! I have another way we can fight back, and that is by continuing to read and keep ourselves fully informed. Aish and Yvette Alt Miller have given me a Jewish education that is more valuable than any jewelry I could wear!!
(20) Anonymous, March 22, 2018 1:40 PM
I Keep Thinking About How We Can Grow From This
The Bal Shem Tov teaches that the movement of every little leaf and snowflake, and every fact of each person's life, is directed by G-d in exacting Divine Providence. I keep thinking a lot about this article, and comment on it because, I do think about weather in conjunction with Divine Providence quite a bit. It gives me great optimism. Just yesterday, there was a snow day in Brooklyn, New York. (Jewish conspiracy, LOTS of Jews praying here). Actually, by Divine Providence, there was not the large amount of snow predicted, so it was okay getting around, but there was enough for children to play in the snow. The Divine Providence of the prediction was that, for example, my neighbor, a school teacher who is already taking off days off for Passover, had a day off to be able to PREPARE for Passover. She really needed it. She prayed for it. Her prayers, and all of ours make a difference. I'm now praying that just as I prepare for Passover, removing physical chometz and spiritual "chometz" -- unhealthy pride, jealousy etc. that AIsh HaTorah has an article about-- and we can ONLY do this by going to G-d, so too, those (like that D.C. Councilman) who need transformations will learn. Look in the Aish archives at how G-d let Derek Black be transformed by the structure and committment of his Jewish acquaintance's SHABBOS, the day that asserts G-d made the whole world and each of us. Look in the archives about those who would be terrorists who now stand BRAVELY for Israel. They received blessings from G-d, as snow, rain and sunshine are blessings. G-d does it all, and allows us to feel the satisfaction, and earn the reward of being a part of it-- learning, growing, doing until we get to the Complete Redemption on an individual and global basis. We can do the opposite of that councilman and learn more about Jews, with healthy pride in what we do, how much good we do. I pray to celebrate Passover, and each day, more as G-d wants me to, with gratitude.
(19) Anonymous, March 22, 2018 10:03 AM
You can't fix stupid
Antisemites are are not exactly the smartest breed of human beings. This is not the first instance where Jews and Israel have been blamed for natural disasters. If anything, those remarks are a comic relief
(18) Hershel, March 22, 2018 7:07 AM
If the guy had said Rockefellers instead of Rothschilds, then well it would be globalists instead of jews. There's various other powerful families: Bush, Kennedy, Clinton.
The old game Deus Ex 1 (made by Warren Spectre, who is Jewish), mentioned the Rothschilds in conspiracies but also threw in the Rockefellers along with it. Warren by the way, starting a whole game series about how the mainstream media lies -- sadly Warren believes the mainstream media these days as seen by his constant hating of Trump on Twitter.
But Trayon White got the whole Weather Weapons conspiracy completely wrong. The conspiracy theory is governments do it, not rich families. There was the whole HAARP thing in Alaska that was shut down a few years ago and after it was shut down, California's drought ended.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has even said in 2011, "Western countries have designed plans to cause drought in certain areas of the world, including Iran. According to reports on climate, whose accuracy has been verified, European countries are using special equipment to force clouds to dump" their water on their continent. By doing so, "They prevent rain clouds from reaching regional countries, including Iran."
Now Mahmoud denies The Holocaust, but even he doesn't claim The Jews did weather weapons. He claims governments do it and he didn't even mention Israel. It was Europe and the USA.
(17) Anonymous, March 21, 2018 4:45 PM
Agreement With Some of the Other Comments
In terms of spiritual approaches to connect to G-d Who is in control. I'm with you. Also, it's up to the righteous gentiles to highlight that councilman's evil and the evil of others like him. Let's start with in the U.S., in the land of the free and the home of the brave, There is a commonality between that councilman, white supremacists, Oprah as someone else commented, many (although, thankfully not all) of the white government officials (both Republican and Democrat) in good old Iowa (it is coming to light, in four cases I am aware of involving people who are distinctly Jewish), and, G-d bless America where I can say this, former president Barak Obama, who was indoctrinated for much of his adult life by the same "pastor" in Chicago as Oprah. They all need sensitivity training to say the least, get them together in the same room for what they all have to work on: to stop blaming, finger-pointing, stop using their power of speech to manipulate perceptions of what is really going on in different situations, to be TRULY accepting (Oprah and former president Obama put on a great show of that) and APPRECIATIVE of Jews and all people, created in G-d's image.
(16) Deborah, March 21, 2018 4:18 PM
Absurd and Dangerous
It really makes you want to laugh, if not for the fact that countless Jews have been murdered because of insane libels like this. Blaming Jews for snow. Wow. I've really seen it all now.
(15) Anonymous, March 21, 2018 11:24 AM
Sadly, there is nothing new under the sun
First, I want to thank Yvette Alt MIller for bringing this issue to my attention. I can always count on her to keep me educated re: these crucial issues. Second, if we look beneath the surface we will see that there is another much more famous African American individual who is just as bad as the one profiled in this article. Who do I mean? I am referring to none other than Oprah Winfrey. Underneath her smile and psychobabble, you will find a racist and I bet she is not too crazy about Jewish people either. This man (and I use the term loosely) is an idiot, and so it is a little easier to speak out against him. Oprah is MUCH sneakier! Finally, if/when we hear anti Semitic remarks, we MUST speak out against them!
(14) paul, March 21, 2018 5:13 AM
we are wonderful scapegoats for anything
in Cape Town there has been a a 3 year severe drought. Israel has been blamed by a local ANC official because the city will be forced to buy Israeli desalination apparatus
Herschel, March 22, 2018 6:57 AM
Southern Africa historically was a desert. It had a few hundred Khoisans who fled there to get away from the Bantus genociding them as it's hard to survive in a desert. Around 1700s, Europeans started irrigating and farming and made the land so it could support 100 million. Then Bantus mass immigrated risking all kinds of dangers and death to get into South Africa, despite that it was this "racist white supremist apartheid" country. In 100 years, they went from 1 million to about 50 million Bantus.
But Southern Africa was always a desert. Getting not enough rain is simply the norm for the country. It was never meant to support nearly 50 million people.
But the Bantus ruling South Africa blaming Israel for the drought? South Africa's problems are self-caused. The government has known for decades about the water problems and refused to do anything. The Black Economic Empowerment Act in South Africa also racially discriminates against people in the country, banning qualified people who can help. The government simply thinks if they genocide all the whites like Haiti and Zimbabwe did, then it will solve all the problems. South Africa in the end will just blame Israel and Europe for its problems.
(13) Anonymous, March 21, 2018 3:09 AM
Yes, he is correct but not for his reasons
Actually what he said is true.
The Jewish people are responsible for all that happens in the world.
We must perfect our selves in both the laws from Hashem in following every area of the Torah, with Hashem and how we behave towards people. The Torah is our guide as to how to live a perfect life.
Pesach is coming. Now is the time to clean out our physical and spiritual Chometz so we will be worthy to welcome Mashiach which will end all suffering.
Wishing all a חג כשר ושמח!
(12) Evelyn Franklin, March 21, 2018 1:59 AM
Maybe his hair to tight.
I can't for the life of me understand where this young man come up with a crazy ideal as to what he is speaking. Did he think he was that important it would snow just because he came through? my only explanation is his hair is to tight or he's not from this planet.
(11) Aviel, March 20, 2018 9:45 PM
This is normal in galut
A sizable percentage of Gentiles and even some Jews have always been ready to believe the worst no matter how bizarre. You can cry and scream as is normal but coming home to Israel or assimilate are the real choices.
(10) SteveHC, March 20, 2018 8:59 PM
Stop voting for these idiots
Morons like this need far more than a polite "education" on what is and is not "anti-Semitic." They need to be told in no uncertain terms that we've HAD IT with them and hencefoth have no intention of *ever* voting for them,"apologies" or not.
(9) Anonymous, March 20, 2018 6:50 PM
MISSING THE POINT - TIME TO WAKE UP SPIRITUALLY
This article should scare all of us - but especially Liberal minded Jews - to the FACT that assimilating with the Gentiles will not protect us from G-d's will for us to follow His will as found in His Torah. Global warming is a stance of Liberal's. How ironic it is to see global warming to be a claim used against Jews! In other words, NOTHING that you can do will protect you from Antisemitism. You might as well die a REAL practicing Jew, than die just because you were born a Jew. Antisemitism is here to remind us of that G-d's Chosen People need to follow His Torah, otherwise trouble follows. Assimilating with the Gentiles WILL NEVER HELP since it is an established rule that - in general -Non-Jews hate Jews. Some more, and some less. Stop hiding and start looking into your Heritage and find out what being a Jew is really all about before G-d Forbid, you die in vain. This message is for Religious Jews as well. Religious Jews are "assimilating" in their mind and with their actions. Religious Jews need to become more Religious and learn to appreciate what it means to be G-d's Chosen People on their level. Too much of their practiced Judaism is done by rote and not with real conviction. So, all in all, this is a wake up call for ALL Jews, regardless of affiliation. This is the ONLY way to FIGHT antisemitism. All the other ways just help to foster antisemitism. The ADL can only help temporarily - while things are still quiet. However, if, G-d Forbid, the flood gates of antisemitism burst, no government laws will help in any way shape or form, to hold back the real antisemitism that is currently being suppressed in the bosom of our fellow "smiling and apologetic" Gentile "friends". This is a trend foretold at length in the Torah in Leviticus 26:14-46. and again at length in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. In these verses it foretells great tragedies in lieu of ignoring G-d and His Torah. This website is a good place to start by going through Judaism 101. May G-d protect us all.
Rachel, March 21, 2018 7:53 AM
Climate change denial is a stance of conservatives
There's plenty to criticize about liberals, but accepting scientific proof of climate change is rational. Conservatives who don't accept it are either more concerned with the economic consequences of limiting the damage, or are Evangelical xtians whose literal interpretation of parts of the Bible lead them to believe it's not a problem. Don't ignore the Torah, and don't ignore science either.
Nach Shon, March 23, 2018 12:42 AM
climate change?
never happened before, no ice age etc. & please explain how the viking-Greenlands 1000 years ago had a full growing season, UNTIL the small ice age started, which by the way is just starting to turn around finally. Yes there proof of climate change again, nothing new there happened 1000s of times in history. So yes the liberals need to read history & stop genuflecting at every crack-pot nonsense psuedo-theory, that their false nabim (prophets) spew. Conservatives may be wrong, but at least they try to evaluate data, not follow blindly.
tzvi, March 21, 2018 3:58 PM
AGREE
AMEIN
(8) Tone lechtzier, March 20, 2018 5:44 PM
right... but wrong
Shalom, I give credit to White for recognizing artificial climate control. [ Geo Engineering ] There are countless US Gov. patents relating to this. Most foolishly are in denial. The ariel spraying is highly toxic to all life, slow genocide. [GeoEngineeringWatch.org]
200,000,000 tons per year!!! As for blaming it the Jews, what else is new? In fact... it's the US gov. that enables ariel spraying.
,
(7) Anonymous, March 20, 2018 5:23 PM
Dumb and Dumber...
I can't decide who is dumber- Trayon White or the people who voted for him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(6) Anonymous, March 20, 2018 4:39 PM
What do Jews have to do with the weather? Hmmm. Come to think of it, II remember Aish HaTorah publicized the drought in CapeTown, South Africa. I emailed people in Israel to pray for rain in capetown, prayed myself, and asked my friends (many of whom are Jewish) to pray as well. There was suddently rain and Capetown rejoiced. I really should go back to asking G-d, who is the One in Control for more rain in Capetown, and I ask others to do that too, although of course each person's personal prayer agenda is personal-- and powerful.
And who's to "blame" when, anywhere in the world, heavy rains are predicted, yet there's not a cloud in the sky? We can fault the children who pray to G-d for sunshine, because a fun baseball game is on their "agenda" for that day. As Passover approaches, we can all, Jew and Righteous Gentile, pray for true freedom for all. "Lashana Haba B'Yerushalayim". Here's wishing everyone the good climate of not pointing fingers,and brewing in conspiracy theories, and yes showing appreciation of people, and gratitude to Our Creator.
(5) Jonathan Shopiro, March 20, 2018 4:37 PM
Puts the blood libel in its place
Check out "Christian Baby Blood," by Sean Altman/Jewmongous. A funny put-down of the blood libel.
(4) Anonymous, March 20, 2018 4:22 PM
The real "conspiracy"
"Who is wise? He who learns from all people." We can learn from someone who we normally wouldn't as follows: In a way, Jews do have to do with the weather. We pray about it.
Jews and all people of faith, know we are created in His image and He is in control. So we "lobby" to G-d. If one keeps up with the weather reports and the mobilized relief efforts after natural disasters, we see Jews praying, reciting psalms, and mobilizing non-governmental relief efforts dispropoprtionate to our numbers.
Perhaps Aish Hatorah, a "powerful Jewish organization" will feature some articles that help direct us to participating in Passover seders, where we can meet to "conspire", to remember and thank for our past liberation and pray for the ultimate salvation of the Jewish people, and all of humankind, from old age-hatred, and all of life's storms.
(3) Dvora, March 20, 2018 4:01 PM
blood libels
Great and timely reminder. The sons and daughters of man never stop! People, male or female, who astound us all with their stupidity, ignorance and eventual profane racism should never be in politics! No patients for racism ever. Not ALL NOI Muslims are racist practitioners. Unfortunately for this little male it is and I doubt that his psychological delusions about Jews is curable as the root is from deeper psychological issues but his thoughts are pure delusion. I mentioned this years ago on a Forum and "affected Jews" attacked me. It never ends and seemingly comes from all, but the fact remains that some NOI teach lies and racism. They really get into it too. Holocaust deniers and all. The lesson here is never allow ANYONE to remove your rational thought Family was MURDERED in the Holocaust and if you cannot feel my life long pain because of it I just have to end this conversation. Walk away from such lunacy but not before you right a wrong.
(2) Anonymous, March 20, 2018 3:20 PM
And why liberal Jews support these anti semitic groups?
It would be more helpful if majority of us would support conservative movement which is definitely more pro Israel. Some of us need to exercise a common sense. Sometimes wounds are self inflicted.
Canuck, March 22, 2018 4:56 PM
Anonymous, your comment makes a lot of sense...
...& I hope it will resonate with readers (of whom many if not most are robotically left-liberal sympathisers & voters). Your point about the Jewish instinct for self-destruction is well taken.
(1) Lou Lantner, March 20, 2018 2:41 PM
timely and powerful piece
The final two sentences of the piece should be our calling cry forever. The subject of this item hit the Washington Post, WTOP radio (CBS Radio) and AISH at the same time -- and AISH (Dr. Miller) definitely has the best article.
Dr. Miller -- we need your writing now more than ever.
May you grow from strength to strength.