Protocols of the Elders of Zion

A RUMOR ABOUT THE 

JEWS 

REFLECTIONS ON ANTISEMITISM 

AND THE PROTOCOLS OF THE 

LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION 

Stephen Eric Bronner 

St. Martin's Press 

New York 

00

A RUMOR ABOUT THE JEWS 

Copyright © Stephen Eric Bronner, 2000. All rights reserved. Printed in the United 

States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner 

whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations 

embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address 

St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010. 

To the German Jews who, 

forced into exile by the Nazis, 

built a community and rebuilt their lives in 

Washington Heights near the northern tip ofManhattan 

ISBN 0-312-21804-4 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 

Bronner, Stephen Eric, 1949- 

A rumor about the Jews : reflections on antisemitism and the 

Protocols of the learned elders of Zion l Stephen Eric Bronner. 

p. cm. 

Includes bibliographical references and index. 

ISBN 0-312-21804-4 

1. Protocols of the wise men of Zion juvenile literature. 

2. Antisemitism juvenile literature. 1. Title. 

DS145.P7B76 2000 

305.892'4--dc21 

99-42576 

CIP 

Design by Acme Art, Inc. 

First edition: April, 2000 

10

1 0 A RUMOR ABOUT THE JEWS 

Integral nationalism and messianic visions of a Christian destiny 

have always intoxicated antisemites. But these same values are 

currently embraced by an increasing number of Jews themselves. 

They worry over the erosion of their religion and identity. They 

resent the trend towards religious pluralism and the introduction of 

cosmopolitan values into their community. They show only contempt 

for liberal democracy though, ironically, its institutions remain 

the best guarantees against the exercise of arbitrary power and the 

force of prejudice. The victims of antisemitism are not immune from 

the thinking of their persecutors. Jews, too, can unwittingly succumb 

to the Protocols. No less than illuminating the tradition of antisemitism 

and evaluating its contemporary status, exposing this danger is 

among the most important aims of A Rumor about the Jews. 

TWO 

Antisemitism for popular Consumption: 

Selections from The Protocols of the 

Learned Elders of Zion' 

I NTRODUCTION BY VICTOR MARSDEN (1922) 

These Protocols give the substance of addresses delivered to the 

innermost circle of the Rulers of Zion ... Parts and summaries of the 

plan have been published from time to time during the centuries as the 

secrets of the Elders have leaked out ... It demonstrates that the Jews 

are now a world menace and that the Aryan races will have to domicile 

them permanently out of Europe. Who are the Elders? This is a secret 

which has not been revealed. They are the Hidden Hand. 

PROTOCOLI 

[A.] What I am about to set forth, then, is our system from 

the two points of view, that of ourselves and that of the 

goyurn, i.e. non-Jews ... 

[B.] Our power in the present tottering conditions of all 

forms of power will be more invincible than any other, 

because it will remain invisible until the moment when it

1 2 A RUMOR ABOUT THE JEWS 

has gained such strength that no cunning can any longer 

undermine it ... 

[C.] Let us, however, in our plans, direct our attention not 

so much to what is good and moral as to what is necessary 

and useful... 

[D.] We must not stop at bribery, deceit and treachery when 

they should serve toward the attainment of our end ... 

[E.] Far back in ancient times we were the First to cry 

among the masses of the people the words "Liberty, Equality, 

Fraternity" . . . [These words] brought to our ranks, 

thanks to our blind agents, whole legions who bore our 

banners with enthusiasm. And all the time these words 

were cankerworms at work boring into the well-being of 

the goyun, and putting an end everywhere to peace, quiet, 

solidarity, and destroying all the foundations of the goya 

states. As you will see later, this helped us to our triumph; 

it gave us the possibility among other things of getting into 

our hands the master card-the destruction of the privileges, 

or in other words of the very existence of the 

aristocracy of the gnyirn, that class which was the only 

defence peoples and countries had against us. On the ruins 

of the natural and genealogical aristocracy of the goyun we 

have set up the aristocracy of our educated class headed by 

the aristocracy of money. The qualifications for this aristocracy 

we have established in wealth, which is dependent 

upon us, and in knowledge, for which our learned elders 

provide the motive force. 

SELECTIONS FROM THE PROTOCOLS OF THE LFARNFD FLDFRS OF ZION 1 3 

be brought onto the economic ground, where the nations 

will not fail to perceive in the assistance we give the 

strength of our predominance and this state of things will 

put both sides at the mercy of our international agentur; 

which possesses millions of eyes ever on the watch and 

unhampered by any limitations whatsoever? Our international 

rights will then wipe out national rights, in the 

proper sense of right, and will rule the nations precisely as 

the civil law of States rule the relations of their subjects 

among themselves. 

[B.] ... The intellectuals of the goyun will puff themselves 

up with their knowledge and without any logical verification 

of them will put into effect all the information available 

from science, which our agentur specialists have cunningly 

pieced together for the purpose of educating their minds in 

the direction we want. Do not suppose for a moment that 

these statements are empty words: think carefully of the 

successes we arranged for Darwinism, Marxism, 

Nietzsche-ism. To us Jews, at any rate, it should he plain 

to see what a disintegrating importance these directives 

have had upon the minds of the goyinz ... 

[C.] It is in the Press that the triumph of freedom of speech 

finds its incarnation. But the goyutt States have not known 

how to make use of this force; and it has fallen into our hands. 

Through the Press we have gained the power to influence 

while remaining ourselves in the shade; thanks to the Press 

we have got the gold in our hands, notwithstanding that we 

have had to gather it out of oceans of blood and tears. 

PROTOCOL 2 

[A.] It is indispensable, for our purpose that wars, so far as 

possible, should not result in territorial gains; war will thus 

PROTOCOL 3 

[A.] Today I may tell you that our goal is now only a few 

steps off. There remains a small space to cross and the

1 4 A RUMOR ABOUT I HE JEWS 

whole long path we have trodden is ready now to close its 

cycle of the Symbolic Snake by which we symbolize our 

people. When this ring closes, all the States of Europe will 

be locked in its coil as in a powerful vise ... 

SELECTIONS FROM THE PROTOCOLS OF 7HE LEARNED ELDERS Of ZION 

hands. Ever since that time we have been leading the 

peoples from one disenchantment to another, so that in the 

end they should turn also from us in favour of that Kiriq 

Despot of the blood of Zion, whonz Ive are preparing for the if orld. 

I S 

[B.] In order to incite seekers after power to a misuse of 

power we have set all forces in opposition one to another 

. . . The people under our guidance have annihilated the 

aristocracy who were their one and only defence and 

foster-mother for the sake of their own advantage which is 

i nseparably bound up with the well-being of the people. 

Nowadays, with the destruction of the aristocracy, the 

people have fallen into the grips of merciless moneygrinding 

scoundrels who have laid a pitiless and cruelyoke 

upon the necks of the workers. We appear on the scene as 

alleged saviors of the worker from this oppression when we 

propose to him to enter the ranks of our fighting forces- 

Socialists, Anarchists, Communists-to whom we always 

give support in accordance with an alleged brotherly rule 

(of the solidarity of all humanity) of our social tnaeonry The 

aristocracy, which enjoyed by law the labour of the workers, 

was interested in seeing that the workers were well fed, 

healthy and strong. We are interested in just the opposite-in 

the diminution, the killing out of The goyinz ... 

[C.] This hatred will be still further magnified by the effects 

of an econonuc cridne, which will stop dealings on the 

exchanges and bring industry to a standstill. We shall create 

by all the secret subterranean methods open to us and with 

the aid of gold, which is all in our hands, a universal economt'c 

criiiii ulhereblt ire ,,hall throe , upon the ,rtreetr whole inobs of worker,, 

sirntiltaneotoly in all the countries ol'Europe . . . 

[D.] Remember the French Revolution, to which it was we 

who gave the name of Great: the secrets of its preparation 

are well known to us for it was wholly the work of our 

PROTOCOL4 

[A.] Gentile masonry, blindly serves as a screen for us and 

our objects, but the plan of action of our force, even its very 

abiding place, remains for the whole people an unknown 

mystery ... 

[B.] But even freedom might be harmless and have its 

place in the State economy without injury to the well-being 

of the peoples if it rested upon the foundation of faith in 

God, upon the brotherhood of humanity, unconnected 

with the conception of equality, which is negative by the 

very laws of creation, for they have established subordination. 

With such a faith as this a people might be governed 

by a wardship of parishes and would walk contentedly and 

humbly under the guiding hand of its spiritual pastor 

submitting to the dispositions of God on earth. This is the 

reason: why it is inch+pen,+able for nn to undermine all faith, to 

tear out of'the tninds of the GOYIM the very prinetple of the 

Goabead, and the spirit, find to put tin its place arithinetu'al 

calculatzan r and material need.,. In order to give the goyiin no 

time to think and take note, their minds must be diverted 

towards industry and trade. Thus, all the nations will be 

swallowed up in the pursuit of gain and in the race for it 

will not take note of their common foe. 

PROT000L,5 

[A.] In the times when peoples looked upon kings on their 

thrones as on a pure manifestation of the will of God, they 

submitted without a murmur to the despotic power of

1 6 A RUMOR A80U1 THE JEWS 

kings; but from the day when we insinuated into their 

minds the conception of their own rights they began to 

regard the occupants of the thrones as mere ordinary 

mortals. The holy unction of the Lord's Anointed has fallen 

from the heads of kings in the eye of the people, and when 

we also robbed them of their faith in God the might of 

power was flung upon the streets into the place of public 

proprietorship and was seized by us ... 

[B.] Reared on analysis, observation, on delicacies of fine 

calculation, in this species of skill we have no rivals, any 

more than we have either in the drawing up of plans of 

political actions and solidarity. In this respect the Jesuits 

alone might have compared with us, but we have contrived 

to discredit them in the eyes of the unthinking mob as an 

overt organization, while we ourselves all the while have 

kept our secret organization in the shade. However, it is 

probably all the same to the world who is its sovereign lord, 

whether the head of Catholicism or our despot ol'the blood 

of Zion! But to us, the Chosen People, it is very far from 

being a matter of indifference ... 

[C.] The nalanra cannot cotne to even as rncon.riderahle private 

agreement mithourt our secretly lattr~titq a hand iii it . . . All the 

wheels of the machinery of all States go by the force of the 

engine, which is in our hands, and that engine of the 

machinery of States is-Gold. The science of political 

economy invented by our learned elders has for long past 

been giving royal prestige to capital ... 

[ D.] The priaeetral olyect of our ou'ectorate con,+li+t+ rrt tlat,+: to 

debilitate the public mold by critiiz

1 8 

A RUMOR ABOUT "IHL'. JEWS 

[B.] The aristocracy of the griyua as a political force is 

dead-we need not take it into account; but as landed 

proprietors they can still be harmful to us from the fact that 

they are self-sufficing in the resources upon which they 

live. It is essential therefore for us at whatever cost to 

deprive them of their land. This object will be best attained 

by increasing the burdens upon landed property-in loading 

lands with debts . . . What we want is that industry 

should drain off from the land both labour and capital and 

by means of speculation transfer into our hands all the 

money of the world, and thereby throw all the gayim into 

the ranks of the proletariat. Then the goyiru will bow down 

before us, if for no other reason but to get the right to exist 

[C.] We ,hall further undertnirre artfally and deeply ,ourcer of 

production by accu,+tomutq the worker, to anarchy and to drunkenne,ra 

and.ude by,rrde thereo ,ith takaiq all rnea,rure to extirpate fvin 

the /ace ofthe earth all the educatedfnree cfthe GOYIM. 

[A.] Throughout 

with Europe, in 

PROT0001.7 

all Europe, and by means of relations 

other continents also, we must create 

ferments, discords, and hostility . . . [B]y our intrigues we 

shall tangle up all the threads which we have stretched into 

the cabinets of all states by means of the political, by 

economic treaties, or loan obligations ... 

[B.] The principal factor of success in the political is the 

secrecy of its undertakings . . . We must compel the 

governments of the g~yun to take action in the direction 

favored by our widely conceived plan, already approachi 

ng the desired consummation, by what we shall represent 

as public opinion, secretly prompted by us through the 

means of that so-called "Great Power"-the Pre,,,, ahich, 

SELECTIONS FROM I HE PRO'I0C'OL5 OF THE IFARATD ELDERS OF ZION 1 

aith a fern exceptanr,, that may he d&rregardeo, r

A RI;MOR ABOUT I HE JEWS 

plan dreamers of every kind. We have harnessed them all 

to the task: each one of them on his own account is boring 

away at the last remnants of authority, is striving to 

overthrow all established forms of order. By these acts, all 

states are in torture: they exhort to tranquility, are ready to 

sacrifice everyth i ng for peace: but we will not give them 

peace until they openly acknowledge our international 

Super-government, and with submissiveness. 

[C.] Division into fractional parties has given them into 

our hands, for in order to carry on a contested struggle one 

must have money, and the money is all in our hands. 

[D.] We have got our hands into the administration of the 

law, into the conduct of elections, into the press, into the 

liberty of the person, but principally into education and 

training as being the cornerstones of a free existence. We 

have fooled, bemused and corrupted the youth of the 

goyim by rearing them in principles and theories which are 

known to us to be false although it is by us that they have 

been inculcated. 

PROTOCOL 10 

[A.] . . . Me tnttat have everybody vote ,,itbout didtlnetion of 

cla,oea and qualification,, in order to establish an absolute 

majority, which cannot be got from the educated propertied 

classes . . . When we introduced into the State 

organism the poison of Liberalism, its whole political 

complexion underwent a change. States have been 

seized with a mortal illness-blood poisoning. All that 

remains is to await the end of their death agony. 

Liberalism produced Constitutional States, which took 

the place of what was the only safeguard of the goyim, 

namely, Despotism; and a con,Ititution, as you Ii ,ell knoa", td 

nothing else but a achool of Nicordo, misunderstandings, 

SELECTIONS FROM I HE PR07000L.S 0F'I fIL LEARNED ELDERS 01 ZION 21 

quarrels, disagreements, fruitless party agitations, party 

whims-in a word, a school of everything that serves to 

destroy the personality of State activity. 

[B.] . . . We shall arrange elections in favor of such 

presidents as have in their past some dark, undiscovered 

stain, some "Panama" or other-then they will be trustworthy 

agents for the accomplishment of our plans out 

of fear of revelations and from the natural desire of 

everyone who has attained power, namely, the retention 

of the privileges, advantages, and honor connected with 

the office of president. The chamber of deputies will 

provide cover for, will protect, will elect, presidents, but 

we shall take from it the right to propose new, or make 

changes in existing laws, for this right will be given by 

us to the responsible president, a puppet in our hands. 

[C.] But you yourselves perfectly well know that to produce 

the poaotbility of the expreeeton of aueh u~t

22 A RUMOR ABOU"I THE JEWS 

SELEC'170NS FROM THE PROTOCOLS OF THE LFARNED ELDERS OF ZION 23 

principle, and many another that must disappear forever 

from the memory of man ... 

[B.] The goytin are a flock of sheep, and we are their 

wolves. And you know what happens when the wolves get 

hold of the flock? ... 

[C.] For what purpose then have we invented this whole 

policy and insinuated it into the minds of the goyn without 

giving them any chance to examine its underlying meaning? 

For what indeed if not in order to obtain in a 

roundabout way what is for our scattered tribe unattainable 

by the direct road? It is this which has served as the 

basis for our organization of SECRET MASONRY 

WHICH IS NOT KNOWN TO, AND AIMS WHICH 

ARE NOT EVEN SO MUCH AS SUSPECTED BY, 

THESE GOY CATTLE, ATTRACTED BY US INTO 

THE "SHOW" ARMY OF MASONIC LODGES IN 

ORDER TO THROW DUST IN THE EYES OF 

THEIR FELLOWS. 

[D.] God has granted to us, His Chosen People, the gift of 

the dispersion, and in this which appears in all eyes to be 

our weakness, has come forth all our strength, which has 

now brought us to the threshold of sovereignty over all the 

world. 

PROTOCOL 12 

[A.] What is the part played by the press today? It serves 

to excite and inflame those passions which are needed for 

our purpose or else it serves selfish ends of parties. It is 

often vapid, unjust, mendacious, and the majority of the 

public have not the slightest idea what ends the press really 

serves. We shall saddle and bridle it with a tight curb; we 

shall do the same also with all productions of the printing 

press, for where would be the sense of getting rid of the 

attacks of the press if we remain targets for pamphlets and 

books? 

[B.] ... 1 beg you to note that among those tnaGnq attaek,~ upon 

tt., will aleo be organ., ertablt~bed by u

24 A RUMOR ABOUT THE JEWS 

PROTOCOL 13 

[A.] The need for daily bread forces the gayirn to keep 

silence and be our humble servants ... 

[B.] In order that the masses themselves may not guess 

what we are about we further distract them with amusements, 

games, pastimes, passions, people's palaces . 

these interests will finally distract their minds from questions 

in which we should Find ourselves compelled to 

oppose them. 

[C.] ... Have we not with complete success turned the 

brainless heads of the goyim with progress, till there is not 

among the goyim one mind able to perceive that under this 

word lies a departure from truth in all cases where it is not 

a question of material inventions, for truth is one and in it 

there is no place for progress. Progress, like a fallacious 

idea, serves to obscure truth so that none may know it 

except us, the Chosen of God, its guardians. 

[D.] When we come into our kingdom, our orators will 

expound great problems which have turned humanity 

upside down in order to bring it at the end under our 

beneficent rule. Who will ever suspect then that ALL 

THESE PEOPLES WERE STAGE-MANAGED BY 

US ACCORDING TO A POLITICAL PLAN WHICH 

NO ONE HAS SO MUCH AS GUESSED AT IN THE 

COURSE OF MANY CENTURIES. 

PROT0001,1a 

[A.] When we come into our kingdom, it will be undesirable 

for us that there should exist any other religion than 

ours of the One God with whom our destiny is bound up 

SFI.ECI'IONS FROM THE. PROTOr~01.S DI 1111: LLARNPU PLUERa OF710A' 25 

by our position as the Chosen People and through whom 

our same destiny is united with the destinies of the world. 

We must therefore sweep away all other forms of belief ... 

[B.] Our philosophers will discuss all the shortcomings of 

the various beliefs of the goyun. BUT NO ONE WILL 

EVER BRING UNDER DISCUSSION OUR FAITH 

FROM ITS TRUE POINT OF VIEW SINCE THIS 

WILL BE FULLY LEARNED BY NONE SAVI? 

OURS, WHO WILL NEVER DARK; TO BE' TRAY ITS 

SECRETS. 

PROTOCOL 15 

[A.] The principal guarantee of stability of rule is to 

confirm the aureole of power, and this aureole is attained 

only by such a majestic inflexibility of might as shall carry 

on its face the emblems of inviolability from mystical 

causes-from the choice of God. Such rro,1, aa1il receattulze,l, 

the Rt&owa autoeraty, the )tie alrd only mrunl

26 A RUMOR ABOUT'THE JEWS 

[C.] ... Death is the inevitable end for all. It is better to 

bring that end nearer to those who hinder our affairs than 

to ourselves, to the founders of this affair. We execute mason,+ 

in eucb u ,&iie that none .,are the brotherhood can ever bale a 

suspreton ofit, not even the vuctiiw themselves ,four death sentence, 

they all die when required ar iffrom a normal kind of illness . . . 

Knowing this, even the brotherhood in its turn dare not 

protest. By such methods we have plucked out of the midst 

of masonry the very root of protest against our disposition. 

While preaching liberalism to thegoyiat we at the same time 

keep our own people and our agents in a state of unquestioning 

submission ... 

[D.] ... When the King of Israel sets upon his sacred head 

the crown offered him by Europe he will become patriarch 

of the world. The indispensable victims offered by him in 

consequence of their suitability will never reach the number 

of victims offered in the course of centuries by the 

mania of magnificence, the emulation between the goy 

governments. 

PROT0001, 16 

[A.] In order to effect the destruction of all collective forces 

except ours we shall emasculate the first stage of collectivism-the 

universities by re-educating them in a new direction. 

Their official.+ and prnfesoor+ will be prepared for tbetir 

bir.+sites,. by detailed secret programme+ of action from which they 

udll not with immunity diverge, not by one iota. They will be 

appointed with e

2 8 A RUMOR ABOUI I HE JEWS 

against itself: this implies a presumption of consciousness 

of weakness, or what is still worse, of injustice. You are 

aware that we have broken the prestige of the gay kings by 

frequent attempts upon their lives through our agents, 

blind sheep of our flock, who are easily moved by a few 

liberal phrases to crimes provided only they be painted in 

political colors. We have compelled the ruler g to acknowledge theul 

ireaknee.r iiz ad wrt4a'ng orertmea

30 A RUMOR ABOUT THE JEWS 

SELECTIONS FROM THE PROTOCOLS OF TNF I.FARNFO FIL)FRS OF ZION 3 1 

PROTOCOL 22 

In our hands is the greatest power of our day-gold: in two 

days we can procure from our storehouses any quantity we 

may please. Surely there is no need to seek further proof 

that our rule is predestined by God? Surely we shall not 

fail with such wealth to prove that all that evil which for so 

many centuries we have had to commit has served at the 

end of ends the cause of true well being-the bringing of 

everything into order? 

PROTOCOL 23 

The supreme lord who will replace all now existing rulers, 

dragging on their existence among societies demoralized 

by us, societies that have denied even the authority of 

God, from whose midst breaks out on all sides the fire of 

anarchy, must first of all proceed to quench this alldevouring 

name. Therefore he will be obliged to kill off 

those existing societies, though he should drench them 

with his own blood, that he may resurrect them again in 

the form of regularly organized troops righting consciously 

with every kind of infection that may cover the 

body of the State with sores. This chosen One of God is 

chosen from above to demolish the senseless forces 

moved by instinct and not reason, by brutishness and not 

humanness. These forces now triumph in manifestations 

of robbery and every kind of violence under the mask of 

principles of freedom and rights. They have overthrown 

all forms of social order to erect on the ruins the throne of 

the King of the Jews; but their part will be played out the 

moment he enters into his kingdom. Then it will be 

necessary to sweep them away from his path, on which 

must be left no knot, no splinter. 

PROTOCOL 24 

I pass now to the method of confirming the dynastic roots 

of King David to the last strata of the earth ... Certain 

members of the seed of David will prepare the kings and 

their heirs, selecting not by right of heritage but by 

eminent capacities, inducting them into the most secret 

mysteries of the political, into schemes of government, but 

providing always that none may come to knowledge of the 

secrets. The object of this mode of action is that all may 

know that government cannot be entrusted to those who 

have not been inducted into the secret places of its art. To 

those persons only will be taught the practical application 

of the aforenamed plans . . . all the observations on the 

politico-economic moves and social sciences-in a word, 

all the spirit of laws which have been unshakably establ 

i shed by nature herself for the regulation of the relations 

of humanity.

Protocols of the Elders of Zion

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