Review of Protocols of Zion (2005) by Steve R — 12 Dec 2008

A documentary by Marc Levin about the popularity of the Protocols of Zion and its place in anti-Semitism.

For the uninitiated, the Protocols of Zion is a tract first published in 1903 in Russia that outline the Jewish and Masonic plan for world domination. The protocols have been proven to be a complete fabrication without any standing as a historical document yet the lies told within persist to the present.

Marc Levin begins his documentary trying to figure out why after 9/11 this document was being used to justify a conspiracy by the Jews and interviews many who either believe in the Protocols or have spent time trying to debunk them.

The best parts are in the beginning and toward the end. Early on, Marc Levin and his farther confront a bunch of Palestinian youths in New York and asks about the Protocols. Things get heated but Levin stands his ground in a non-confrontational but inquisitive manner. Eventually, it gets too hot but he gets the information he is seeking which is why do these lies persist.

So long as there is injustice by one group against another, any story that speaks ill of one group will have a life in the other. And the bigger the lie, the easier it is believed.

Towards the end, Levin interviews a white supremacist group that sells the Protocols over the Internet. He calls it one of their best sellers because the anonymity provided by the Internet moves inventory better than a storefront.

Itâ??s not as heavy as it could be and not as scholarly as I would have liked, but it is above average for a documentary and an easy entry into the topic.