Antisemitic conspiracy theories target Israel after Charlie Kirk shooting

Some alleged Israel colluded with Washington to blame Muslims, noting the timing one day before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Antisemitic conspiracy theories blaming Israel and Jews for the killing of Charlie Kirk spread widely online after the conservative commentator was fatally shot on September 10 in Utah.

Kirk, president of Turning Point USA, was gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Within hours, thousands of posts on X accused Israel of orchestrating the murder, with some alleging a “false flag” assassination.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, which is monitoring the discourse, said such narratives typically surface after high-profile tragedies and warned of their impact on the Jewish community.

More than 10,000 posts on X used the phrase “Israel killed Charlie Kirk.” Stew Peters, a conspiracy broadcaster, claimed Israel “ordered the hit.”

Ian Carroll, an anti-Zionist influencer with over a million followers, said the incident would be a “turning point of U.S.-Israel relations.”

Other claims pointed to Kirk’s decision to host comedian Dave Smith, a critic of Israel, as the supposed motive.

Some alleged Israel colluded with Washington to blame Muslims, noting the timing, one day before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Paul Miller of the Goyim Defense League, along with online figures such as Jackson Hinkle, promoted similar accusations.

Posts invoked antisemitic tropes, including the “Jewish Question,” and even suggested the method of attack was “IDF coded.”

Many of these posts garnered millions of views and remained online for days, reflecting the reduced moderation of hate speech on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend of Israel.”

The ADL said that without clear answers about the shooting, conspiracy theories targeting Jews and Israel will continue to circulate.