On November 14, Facebook accounts (1, 2) published a photo of the meeting of the presidents of the United States of America with rabbis. The photo is accompanied by a caption claiming that the photo shows the US presidents signing the introduction of “Noahide Laws” of the Jews, which entails beheading all Christians. In the description of the post, Facebook users added an alleged excerpt from the so-called Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which calls on the Jews to destroy their opponents physically, spiritually and morally.
The claims voiced in the posts and photos contain disinformation. Namely:
- In the photo, the American leaders present to the rabbis the document of Proclamation on Education and Sharing Day, which was established in honor of the famous rabbi – Menachem Mendel Schneerson;
- “Noahide Laws” do not contain calls for violence against Christians;
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was created by non-Jews to promote the anti-Zionist idea.
-
What do American presidents sign when meeting with rabbis?
“Education and Sharing Day”, which was established in 1978 in honor of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, is celebrated annually in the United States on his birthday. This day is calculated according to the Jewish calendar, which is why it is movable and can fall between March 21 and April 21. Rabbi devoted a large part of his life to the field of education and founded many educational institutions. He preached that it was necessary to create an inclusive environment in this field and promote girls, teach kindness, morality and ethics and more. That is why, on his birthday, the presidents of America issue the “Education and Sharing Day Proclamation” document, in which they note the importance of education for the American people and the merits of the rabbi. The footage shown in the photo also shows US Presidents Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, George W. Bush and George H. W. Bush signing the document or presenting an already signed version to the rabbis.
The text of the signed document partially changes every year, but in each of them it is noted that education plays an important role in our lives and also emphasizes Schneerson’s merits in this field. Ronald Reagan, in a 1982 document, also noted that one of the rabbis’ chief merits was creating vivid example of the eternal validity of the Seven Noahide Laws, a moral code for all of us regardless of religious faith.
-
What are the “Noahide Laws?”
The “Noahid Laws” are the Jewish version of the Talmud, similar to the Christian 10 Commandments. The Babylonian Talmud originally recorded 5 commandments, which forbade idolatry, blasphemy, murder, robbery, adultery, and 1 commandment, which called for the establishment of a court of justice. Later, 1 commandment was added to the list, which forbade eating the flesh of live animals. Over the centuries, this list has grown to about 30, but the original 7 commandments are the most important, and they became the source of the law. Throughout history, scholars have considered the “Noahide Laws” to be the link between Judaism and Christianity, due to the universality of its ethical norms. These laws are also consistent with the norms of international law and the fundamental rights of human rights protection.
-
What do we know about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion?
“The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” was published for the first time in 1903 in the newspaper “Znamia” of the Russian Empire. The publishers of the document claimed that it was created by the Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897. The protocol contained specific provisions by which the Jews would destroy Christendom and gain world domination. In the following years, the document was translated into French, German and English, and published in other countries’ magazines and newspapers, and it became one of the main driving factors of anti-Semitism. However, research by Times journalist Philip Graves and Russian historian Vladimir Burtsev found that the document was forged, allegedly by the Russian secret police, and was intended to instill hatred against Jews.
About the Source
Facebook user Giorgi Giorgi systematically publishes conspiracy theories and false information. Many of the user’s posts have been labeled as false information by various fact-checking organizations, including “Myth Detector.”
The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.
Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.
