Brazilian professor condemned for antisemitic claim that 'Jewish lobby' funded Jeffrey Epstein

Brazilian sociologist and professor Jessé Souza is facing backlash after posting antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media alleging that the “Jewish lobby” funded the late disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to Brazilian news outlet Estadão.

In a video posted on Instagram, Souza claimed that Epstein was “the perfect product of Jewish Zionism.” He further claimed that Epstein “was not only funded by the Jewish lobby, but that Zionism is the driving force behind all the crimes committed by him.”

Confederação Israelita do Brasil, the Jewish umbrella organization in Brazil, condemned Souza, stating that it is “regrettable that Prof. Souza uses his academic standing as a platform to spread hatred against Jews.”

Souza reportedly responded to the criticism by deleting the antisemitic video and issuing an apology to the Jewish community in Brazil. However, the professor continued spreading antisemitic content by insisting that “Epstein is a product of Zionism as a racist and murderous ideology.”

Zionism is the Jewish national liberation movement that resulted in the reestablishment of the Jewish state in 1948. Souza further claimed that he was not opposed to specific individuals or groups but rejected what he termed “structure of power.” He argued that he had confused the “Zionist lobby” with the “Jewish lobby.” The professor concluded by blasting what he labeled “two years of absolute silence in the face of the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

However, Souza’s accusations are not rooted in documented facts. Israel has faced tremendous international criticism for its self-defense operations against the terrorist organization Hamas, which openly calls for the destruction of Israel and murder of all Jews worldwide.

Israel has also strongly rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, saying its military does not deliberately target civilians and has sought to minimize civilian casualties, while accusing Hamas of using civilians as human shields. Several Western nations, including the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, have also rejected the genocide allegation.

Brazil is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Latin America, numbering around 100,000 people among a total population of around 200 million. Multicultural and multiracial Brazil has generally been tolerant towards Jews and other minorities. 

However, knowledge of Jewish history and the Holocaust remains limited in Brazilian society. A poll by the ISPO Group of Rio Grande do Sul, published last month on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, found that only about 50% of Brazilians are aware of the Holocaust of six million Jews.

“In a context marked by a resurgence of antisemitism and the spread of hate speech, educational action is not only necessary but urgent,” said Hana Nusbaum, education manager for StandWithUs Brazil and the Holocaust Education and Memory Center.

“Holocaust education plays a vital role because of its historical, ethical and human dimensions, and its ability to illuminate the dangers of intolerance and indifference,” she added.

Only 38.5% of respondents had heard of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the extermination camp where one million people, most of them Jews, were murdered.