Epstein Files Spark Antisemitism Surge on Instagram: Hitler Glorification Reaches Millions

A surge of overt antisemitism is unfolding on Instagram in the wake of the Epstein document release. An investigation reveals that “Hitler worship” is finding a massive audience. The scandal surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein may be triggering an antisemitic wave comparable to those seen after October 7th.

Hans Landa, known as “the Jew Hunter,” aims a pistol at the camera. “There’s only one investigator who could hop the Epstein list in under a week,” reads the caption in an Instagram video. Landa is a fictional SS officer from Quentin Tarantino’s film “Inglourious Basterds,” portrayed by Christoph Waltz. In occupied France, Landa searches for Jews hiding from Nazi persecution, intending to murder them.

The video, uploaded by Instagram user “ozzybossborn,” attributes the scandal of sexual abuse of children and young women solely to Jews, formulating a fantasy of annihilation. “Too bad he was just a fictional character,” writes the user, who otherwise shares fitness or nutrition tips with their more than 52,000 followers.

Overt antisemitism has become a widespread phenomenon on social media following the publication of the so-called Epstein documents, according to a report by the research association Democ. The release of the three million pages of investigative documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case by the US Department of Justice has been followed by an increase in antisemitic content, particularly on Instagram.

The documents, containing numerous photo and video recordings, provide insight into the abuse network surrounding the convicted and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as his professional and private correspondence with business partners, and acquaintances. Numerous prominent figures appear in the documents, not in connection with the abuse investigations.

According to the Democ investigation, Epstein’s Jewish identity is being used by antisemites as an occasion to express Jew-hatred. The investigation, conducted between January 30th and February 9th, found that just 55 selected Instagram Reels – short videos – with explicitly antisemitic interpretations of the Epstein scandal were viewed a total of 114.4 million times in the first ten days after the documents were released. These videos received more than 6.7 million likes and were commented on more than 82,000 times. This represents only a sample of the overall trend.

“On Instagram, we are experiencing an unprecedented, seemingly endless extent of antisemitic videos related to the Epstein affair,” says Grischa Stanjek, Managing Director of Democ. “This is an international phenomenon; videos and support are coming from the US, Pakistan, Spain, and Germany, among other places. New videos and hateful comments are constantly appearing, sometimes with undisguised sympathy for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.”

The massive dissemination is alarming. “The number of views of individual explicitly antisemitic videos or Hitler comments exceeds the reach of major media outlets,” says Stanjek. “The Epstein scandal could trigger a similar wave of antisemitism as Corona or October 7th.” In these cases, a real event involving Jewish individuals is used to create a conspiracy theory about alleged Jewish control or power.

Open Hitler Glorification

The examples in the report show diverse forms of antisemitism. In one video, viewed more than 17.8 million times, Epstein is falsely identified as Israeli, suggesting a connection and relevance to his crimes. Instagram user “ian_byington” searches the Epstein documents for terms like “Israel” or discusses the supposedly overwhelming influence of Jewish figures contained within in a video viewed over a million times. He also suggests a connection between religious rituals and the sacrifice of children, echoing a historical antisemitic trope of ritual murder.

The audience responds to these allusions – and sometimes reacts with the glorification of Hitler. “If the Austrian painter had won, we wouldn’t be in this timeline,” writes one user in English – receiving 127,772 likes (as of February 15th). The comment is prominently displayed. The second most supported comment, also in English, is even more explicit: “The painter was right about everything” – 30,190 likes. Hitler originally aspired to a career as an artist.

Referring to Hitler as “the painter” is also used to circumvent automatic filter and detection programs used by network operators, according to Democ. Other users circumvent the direct dissemination of swastikas by assembling them from other symbols – so-called ASCII art. “The ASCII art phenomenon has existed since the birth of the internet; technical detection is simple to implement,” explains Stanjek. However, the platforms appear unwilling to technically implement this.

Murder Calls Only Marginally Veiled

Several videos feature an English translation of a Hitler speech, as shown in the Democ research. In a fast-paced Instagram Reel by user “its_me_robiyed,” photos of Epstein with alleged children, Jewish entrepreneurs, and US President Donald Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or at the Western Wall in Jerusalem are shown, along with a rapid alternation between a Star of David and a satanic symbol. The comments include swastika images or marginally veiled calls for murder, such as “Jill Kews” – a coded “Kill Jews.”

The 1940 Hitler speech claims that the intellectual, economic, or political life is being taken over by a “satanic power” and controlling the nation – a classic antisemitic conspiracy myth. The speech was used in more than 500 videos during the ten days examined by Democ, reaching a total of more than 300,000 people in each instance.

Democ used a “walk-through method” in its research. On Instagram, they viewed Epstein-related, antisemitic content, clicked on it, and interacted with it. Subsequently, more corresponding content was displayed. “The algorithm recognized the interest in antisemitic interpretations of the scandal – and served it,” reports Stanjek. “It became more and more: Epstein as the devil, Hitler as a hero.”

Democ’s Managing Director calls for more decisive action by the platforms against antisemitic content – such as deletion. “Meta wants to allow more ‘freedom of expression’ and has dismissed moderator teams,” says Stanjek. “But the fear of overregulation must not lead to open Jew-hatred and Hitler worship finding a million-strong audience.”