Soros attacks in impeachment saga spark anti-Semitism debate

Near the end of a marathon impeachment hearing in the House of Representatives last month, former White House national security aide Fiona Hill tied conservative jabs at George Soros to “the longest-running anti-Semitic trope that we have in history.” Anti-Soros theories amplified by conservatives are “the new ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’,” Hill told lawmakers, referring to an infamous early-20th-century screed that falsely asserts a Jewish conspiracy to control the world. Hill told lawmakers that one GOP lobbyist attempted to get her fired by slamming her as “a Soros mole in the White House,” and State Department Ukraine adviser Catherine Croft also testified that another GOP lobbyist pushed for Yovanovitch’s firing, citing an alleged connection to Soros. Appearing on Fox Business last month, pro-Trump attorney Joe DiGenova claimed that the liberal Soros “wants to run Ukraine” and “controls a very large part” of the State Department’s foreign service. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called on those “in positions of authority” to help stop the spread of anti-Semitic rhetoric by “calling it out, clearly and cogently.” “It’s very fair to criticize Soros and some of his charity work or political contributions,” said Greenblatt, whose group last month joined Soros’ foundations in asking Fox to bar diGenova from the airwaves following his remarks.