There is nothing worse than a conspiracy theory when it spreads among people, as it hinders the mind and logic. It is a theory contrary to the theory of action, as it is the disabled opiate of the mind, and the chronic mental illness that cannot be cured by the will of change. It is said in the law of rumors that the amount of rumor is directly proportional to the amount of mystery, so the level of belief and spread of the conspiracy theory is directly proportional to the levels of internal defeat, helplessness, and ignorance of the issue.
The term Conspiracy Theory refers to an explanation of an event or situation based on an unjustified conspiracy, generally involving illegal or harmful actions carried out by a government, organization, or individuals. Conspiracy theories often produce assumptions that contradict the prevailing historical understanding of simple facts.
In the field of international relations, there is no concept called conspiracy. On the contrary, the more specialized a researcher becomes in international relations, the further they distance themselves from conspiracy paradigms in analyzing conflicts and interpreting events. They become more capable of using scientific analysis tools to explain relationships of interests, power, and conflicts. This means there is no scientific logic for the proponents of this school.
Interpreting every significant event as a conspiracy is ignorance, even in the principles of planning, strategy-building, and alternatives. For example, the occupation of Palestine is not a conspiracy, but rather a blatant colonial act carried out openly by major colonial powers, along with their regional proxies.
Conspiracy theory has also become a source of profit in the fields of authorship and publishing. Since it is not based on scientific principles, many individuals capitalize on sensationalizing and exploiting people’s ignorance to write books that establish or analyze phenomena and events based on conspiracy theories. To the extent that natural phenomena like the earthquake in Turkey’s century have been falsely propagated by groups as an American conspiracy using artificial earthquakes, and people believed it!
Writing about conspiracy theories is one of the easiest ways to create content as it does not require scientific evidence or logic, rather just baseless speculation to connect events through absurd means. There are four categories behind framing and spreading conspiracy theories:
The first: those seeking fame and profit for their knowledge, benefiting from a fertile environment and a broad audience.
The second: authoritarian regimes and their apparatus in the region justifying their incompetence and lack of action, sowing doubt rather than building trust to ensure their continuity.
The third: fatalists who interpret events through superstitions and myths unrelated to the correct religion, far from understanding the contexts of interests, power relations, exploitation, and the domination of greedy capitalism and its tools.
The fourth: the internally defeated individuals who have lost trust in everything around them.
These categories play a crucial role in shaping and spreading conspiracy theories, leading to a society entrenched in misguided beliefs and conspiratorial thinking for decades. Despite being prevalent in all societies, it is particularly pronounced in our communities.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in her memoirs that she grew tired of the Arab elites’ tendency to interpret events through conspiracy theories as orchestrated by America during her dialogues with them in Libya and Egypt after the Arab Spring.
Clinton and others may not be the ideal examples to cite, but the essence lies in liberating oneself from the disabling mindset towards action and initiative, stemming from faith in the masses, peoples, and the process of change.
Interpreting every significant event as a conspiracy is ignorance, even in the principles of planning, strategy-building, and alternatives; for instance, the foundation of Israel on the ruins of Palestine was not a conspiracy but a public and organized colonization act where great colonial powers aligned openly with their regional affiliates.
It is enough to mention that at the Basel Conference in 1897, the Zionist movement decided to establish Israel on the ruins of Palestine, setting a fifty-year timeframe and outlining fifty-seven alternative routes, including contingencies if the primary state project in Palestine failed.
Likewise, the agility of the United States to adapt its strategies and invoke alternatives during crises based on its interests marks its role as an event-maker, rooted in its ability to construct alternatives instead of reacting randomly, leading individuals to believe it is behind every significant event.
This introduction frames the context of conspiracy theory and thought. Let us now explore a new society haunted by conspiracy theories, infected by the region’s virus. Previously considered distinct, it is the Israeli society post-October 7th.
October 7th brought about numerous changes in the Israeli society. While the details are vast, one significant impact is the erosion of Israel’s moral and intellectual superiority and its societal will, which had previously set it apart during regional periods of tranquility.
Conspiracy theory has become a primary interpretative tool in the Israeli society post-October 7th, integrated into its thought patterns and event management. Israelis are not only engrossed in disseminating conspiracies among themselves but have delved into esoteric ideas from their Talmud about end-time battles.
This transformation signifies the breakdown of the social contract between the society and the state in Israel, particularly the faith in the military and security institutions, affecting the basic foundations of the Israeli state. Losing trust in the army signifies the start of societal collapse based on the underlying relationship of trust between the military and society.
The Israeli society post-October 7th reflects a similarity in thinking with a significant segment of Arab societies and elites pervaded by the hysteria of conspiracy theory. This behavior stems from enduring defeats and setbacks experienced in these communities.
The spread of conspiracy theory in Israel post-October 7th has become an integral part of political and social event analysis paradigms. Two prevalent conspiracy theories in Israel today are: one, how did Hamas militants enter southern Israel? and two, why did they enter?
One common conspiracy theory in Israel suggests that the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation breached Israeli fortifications due to “betrayal.” In contrast, some Israelis view it as a political deception by Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain his position as Prime Minister and appear as Israel’s savior from doom.
Ironically, each faction in Israel designs its conspiracy theory model based on its inclinations. For example, Netanyahu’s supporters accuse the Israeli army of conspiring with Hamas to overthrow him, claiming that the army supports the opposition and anti-Netanyahu protests. On the other hand, the opposition supporters assert that Netanyahu ordered the army to delay intervention to quell anti-government protests.
It is vital to note that while each faction articulates its conspiracy theory, the Israeli army and security apparatus are at the core of conspiracy theories, leading to an overall loss of trust in them in all situations. This forms the foundation of the Israeli state. Losing the society’s trust in the army signifies the beginning of the collapse of a society built on the trust relationship between the military and society.
The Israeli society post-October 7th finds itself in a state akin to a significant portion of Arab communities and elites entrenched in conspiracy theories, a result of multiple setbacks and defeats endured.
These articles were originally posted in Arabic.
