Extremists Co-Opt Hurricane Response to Blame Israel, Incite a Storm of Hateful Narratives

Right-wing extremists have been exploiting the devastation surrounding Hurricane Helene — a storm that has so far claimed the lives of at least 230 people in the southeast U.S. — and now Hurricane Milton, to advance antisemitic or anti-Israel conspiracy theories that federal disaster assistance has been slow or inadequate because they believe the U.S. is sending funds and personnel to Israel instead.

Extremist groups have a history of participating in disaster relief efforts to garner positive attention, push conspiracy theories and potentially recruit new followers. These types of conspiracy theories are dangerous as they can lead to violence, put relief workers at risk and undercut public faith in civil society.

In late September and early October, the white supremacist group Patriot Front traveled to North Carolina and Florida purportedly to help clear debris from the storm. Patriot Front posted about the group’s efforts, claiming that the U.S. government is “more interested in the concerns of Israel than they are of the Appalachian people,” while their assistance represented a true “America First” initiative. 

Other extremists have alleged that due to the U.S.’s focus on Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza, the military has been unable to adequately assist with needed disaster relief. On October 3, 2024, The Western Chauvinist, a white supremacist Proud Boys offshoot channel, posted on Telegram, “The occupied US government has sent all the young people in the military that could've helped to Israel. It isn't the government that has responded, but Nationalists like Patriot Front who answer the call."

In early October, a white supremacist X/Twitter account, “1488 Radio,” hosted a pro-white Twitter space event with 10,300 listeners. During the stream, an individual who claimed to be a Hurricane survivor blamed the war in Gaza for inadequate emergency aid, "Our state government and federal government are nowhere to be found...They [the military] are being stood up to go to goddamn Israel." This Twitter space’s sound bites have since been shared across a range of white supremacist online accounts and channels.

White supremacist propaganda shared on Telegram quoting anti-Israel soundbites from the “1488 Radio” Twitter space, asserting that “no one is coming to save” victims of Hurricane Helene because of Israel. (Source: Gab/Screenshot)

Extremist groups have also targeted FEMA employees and government officials who are Jewish or whom they believe to be Jewish with antisemitic harassment and vitriol. On October 8, Michael Weaver, a self-described “spokesperson” for the antisemitic Goyim Defense League (GDL) posted a new flier for the network on Gab, which claims, “Every Single Aspect of FEMA is Jewish.” A few days earlier, Leslie Boyanton, a live streamer with the antisemitic GDL, promoted an episode of his “Ben Tanklin Show” called “Fuck FEMA Friday,” which was accompanied by the image of the FEMA Director of Public Affairs, Jacklyn Rothenberg, alongside an Israeli flag. 

New GDL flyer on claiming, “Every Single Aspect of FEMA is Jewish.” (Source: Gab/Screenshot)

Other extremists and prominent conspiracy theorists have used Hurricane Helene to elevate longstanding antisemitic tropes, including that Jews have outsized control or influence over the media and government. For example, Red Ice TV, a white supremacist website and video streaming platform, alleged in late September that “Israeli issues” are getting more mainstream media attention than Hurricane Helene. On October 4, 2024, Andrew Torba, founder and CEO of alternative social media platform Gab, posted on X that Jewish government officials are using American tax dollars to fund “Israeli bombs” instead of using them towards hurricane victim relief.

Stew Peters, a far-right conspiracy theorist and prolific antisemite, recently promoted the conspiracy theory that Jews are manipulating hurricanes to "destroy” the United States. In an October 9, 2024, segment of the “Stew Peters Show” on Hurricane Helene, Peters claimed that the Jewish community has advanced “technology” to “weaponize weather” and is extending their “octopus tentacles” into American society, broadcasting a cartoon from the late 1800s that reflects the classic antisemitic trope portraying Jews as tentacled monsters. 

Anti-Israel and antisemitic narratives surrounding Helene and Milton are also rife in anti-Zionist spaces, where posters claim that the U.S. government is withholding FEMA relief in favor of providing arms and other aid to Israel.