Russian FM plugs book blaming downed Malaysian jet on ‘Jewish Illuminati’

A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry promoted a book featuring an antisemitic conspiracy theory in an official press conference last week.

Director of Information and Press for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova spoke to media on July 2 about the 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) crash, in which the plane heading from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over Ukraine by a Russian-produced Buk surface-to-air missile, killing all 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. A Dutch-led investigation held Russia responsible; Moscow says Ukraine is responsible for allowing civilian flights in a war zone.

Zakharova mentioned a book on the topic recently published in Malaysia, which she said indicates that Malaysians are “increasingly eager to form their own opinion about the crash,” free of Western biases and political motivations.

Russian aviation expert Vadim Lukashevich determined, based on Zakharova’s description, that the book is Membongkar Misteri Tragedi MH370 & MH 17: Angkara Yehudi Dajjal Illuminati by Syed Mahadzir and Syed Ibrahim. The title means “Uncovering the Mystery of Tragedy MH370 & MH 17: The Jewish Illuminati Antichrist’s Journey,” in Malay.

The book’s description on Malay e-commerce sites says, among other things: “Remember, the Illuminati Antichrist has taken over every step of our lives today.”

Asked if this was, indeed, the book Zakharova referred to, the Russian Foreign Ministry did not deny it, saying: “It is not our task to comment on the conclusions of the Malaysian author.

“As a matter of principle, we condemn any antisemitism manifestation and will continue to work closely with our Israeli and other partners to counteract such attempts worldwide,” the ministry’s response read.

Malaysia is one of the most antisemitic countries in the world, with a 2014 Anti-Defamation League survey showing that more than 60% of Malaysians hold antisemitic beliefs. Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has a long history of making antisemitic comments, such as questioning how many Jews died in the Holocaust and calling Jews “hook-nosed.”