The myth of the Banker Jew, and of money-grubbing and devious Jews generally, is one of historical popularity. Jews as a religious tribe have often experienced attacks from the larger community of nations – for instance, from Egypt, which expelled them, and Rome, which oppressed them.
There are even various theories that the modern Jew is a descendent of a middle European, warlike tribe that converted to Judaismin the 11th century and provided most of the Jews for Israel in the modern era. This is controversial.
In the modern era, Jews are blamed for 9/11 and various other black-ops, for Western wars, for "bankster" central banking and other disasters of modern society.
But free-market thinking should give the individual observer pause before he or she too easily subscribes to these beliefs. Is it the Jew himself or herself – something intrinsic to Jewish personality – that gives rise to these suspicions?
In fact, absent government involvement, Jews would not be capable of accomplishing any of these nefarious objectives (were they to have done so).
The problem is not Jews, or even Zionists, therefore, if one accepts free-market thinking, but a handful of powerful individuals (some of whom may be Jewish) who utilize government power (and public/private central banking) in order to promote private agendas.
To the degree that Israel is a theocracy, the problems are compounded and the strategies become realizable. In any event, the use of government levers to achieve individual private ends – commercial or even religious – is called mercantilism, the realizing of private goals for individuals or small groups through public means.