In the Shadow of YHWH

Carl Jung’s psychological insights illuminate the dangers inherent in monotheistic belief systems, where groups often fully identify with their conception of God, fostering a collective sense of divine righteousness. This identification, Jung argued, creates a psychological Shadow—a repository of repressed flaws and moral failings—that the group projects onto external rivals, labeling them as "the other." For the ancient Hebrews, this dynamic manifested in divinely sanctioned campaigns against neighboring peoples, framed as existential enemies. In modern times, this same psychological mechanism resonates in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s invocation of Amalek to justify military actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, and in broader geopolitical machinations.

Jung’s concept of the Shadow suggests that monotheistic tribes, by aligning themselves with a singular divine authority, suppress their own moral ambiguities, projecting their flaws onto external groups. For the ancient Israelites, this projection fueled narratives of divinely mandated destruction, casting enemies like the Amalekites, Canaanites, and Midianites as embodiments of evil to be eradicated. In the modern era, this dynamic persists in the rhetoric of leaders like Netanyahu, who frame contemporary conflicts in biblical terms, and in the covert operations of global elites. These threads converge in a troubling tapestry of violence, manipulation, and authoritarianism, culminating in the fascist undercurrents of US policy and the catastrophic fallout of the October 7 attack.

The Hebrew Torah recounts several instances where the Israelites, under divine command, sought to annihilate entire civilizations, narratives that align with Jung’s notion of projecting evil onto "the other." The Amalekites, a recurring symbol of enmity, first appear in Exodus 17:8–16, where they attack the Israelites at Rephidim, prompting God’s decree to “utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Deuteronomy 25:17–19 reinforces this, commanding the Israelites to eradicate Amalek’s memory for targeting the vulnerable during the Exodus. Numbers 14:45 depicts an Amalekite victory over rebellious Israelites, while Numbers 24:20 prophesies their ultimate destruction. In 1 Samuel 15:1–3, God orders King Saul to destroy Amalek entirely, sparing no one, not even women, children, or livestock. Later, in 1 Samuel 30:1–17, David defeats an Amalekite raiding party, leaving only 400 survivors. These commands, interpreted by some as genocidal, reflect a worldview where Amalek embodies absolute evil, justifying total destruction. The Talmud, in Berakhot 28a, suggests Sennacherib’s conquests obscured Amalek’s identity, rendering the command obsolete, while Gittin 57b notes Haman’s descendants integrating into Jewish society, softening the narrative’s genocidal edge. Sanhedrin 20b frames Amalek’s destruction as a response to their moral depravity, not a timeless mandate.

The Canaanites, comprising seven nations (Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites), face similar divine judgment. Deuteronomy 7:1–2 orders their complete destruction, forbidding mercy or covenants, while Deuteronomy 20:16–17 mandates leaving “nothing that breathes” alive in their cities. Numbers 21:2–3 records the Israelites’ vow to destroy Canaanite cities like Hormah, and Numbers 33:51–52 commands driving out inhabitants and demolishing their idols. The Book of Joshua, though not part of the Torah, details these conquests, with Jericho (Joshua 6:21) and Ai (Joshua 8:24–25) razed, and entire regions subdued with no survivors (Joshua 10:40). The Talmud’s Jerusalem Talmud, Shevi’it 6:1, suggests Joshua offered peace terms, implying conditional destruction, while Yoma 54a justifies the campaigns by citing Canaanite idolatry. Archaeological evidence questions the historicity of these conquests, suggesting they may be symbolic, yet the narratives align with Jung’s idea of projecting tribal flaws onto external enemies.

The Midianites face a similar fate in Numbers 25:16–18, where God commands vengeance for their role in the Baal-Peor idolatry incident. Numbers 31:1–18 describes the Israelites killing all Midianite men, burning their cities, and capturing women and children, only for Moses to order the execution of non-virgin women and male children, sparing virgin girls.

The ancient trope of Amalek as the ultimate "other" resurfaced on October 28, 2023, when Netanyahu, responding to Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed over 1,400 Israelis and took 200 hostages, invoked Deuteronomy 25:17–19: “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible.” Framing Hamas as a modern Amalek, he justified Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza. Critics, including South Africa in its International Court of Justice case, interpreted this as genocidal rhetoric. Rabbi Jill Jacobs and others warned of the rhetoric’s danger, citing its misuse by extremists like Baruch Goldstein in 1994 to justify violence against Palestinians. Jung’s framework applies here: by identifying Israel’s cause with divine righteousness, Netanyahu projects the nation’s Shadow onto Hamas, casting them as an irredeemable evil to be eradicated.

This rhetoric is complicated by evidence of Israeli foreknowledge of the October 7 attack. For years, Netanyahu’s governments bolstered Hamas to undermine the Palestinian Authority, allowing Qatari funds—$30 million monthly since 2018—to flow into Gaza, some diverted to Hamas’s military. In the 1970s and 1980s, Israel supported Ahmed Yassin’s Muslim Brotherhood network, Hamas’s precursor, to counter the secular PLO, a policy reversed only in 1989. Most damningly, Israeli intelligence obtained a 40-page Hamas document, “Jericho Wall,” over a year before October 7, detailing a plan for a massive assault with rockets, drones, and mass infiltration—precisely the tactics used. Despite circulation among military and intelligence leaders, it was dismissed as “aspirational.” In July 2023, a Unit 8200 analyst warned of Hamas training exercises matching the plan, but a Gaza Division colonel called it “totally imaginary.” Female border spotters also reported Hamas drones and camera tampering, ignored by superiors. The attack’s success, mirroring the blueprint, suggests either gross negligence or, as critics speculate, a deliberate failure to act, possibly to justify aggressive retaliation. Netanyahu’s statements calling Gaza a “city of evil” to be reduced to “ruins” fuel claims of ethnic cleansing, with Human Rights Watch noting 1.9 million Palestinians displaced, potentially constituting war crimes.

The interplay of monotheistic projection and geopolitical strategy extends to Israel’s influence on US policy, facilitated by a powerful lobby and figures like Jeffrey Epstein, whose blackmail operations shaped elite networks. Israel’s sway over US politics is well-documented, with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) steering billions in aid and military support. A striking example is Netanyahu’s alleged blackmail of President Bill Clinton with phone-sex tapes, as reported by sources like The New Yorker, leveraging personal compromising material to influence US policy during the 1990s peace talks. This tactic mirrors the broader operations of Epstein, a linchpin in a transnational oligarchy of bankers, lawyers, and mobsters. Epstein’s ties to Israeli intelligence, speculated through his connections to Ehud Barak and Robert Maxwell, and his 17 White House visits from 1993 to 1995, suggest he facilitated elite control through blackmail. His relationships with Les Wexner, whose banking ties to JP Morgan enabled Epstein’s financial schemes, and Donald Trump, bailed out by Rothschild Inc.’s Wilbur Ross in the 1990s, point to a nexus of power manipulating global politics.

The Bronfman and Crown families, both prominent in business and philanthropy, have been linked to Jeffrey Epstein through financial, social, and organizational ties, illustrating the reach of elite networks into controversial spheres. The Bronfmans, known for their Seagram liquor empire, had historical ties to organized crime through Samuel Bronfman’s Prohibition-era bootlegging, allegedly connected to figures like Meyer Lansky. Edgar Bronfman Sr., a key figure, worked with Epstein at Bear Stearns in the 1970s, where Epstein advised him on “tax mitigation strategies” (money laundering and asset hiding). Edgar Bronfman Jr. appeared in Epstein’s “black book” of contacts, suggesting a continued relationship. The Bronfmans’ wealth also funded NXIVM, a sex-trafficking cult led by Keith Raniere, where Clare and Sara Bronfman invested $150 million, supporting blackmail tactics like those Epstein employed. NXIVM’s DOS subgroup, backed by Bronfman money, branded women and coerced them into servitude. The Bronfmans were also part of the Mega Group, a Jewish philanthropy network co-founded by Charles Bronfman and Leslie Wexner, Epstein’s primary financial backer, which likely facilitated influence operations.

The Crown family, linked through Chicago’s influential networks, shares similar patterns of leveraging wealth for control, with historical ties to organized crime in the Midwest. Their influence in political spheres overlap with Epstein’s orbit through mutual connections like Wexner and the Mega Group, though specific ties remain speculative. Both families’ financial power enabled them to influence political and legal systems, shielding their operations. Both families’ connections to Epstein highlight how wealth and influence intersect with illicit activities, from NXIVM’s blackmail to Epstein’s trafficking network, enabling elites to navigate legal and social accountability while maintaining power.

Oligarchs use financial clout and covert tactics to manipulate institutions, often bypassing accountability and perpetuating systemic control over vulnerable populations. The Mayfair Set refers to a group of influential British businessmen and financiers in the 1960s-70s, a British intelligence hub. The Mayfair Set emerged in postwar Britain during a period of economic decline, when the country was losing its status as a global power. The Clermont Club, a private gambling club in Mayfair opened in 1962 by John Aspinall, served as a social hub for these wealthy, ambitious men who sought to exploit new financial opportunities. The group capitalized on lax financial regulations and a shift toward global markets, using innovative and often ruthless financial strategies like asset stripping and hostile takeovers.

“What at first seemed to be an audacious and unrealistic strategy to take control of the market economy turned into something almost unstoppable, destructive, cruel and completely bereft of feeling or scruple. What is so shocking is that the corruption and immorality did not start as commonly assumed in the 1980's with the ascent of Reagan and Thatcher to power but with the beginning of the global economy in the late 1950s… The greed and deception of the business elite reaches far further…beyond anyone's common knowledge or understanding of politics.” Major figures in the Mayfair Set included Colonel David Stirling, Jim Slater, James Goldsmith, Tiny Rowland, and Mohammed Al Fayed. (https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/mayfair-set/)

The Mayfair Set operated alongside figures like Robert Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, who was backed by Les Wexner and connected to Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu. It seems that this cabal, intertwined with intelligence agencies and organized crime families, leveraged intelligence to manipulate governments, ensuring their agendas superseded public interest. Operating through financial power and covert operations, they shaped global policies, rendering Democratic or Republican governance irrelevant to the will of most Americans. Issues like economic inequality or foreign policy consistently favor elite interests, sidelining the majority. This network’s influence extends to oppressing weaker nations and peoples, using economic dominance and covert tactics to maintain control. By exploiting political systems and intelligence networks, this interconnected group of the world’s richest and most powerful ensures their dominance, often at the expense of vulnerable populations, marginalized if not effectively exterminated through systemic neglect and exploitation, perpetuating a cycle of control and suppression across borders.

This network’s influence is evident in recent US political developments, reflecting fascist tendencies that echo Jung’s warnings about the Shadow’s destructive projection. On August 6, JD Vance hosted a Republican strategy dinner to address Donald Trump’s implication in Epstein’s files, reportedly scrubbed of his name in exchange for pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell. This maneuver, shielding Trump from accountability, underscores the elite’s ability to manipulate legal and political system.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson’s visit to Israel with red heifers from the United States (flown over as “pets” to get around the law prohibiting the import of cattle), intended to fulfill biblical prophecies of rebuilding the Temple and hastening Armageddon, aligns with extremist visions of a “Greater Israel.” This religious fervor, tied to evangelical support for Israel, fuels policies that exacerbate Middle Eastern conflicts.

Trump’s presidency and ongoing influence appear to be the culmination of a decades-long strategy, initiated during the Reagan administration, to steer the United States toward a fascist theocracy, which Frank Zappa warned about in the 1980s. Project 2025, led by the Heritage Foundation, accelerates this by promoting Christian nationalism and weakening church-state separation. States like Oklahoma and Louisiana, following its blueprint, mandate Bible teachings in schools and display religious texts, diverting public funds to religious institutions while curbing secular rights like reproductive and LGBTQ+ protections. This agenda, championed by figures like Russell Vought, imposes a biblical worldview, eroding constitutional secularism weekly.

Most alarmingly, the Trump administration’s plans to integrate the US military with ICE, enabling domestic operations, and to build “black site” prisons on military bases, each holding over a thousand prisoners, signal a descent into fascism. States planning concentration camps modeled on “Alligator Alcatraz” further this dystopian vision (though “Alligator Auschwitz” is likely to prove a more apt nickname), mirroring the tribalistic projection of evil onto internal “others” like immigrants or dissidents.

Monotheism’s tendency to project the Shadow onto external enemies finds chilling resonance in both ancient Israelite conquests and modern geopolitical crises. The Torah’s narratives of annihilating the Amalekites, Canaanites, and Midianites reflect a worldview where divine identification justified violence against perceived evil. The Israel lobby’s influence, Epstein’s blackmail operations, and the fascist policies emerging in the US, from the Epstein cover-up to Johnson’s apocalyptic mission and Trump’s militarized ICE, reveal a transnational oligarchy manipulating power through fear and division. Fascism is not coming to the US; it is already there, rooted in the same psychological mechanisms Jung described. Ancient tribal conflicts don’t end until and unless the psychology behind them evolves. Modern, elite machinations amplify the collective Shadow, and project it onto a world stage where the consequences are civilization-ending. Critical scrutiny of these interconnected systems, grounded in evidence, is vital to confronting the forces shaping our fractured world.