A meme circulating on Facebook in South Africa attributes a quote about supporting “black hate groups” to billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros.
It claims Soros told the German newspaper Bild the following in September 2014: “I’m going to bring down the United States by funding black hate groups. We’ll put them into a mental trap and make them blame white people. The black community is the easiest to manipulate.” (Disclaimer: Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, is one of Africa Check’s funding partners.)
The meme, which shows a photo of Soros, was shared on a number of Facebook pages.
Africa Check recently debunked fake quotes associated with other famous personalities such as South Africa’s former public protector Thuli Madonsela, Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, US actor Samuel L Jackson and first president of the US, George Washington.
Like these, the George Soros attribution is also false.
According to US fact-checking site Snopes, the statement from Soros “does not appear in the [Bild] newspaper’s archives for September 2014 (or any other month)”.
In addition, no other credible news site ever reported on Soros’s alleged hateful message. If Soros had made the remarks they would have been circulated by reputable news organisations.
It is unusual for such remarks to go unreported.
This was not the first time a fake quote (not) made by Soros has been shared online. Snopes and PolitiFact, another US-based fact-checking organisation, rated an alleged quote as equally false. Soros was said to have told US magazine Newsweek in 1979 that: "I've made my life's mission to destroy the United States. I hate this country and I hate all of the people in it."
There is no evidence of this statement either. – Africa Check
It claims Soros told the German newspaper Bild the following in September 2014: “I’m going to bring down the United States by funding black hate groups. We’ll put them into a mental trap and make them blame white people. The black community is the easiest to manipulate.” (Disclaimer: Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, is one of Africa Check’s funding partners.)
The meme, which shows a photo of Soros, was shared on a number of Facebook pages.
Africa Check recently debunked fake quotes associated with other famous personalities such as South Africa’s former public protector Thuli Madonsela, Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, US actor Samuel L Jackson and first president of the US, George Washington.
Like these, the George Soros attribution is also false.
No evidence of Soros saying this
According to US fact-checking site Snopes, the statement from Soros “does not appear in the [Bild] newspaper’s archives for September 2014 (or any other month)”.
In addition, no other credible news site ever reported on Soros’s alleged hateful message. If Soros had made the remarks they would have been circulated by reputable news organisations.
It is unusual for such remarks to go unreported.
Soros targeted before
This was not the first time a fake quote (not) made by Soros has been shared online. Snopes and PolitiFact, another US-based fact-checking organisation, rated an alleged quote as equally false. Soros was said to have told US magazine Newsweek in 1979 that: "I've made my life's mission to destroy the United States. I hate this country and I hate all of the people in it."
There is no evidence of this statement either. – Africa Check
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