Symbols and imagery used in anti-Semitic propaganda and rhetoric during the late 19th and early 20th century often used octopus imagery as a part of broader conspiracy theories. Such propaganda used an octopus to represent perceived Jewish influence, suggesting that Jewish people are controlling or manipulating various aspects of society or politics. Many posters depicted the tentacles of an octopus, wearing a Star of David over its head, encompassing a globe. The octopus symbolism in anti-Semitic propaganda plays into a broader conspiracy theory known as "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion". This fictitious text, first published in Russia in the early 20th century, claimed to reveal a Jewish conspiracy for world domination. The use of the octopus in anti-Semitic propaganda is an extension of this conspiracy theory and reinforces the notion that Jewish people are responsible for various societal problems.

In these fabricated protocols, Jews were portrayed as a secret and all-powerful group controlling global affairs through their tentacles of influence.

This trope often manifested itself as both writings and graphic imagery that sought to accuse Jews of trying to control the world for nefarious means.

These images portrayed Jews as secretive and manipulative, playing into harmful stereotypes that have fueled anti-Semitism for centuries.