Uri Geller, the infamous Israeli spoon-bender who claimed not to be a magician, recently took a break from promoting his own museum and boldly declaring that he would be the first person to discover the Ark of the Covenant to share his thoughts on the Russian invasion of the Ukraine by pondering “Regarding the ‘Z’ spotted on Russian tanks in Ukraine: Could this be a reference to the Zohar, a core text of Kabbalah mysticism which discusses the nature of God and the relationship between Ego and Darkness, the ‘true self’ and the divine light? Would Putin stoop that low?” 

For those unaware, on February 24, 2022, the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, orchestrated a full-scale invasion of Russia’s democratic Eastern European neighbor, Ukraine. News of the invasion dominated social media, and within that larger conversation many images and videos began circulating of pro-Russian tanks, trucks, artillery, and supply vehicles with various mysterious symbols painted on them in white, the most popular being the letter “Z” either within a white triangle or square. Painting symbols on tanks and other military vehicles is nothing new; for example, a white triangle has appeared on U.S. military vehicles to denote an armored division. The mystery is not therefore in the symbol’s existence, but rather in the meaning that it is intended to convey and for whom. 

Military experts (those most qualified to voice an opinion on the matter) believe the markings are tactical, most likely signaling identification friend or foe (IFF). According to the website Task & Purpose, Air Force Lt. Col. Tyson Wetzel believes “Bottom line is the ‘Z’ markings (and others like it) are a deconfliction measure to help prevent fratricide, or friendly fire incidents.” Because both sides happen to be using similar equipment, markings such as the “Z” could help Russian forces identify their own and thus avoid creating casualties from friendly fire. However, Marine Captain Robert Lee disagrees, arguing that the markings would be too small to see except through long-range sights and therefore would be unreliable. “They’re obviously something new. And the most likely reason they would have put these kinds of symbols on is to indicate a different task force, a different echelon.”  

Not all the speculated meanings for the Russian markers are practical. Some are downright bizarre. According to the International Business Times, some people believe Cpt. Lee’s argument but take it a step further claiming the “Z” stands for “Zorro Squad.” Why Russian military forces would be trying to invoke an American pulp hero is beyond me. David Kime, a former UK intelligence officer, Tweeted that mercenaries with the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary outfit, had revealed that the “Z” referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a sort of signaling “We’re coming for you.” If that is the case, that the “Z” marking is meant as a form of psychological warfare, I’d have to say it has failed to be intimidating; not only is the entire world confused over its meaning, but Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has not surrendered to Russian forces. 

Of all the proposed answers to this mystery, Geller’s is without a doubt the most ridiculous I’ve seen so far. The Zohar, or Sefer Ha-Zohar (“Book of Radiance”), is a thirteenth century commentary on the Hebrew Torah (the five Books of Moses) believed to be written by the Castilian Rabbi Moshe de Leon, which became one of the foundational works of Jewish mysticism or kabbalah. According to legend, the Zohar was revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai and passed down orally to protect the secret nature of its doctrine, until it was finally written down in the second century by Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai (again, most scholars agree it was written much later in the uncommon language of Aramaic to appear more antiquated).

The Zohar is not one singular book, but a collection of works containing discourse on the nature of God and his relationship to creation through what are referred to as the ten sefirot, or “emanations,” of Ein Sof (literally “without end”) expresses itself. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, while the Zohar was “lauded by many rabbis because it opposed religious formalism” it was also “censured by many rabbis because it propagated many superstitious beliefs, and produced a host of mystical dreamers, whose over-heated imaginations peopled the world with spirits, demons, and all kinds of good and bad influences.” Nevertheless, the Zohar does not appear to have ever been considered a dangerous book comparable to the Medieval grimoires, such as the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy or the Grand Grimoire. 

Truthfully, I cannot fathom what Geller was getting at. Certainly, Russia has as ugly a history of antisemitism as any nation, and maybe Vladimir Putin is devoutly Eastern Orthodox Christian. But how exactly is emblazoning your army’s tanks with the letter “Z” (a letter which neither appears in the Hebrew alphabet or the Cyrillic alphabet) as a reference to a book of Jewish mysticism anti-Semitic? Why would Putin go to such lengths to send such an obfuscated message? Why wouldn’t he make it more clear? If Putin wanted the Russian tanks emblazoned with a hate symbol, there’s no shortage of symbols or messages Russian troops could’ve painted on their tanks to get right to the racist point. I’ve asked Geller for clarification on what he’s talking about, but until he clears the matter up, I have to say his question is not just outlandishly stupid, it’s tone deaf. In response, Twitter user Boro Ram posed a much more poignant and relevant question to Geller “Can’t you just bend the tanks with your mind?”

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This article is dedicated to the memory and legacy of James “the Amazing” Randi