Left, Right, Wrong

There’s a great global debate that has burst into the open these past few weeks, and wouldn’t you know it, but at the center of the discussion is of course the Jews.

There are some media personalities who insist it’s not really about the Jews, but about Israel or more specifically, Bibi Netanyahu. But those who understand the crux of this type of dispute know very clearly that beneath all the camouflaged buzz words, at the heart of the matter is quite simply old-fashioned Jew-hatred.

And while antisemitism has become front and center after October 7, those who have issues with the Jews are no longer doing so quietly, and we now have names assigned to those who harbor these viewpoints.

I’m not talking about mental cases like Nick Fuentes, who people take far too seriously. This is in fact about once-respected commentators that for journalistic purposes, I made sure not to miss.

Megyn Kelly at CPAC 2025

Photo credit Gage Skidmore

Ben Shapiro and Esta Gordon

Bari Weiss

That includes personalities like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, who over the last month or so have become so blatant in their antisemitism that I can no longer stomach them. In the case of Tucker Carlson, for example, it has been at least half a year since I realized the truth about his agenda and I am still developing a disdain for the ideas that Kelly is spewing forth. As far as the “King of Podcasting” Joe Rogan is concerned, I just find him and many of his guests inordinately dull.

Now that this battle of the Jews has burst wide open, Megyn Kelly has criticized Ben Shapiro, accusing him of being “Israel First” instead of the clarion call these days of being America First.

To people like Ben Shapiro and TV personality Mark Levin, the U.S. support of Israel is a matter of being America First since Israel is our only Democratic, trustworthy ally in the region. Added to the pro-Israel group is an individual who stands tall in defense of all those who call out all this blatant Jew-hatred that has seeped into so much of the media of late, and that is the new CBS Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.

It was only over the last two years or so that Tucker Carlson, who once had the highest-rated news program on Fox News, had some kind of sick epiphany and made it clear that he was critical of Israel and that he simultaneously harbored tremendous disdain for Jews in general. Others mentioned it too for a while, but at the time I thought it was just not possible. I was wrong.

The reality with Carlson began at the height of his popularity on Fox News, when it became clear that regardless of what was going on in Israel, he refused to cover the story. In fact, as I became increasingly aware of the situation, I also began to realize that Carlson has what we commonly refer to as “a problem with the Jews.”

To be perfectly clear, this is what is meant by supposedly being an impartial newsperson, but being pro-Qatar, whose government and much of its citizenry wholly support Hamas and, in effect, finance the murder of Jews and this terroristic effort to destroy Israel.

Carlson, Kelly, and the largest hater of Jews in the media, Candace Owens, will tell you that they are super sensitive when they constantly refer to Israel’s actions defending itself in Gaza as a “genocide.” And that is even though it has been proven time and again that the ratio of civilian deaths to terrorist deaths in Gaza was 1:1. Other more recent wars from World War II to Vietnam to Afghanistan had a ratio of anywhere from 3 to 9 civilian deaths to each military death.

And even though Israel features the most ethical and moral army in the world, these podcasters and even some leading Jewish elected officials like NY Senator Chuck Schumer can only find space in their heads to disparage and criticize Israel.

The Torah states with great clarity when it comes to the animosity between Esau and Yaakov, and as Rashi quotes Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, that it is a fact of natural human law that “Esav soneh l’Yaakov,” that the non-Jews harbor hatred for the Jews and there’s no way around it.

Of course, you will find many Jews who cannot find enough opportunities to protest against Israel. While that is an enigma and a mystery unto itself, that situation can always change in these people’s usually sad and miserable lives.

And now, come to think of it, when it comes to Megyn Kelly’s podcasts that features news matters, just like Tucker Carlson back in his heyday, you will hardly ever hear her mention anything about Israel or matters concerning the Jews.

To that end, as this debate began to pick up speed, the only time she ever mentioned anything about Israel or the Gaza War was when she was defending her “friend” Tucker Carlson. She made a point of mentioning that she knew about Candace Owens’ open display of hatred toward Jews and Israel, but she was too busy to listen to her podcasts. Now it is quite certain that this statement was false and misleading.

Let’s say that all podcasters are friends or at least have a professional relationship, but when it comes to turning on Mark Levin or Ben Shapiro or for that matter Bari Weiss, who all proudly defend Israel and are critical of the scourge of anti-Semitism infecting the world, there is hardly a minute’s hesitation before they undermine and condemn them.

More than anything, perhaps it is about President Trump and where he stands on these matters. With three years remaining to his presidency, it is also quickly becoming about JD Vance and where he stands on these matters.

This subject is representative of the role Jews and Israel play in the world today. There’s much to say about it, and we will be doing exactly that in the weeks ahead. n

Read more of Larry Gordon’s articles at 5TJT.com. Follow 5 Towns Jewish Times on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and live videos. Comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome at 5TJT.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.