Tensions rose Monday at the White House Religious Liberty Commission as one member repeatedly veered the discussion into attacks on Israel, even as the commission’s Jewish members attempted to refocus the meeting on its stated mission: ensuring religious liberty and the equal application of free speech protections on college campuses.
When a witness had described a harrowing experience of anti-Semitism at UCLA, Carrie Prejean Boller, a former Miss California USA and Miss USA first runner-up, sought to argue that opposing Zionism is not the same as anti-Semitism.
You described very painful experiences at UCLA, and I take that very serious. At the same time, many of the students who I've spoken to personally who created those encampments say that they were protesting the killing of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and their universities' financial ties to that war. So I need to ask you, in a country built on religious liberty and the First Amendment, do you believe someone can stand firmly against anti-Semitism, including what you experienced, and at the same time condemn the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza or reject political Zionism or not support the political state of Israel? Or do you believe that speaking out about what many Americans view as genocide in Gaza should be treated as anti-Semitic? Because in my view, the United States cannot and must not make loyalty to a particular theology about Israel a litmus test for protected speech or moral legitimacy
Yitzchok Frankel, a law student at UCLA and father of four, argued that the protesters weren't simply protesting the death of Gazan civilians; they were protesting Israel itself. The protests, he said, started even before Israel began any military operation within the Gaza Strip. He also said that if people want to protest ISrael, they can, the issue lies in universities applying double standards, and allowing protesters to violate campus rules, block Jewish students from moving about freely, and not applying those standards equally to all protests.
Boller went on to press Frankel on whether rejecting Zionism made someone an anti-Semite. At which point a Rabbi joined the conversation.
"Undoubtedly, anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism," Rabbi Ari Berman said. "And one does not have to support the specific policies of the government of Israel, but to not support the right of Israel to exist, which is what anti-Zionists do, while not taking that same stand to the 28 Muslim countries and 13 Christian countries in this world, is a double standard, is hypocrisy, and is absolutely anti-Semitism."
"I think it's also important that we not make Islamophobic remarks while we're here today. I would appreciate that," Boller, who obviously had run out of ideas, replied. Where exactly she spotted Islamophobia remained unclear. Although it now follows a pattern of alleged "conservatives" who claim to oppose Israel's actions in Gaza, have almost all oddly become propagandists for Muslim countries.
"I'm a Catholic, and Catholics do not embrace Zionism, just so you know. So are all Catholics anti-Semites according to you?"
— Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews) February 9, 2026
Incredible exchange today between Carrie Prejean Boller and a group of Jewish Zionists at the White House's Religious Liberty Commission.
Texas Lt. Gov.… pic.twitter.com/kf4sYclPL8
The conversation continued to go downhill every time Boller spoke. At one point, she even called out other panelists for labeling Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens as anti-Semites, prompting audible laughter from several people in the room.
Somehow a Candace Owens super fan got included at a White House religious liberty event where she got heated with people for correctly pointing out that Candace Owens is antisemite pic.twitter.com/IKCzqAdz9Z
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) February 9, 2026
Shabbos Kestenbaum, a PragerU commentator and another witness, cut through the noise at one point, blasting Boller for continuing to harp on Israel. He argued that the panel was there to ensure rules and laws were followed, as American universities regularly applied double standards in the years following October 7.
You can hate Jews or not hate Jews. I don't really mind. What I do mind is when people violate the law, and that's why this commission is so important. So, hate Jews? Think they control the banks? Think they have horns? I mean, go for it. I don't mean you, but one can go for it. But what matters is when they're violating the law, and that's what the purpose of this commission is.
Whether they are violating the law against Jewish students or Muslim students or Christian students, that is when it becomes a federal issue. So, as it pertains to foreign countries, look, in Saudi Arabia, it is literally illegal to practice Christianity. But, interestingly, that was not asked.
So, if we want to apply the same standard against all foreign countries, then, absolutely, any country that discriminates against people based on their religion should probably not be considered an American ally. But I find the fixation on Israel, exclusively, when that is the only country in the Middle East that guarantees free access to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
I testified to the White House Religious Liberties Commission today.
— Shabbos Kestenbaum (@ShabbosK) February 9, 2026
I am deeply disappointed that one member, rather than listening to my testimony on the discrimination against American Christians and Jews, decided to focus exclusively on Israel.
Here's my response: pic.twitter.com/JmZ4wu4Ghu
Senior Trump administration officials are now reportedly considering having Boller removed from the committee.
SCOOP:
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 10, 2026
Senior Trump admin official tells me there are internal discussions taking place at the White House to remove White House Religious Liberties Commission member Carrie Prejean Boller after her outbursts today on a religious freedom panel. @CarriePrejean1 used her time to… https://t.co/6TDJVYw4Wd
