Antisemitism has been flourishing in America ever since the war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023. Since that day, there has been a significant rise in antisemitic incidents – especially among pro-Hamas protesters on college campuses.
There has also been a rise in anti-Jewish sentiment being expressed on social media platforms such as X. Unfortunately, this phenomenon knows no political affiliation, with high-profile influencers on the left and right pushing antisemitic tropes, slurs, and conspiracy theories.
But there is a marked difference between how both sides are handling this issue.
Conservative commentator Candace Owens seems to have discovered her inner antisemite last year, when she began “just asking questions” about the Jewish people. After having spent her career bashing the Black community, it appears she has now switched targets. Over the past year, she has peddled all kinds of antisemitic nonsense, including blood libel, which is the assertion that Jews drink the blood of Christian children:
Owens also promoted the “blood libel” conspiracy, the false charge that Jews used the blood of Christian children for ritual purposes, which in past centuries led to Jews’ being violently attacked. She claimed that the family of Leo Frank (a Jewish man lynched in 1913 by a mob in Georgia after being wrongfully accused of murdering a young girl who worked at his factory) believed in pedophilia and incest “as the sacramental rites and they would commit these acts, things that would normally be termed blood libel were actually happening.”
The podcaster has also suggested that the atrocities committed by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele were exaggerated.
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Candace:
— Ridvan Aydemir | Apostate Prophet 🇺🇸🎗 (@ApostateProphet) September 9, 2024
- Accused Jews of child sacrifice & blood rituals.
- Suggested Nazi atrocities in WW2 were exaggerated.
- Justified Nazi book-burnings.
- Claimed Jews believe in spreading sexual perversion & dominating the world.
Now, she's playing the victim and accusing Jews again. pic.twitter.com/HZVHktUmF4
Former MMA fighter Jake Shields has also been a prominent anti-Jewish voice on X. He has also trafficked in conspiracy theories and denigrating remarks about the Jewish people. In one instance, he claimed Black Americans owe Jews because “Without them, they would never have been brought to America and wouldn’t be calling themselves the N-word.”
The black community owes the Jewish community immensely
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) March 6, 2025
Without them, they would never have been brought to America and wouldn't be calling themselves the N-word pic.twitter.com/GMVPXkXvRz
Shields also made the dubious claim that Jews control Congress.
“Who controls Congress, the jews the jews control Congress”
— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) December 22, 2024
“The elite jews are using Christian tax dollars to Bomb Muslims”
Bryce Mitchell pic.twitter.com/9Z2rIjcYZU
The difference between the left and right is in how its influencers have responded to the outbreak of antisemitism in America.
Many right-leaning influencers and commentators have repeatedly condemned the likes of Candace Owens, Jake Shields, Ian Carroll, and many others.
I condemn Ian Carroll, Nick Fuentes, Jake Shields, Candace Owens, and every piece of shit anti-Semite who claims to be “America First” whole heartedly. pic.twitter.com/pMwZIPWRAw
— Noah Benson (Stellar Memes)🇺🇸 (@StellarianNoah) March 13, 2025
America shares more mutual interests and common values with Israel than it does with Candace Owens or Ian Carroll.
— Han Shawnity 🇺🇸 (@HanShawnity) March 17, 2025
Agreed. Time to call out these psychos. pic.twitter.com/E14hK5cBbE
— Dan Freemont 🇺🇸 (@TheeDanFreeman) March 12, 2025
It is a common political practice to take fringe elements of a particular group and make it appear as if they represent the entire movement. It happens on both sides. But interestingly enough, I haven’t seen many leftists try to do this when it comes to antisemitism on the right.
The reason why is obvious.
It’s because there are far more people criticizing antisemitism than there are supporting it. Each of the individuals I’ve brought up in this article have been roundly pilloried by right-leaning social media accounts and high-profile influencers. It only takes seconds to find examples of this.
Yet, on the left, who is condemning the violence perpetrated by pro-Hamas protesters? Where is the outrage over those who are vandalizing buildings while threatening Jewish students on campus?
Yes, there are some who have called this out, but not nearly to the degree that it is happening on the right.
The issue isn’t whether some people say bigoted things. The issues is how we respond to it. Do we ignore it? Deflect? Or do we go after it head-on? When it comes to anti-Jewish bigotry, the right has made their displeasure at these bigots known.
Sure, the left will still pretend that the views of folks like Owens and Shields are mainstream on the right. But reality shows that this is a lie, and people have eyes and ears, which means they can clearly see which side has more of a problem with antisemitism.
