A Letter to Candace Owens on Israel and Jews

by Karen Lehrman Bloch, ALGEMIENER

Candace Owens. Photo: Wiki Commons.

Dear Candace,

The last time we chatted (OK, I wrote to you), you were defending Kanye West for his antisemitic tirades. It was unclear whether you were doing this as his friend, or because you agreed with him (though your obnoxious tone suggested the latter).

The past four months have made everything much clearer. Most recently, in a podcast and three rants, you accused a segment of Jews of being dishonest, disgusting, manipulative, thugs, and Marxists.

So, to use your favorite expression, let’s be honest here:

Sure, there are Marxist Jews. And they’ve caused a lot of problems. But they don’t like Israel any more than you seem to. They are not the ones defending Israel against the incessant attacks from some Democrats, whom you have proclaimed to hate. In fact, some of those Marxist Jews have helped to create terrorism-friendly campuses and are taking part in the daily, violent pro-Hamas protests.

You go after “DC Jews” and call them a fringe element, a “rot” in the Jewish community, comparing them to Black Lives Matter activists. Again, you’re a little confused. Pro-Israel Jews do not “use” antisemitism the way some BLM activists use the cause against racism to advance an agenda. Since Oct. 7, antisemitic incidents in the US have risen 400%. The reason all your “best friends” growing up didn’t call out antisemitism is because it wasn’t as big of a problem then as it is today.

Or maybe your friends are status leftists who prefer to be silent on these issues precisely because of people like you, who would use it against them.

Regarding the two ads the Israeli government took out for the Super Bowl: Those ads were meant to remind Americans that Hamas still holds 134 hostages — five of whom are Americans. Hamas is not the “government” of Arabs who identify as “Palestinian,” as you claim. They’re terrorists. Are you now pro-terrorism — or just when it comes to Jews?

Yes, the US gives Israel aid — but the vast majority of it must be used to buy American weapons. They’re called Foreign Military Financing grants, meaning they simultaneously give Americans jobs. Maybe if your new best friends like Hamas stopped trying to destroy Israel, these grants would not be needed.

Despite all the nasty things you have said about us, let’s assume for a moment that you do like Jews — that many of your “best friends” have in fact been Jewish — and you don’t hate Israel. Let’s assume all of your problematic views are coming from the neo-isolationism that Tucker Carlson and the Freedom Caucus espouse. (Though Carlson has shared antisemitic tropes during a discussion with you, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who believes Jews use space lasers to control the world, was a key member of the Caucus.)

There are numerous problems with this neo-isolationism, but since being “America first” is key to who you claim to be today, let’s just look at one of America’s enemies: Iran. You may not be aware of this, but Iran doesn’t like America. Iran calls us the “Great Satan.” Iran is also part of the new axis of evil — Russia, China, North Korea — that Carlson doesn’t want to acknowledge.

Which country has the best intel on Iran? That tiny homeland of the Jewish people. Why? Because Israel is “Little Satan” to Iran. Why does Israel have better intel on Iran than the US? Because they’ve had to. Maybe you don’t know this, but both Hamas and Hezbollah are Iranian proxies.

You talk a lot about “emotional manipulation” — indoctrination, brainwashing — on the part of Democrats. But you do the same. Because I don’t think you’re lacking in facts as much as you pretend to be. On the subject of Israel, you seem to want to believe leftist/Marxist lies.

But many of your followers are not smart enough to see through your emotional manipulation. And they don’t want to. Most are ultra-nationalist white Christians who don’t like Blacks or Jews. They’re willing to overlook your skin color because you incessantly attack Blacks and Jews. What do you think they would do if you stopped?

As you repeatedly say, all your life Jews have been very good to you — both as friends and employers. But you’ve now attached yourself to the ultra-nationalist/neo-isolationist wing of the GOP, and they, like their parents and grandparents, don’t like Jews. Instead of trying to reconcile this, as an honest person would, you’ve taken the antisemitic way out: blaming Jews for antisemitism.

Hitler, for whom you have expressed great admiration, would indeed be proud.

Karen Lehrman Bloch is editor in chief of White Rose Magazine. A different version of this article was originally published by The Jewish Journal.

February 23, 2024 | 6 Comments »

Leave a Reply

6 Comments / 6 Comments

  1. @Laura

    I hope Trump ignores them and is currently just humoring them for election purposes.

    Trump isn’t humoring them anymore than he is humoring those Dems who see Trump as a better choice in this election. They are supporting Trump, in spite of his internationalist policies, as the defecting Dems are supporting Trump in spite of his support of striking down Roe v Wade and other liberal golden calves. Trump would be a fool to openly spurn any supporters who will help rid America of the fraud Selected administration in Washington today, and notably, Trump is no fool.

    Trump’s administration never was that of an isolationist nor of a protectionist administration. As I have noted repeatedly, Trump is a committed internationalist. This is why he recognized Jerusalem, recognized the Golan, executed Solemani and kept the Syrian oil. It is why he demanded that the NATO members pay their 2% and why he re-wrote America’s trade agreements.

    Those, such as Owens, who became a sharp critic of Trump’s after she found him to be unreceptive to her belittling description of his ability to use the internet, came to support Trump because they recognize that he is unbeatable. Owens specifically came out in support of Desantis to spite Trump, that is until she realized Desantis had no chance of beating Trump, after which she begrudgingly returned to support Trump. But do not be deceived. There is a great animosity which underlying Owen’s support for Trump.

    Referencing the Isolationists among the conservative movement more generally, they try to pretend that they are a source off Trump’s popularity, even as they are directly opposed to his interventionist international policies. In fact, people see Trump as a true fighter, a man who has actually changed America for the better in many significant ways, and they are depending on him doing so once again, and this more than anything else should be recognized as the strength of Trump’s popularity, and not any of the hanger’s on such as Owens who suffer from delusions of grandeur. Notably, Trump was not swayed by those preferring an isolationist policy in his first term and it would be quite extraordinary to conjecture that such voices which run contrary to Trump’s policy agendas would possibly alter his vision for a stronger, greater, more vibrant America in the future.

    For the moment the isolationist advocates such as Owens have a mutual interest with Trump in defeating the Dems, and so they will support Trump, while trying their best to mask themselves as MAGA, but MAGA is not an isolationist movement. In fact, the Trump’s international policies, ie the Trump Doctrine, is a particularly important part of Trump’s overall strategy goal of Making America Great Again.

    Hence, your fears of Trump being manipulated by the isolationists is grossly overstated. They can’t control Trump, and they know it.

  2. The neo-isolationist wing of the GOP has me very concerned. I hope Trump ignores them and is currently just humoring them for election purposes.

  3. If the shoe fits. What other conclusion can you come up with to explain Owens’ ugly attacks on Jews and Israel?

    They’re all antisemites,

  4. FYI Michael, Candace Owens loves putin.

    Yup! They’re all antisemites, Putin is the good guy, and Poland started WWII. It’s all clear now.

  5. “BLM activists use the cause against racism to advance an agenda.”

    BLM, is a racist organisation, blaming the plight of blacks on external influences rather than looking inward. Slavery was abolished over 200 years ago. Blacks in America still wallow, just as blacks in Africa do.

    Name an invention which has benefited the human condition, which came from “free black” Africa? I’ll give you a month to come up with one.