The Judeo-Christian faith instigated Western Civilization and, ultimately, America. Based on that, one should not be surprised at the purveyors of antiSemitism: it is tse who disrespect individual freedom, who value death over life, the totalitarians, the Islamists.
Corey Walker writes about the indicia:
1. "....a lot of our institutions have shifted in a very anti-Western direction. It’s anti-Israel, but I would say, by proxy, it’s anti-American. What’s fascinating is that our social media landscape is mirroring that..... a lot of major podcasters, major YouTubers, all taking this very reflexive anti-Israel stance. It can be any kind of podcast or YouTube channel that has nothing to do with politics—it could literally be about gardening or cooking—and you’ll watch it and they’re like, “Free Palestine... there’s a genocide in Gaza... Zionism is evil.”
2. We’re facing a huge disinformation campaign—not just regarding Israel, but also the legitimacy of Western institutions, which I think are at stake.....That’s important to push back against. As I said, it’s not just about Israel—that’s the canary in the coal mine—their broader goal is to dismantle our institutions. ....many elite institutions—especially in America—have gone in an extreme anti-Israel direction. You see it in elite media—The New York Times, The Washington Post, the AP. You see it in elite universities—Columbia, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, MIT all had to testify before Congress for not addressing anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment on their campuses.
3. And it becomes this status symbol, right? Like being anti-climate change used to be—a signal of your values. It’s expected that if you’re in elite social classes, you’re anti-climate change, pro-LGBT rights, and so on—these elite cultural signifier. And being anti-Israel has become one of them. I
And if you look at the podcast realm, because it’s so anti-establishment—since they oppose the default stance of our governments, which is pro-Israel—they’ve taken up an anti-Israel position. I think that’s dangerous—not because you can’t criticise the Israeli government—but because what’s happening is inherently anti-Western. I don’t know if these people realise they’re doing it, but they’re laundering the reputations of international terrorist groups. And they’re excusing a lot of antisemitism.
4. ...we’re not pro-Israel because it’s Israel. It’s because Israel is aligned with our values. We’re very clear about what our values are—and it just so happens that Israel, in general, is aligned with them. Everything they’re working towards—it’s that simple for me.
...if you don’t have a security blanket, the risk is too high. If expressing your views could get you blacklisted from an industry you love, why would anyone logically come out and speak? The two options are: acquiesce and bend to the mob, or stay silent. And neither is healthy.
5. I think it’s part of a broader project against the West. A lot of people view Israel as a Western outpost in the Middle East. They don’t see it as a Middle Eastern country—they see it the same way they view France or Germany: a nation filled with “white people” or “white Jews.” That perception isn’t accurate, but it persists.
It’s not about Israel. If you zoom out, you realise it’s really not about Jews or Israel. It’s about the values at stake."
quillette.com
Corey Walker writes about the indicia:
1. "....a lot of our institutions have shifted in a very anti-Western direction. It’s anti-Israel, but I would say, by proxy, it’s anti-American. What’s fascinating is that our social media landscape is mirroring that..... a lot of major podcasters, major YouTubers, all taking this very reflexive anti-Israel stance. It can be any kind of podcast or YouTube channel that has nothing to do with politics—it could literally be about gardening or cooking—and you’ll watch it and they’re like, “Free Palestine... there’s a genocide in Gaza... Zionism is evil.”
2. We’re facing a huge disinformation campaign—not just regarding Israel, but also the legitimacy of Western institutions, which I think are at stake.....That’s important to push back against. As I said, it’s not just about Israel—that’s the canary in the coal mine—their broader goal is to dismantle our institutions. ....many elite institutions—especially in America—have gone in an extreme anti-Israel direction. You see it in elite media—The New York Times, The Washington Post, the AP. You see it in elite universities—Columbia, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, MIT all had to testify before Congress for not addressing anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment on their campuses.
3. And it becomes this status symbol, right? Like being anti-climate change used to be—a signal of your values. It’s expected that if you’re in elite social classes, you’re anti-climate change, pro-LGBT rights, and so on—these elite cultural signifier. And being anti-Israel has become one of them. I
And if you look at the podcast realm, because it’s so anti-establishment—since they oppose the default stance of our governments, which is pro-Israel—they’ve taken up an anti-Israel position. I think that’s dangerous—not because you can’t criticise the Israeli government—but because what’s happening is inherently anti-Western. I don’t know if these people realise they’re doing it, but they’re laundering the reputations of international terrorist groups. And they’re excusing a lot of antisemitism.
4. ...we’re not pro-Israel because it’s Israel. It’s because Israel is aligned with our values. We’re very clear about what our values are—and it just so happens that Israel, in general, is aligned with them. Everything they’re working towards—it’s that simple for me.
...if you don’t have a security blanket, the risk is too high. If expressing your views could get you blacklisted from an industry you love, why would anyone logically come out and speak? The two options are: acquiesce and bend to the mob, or stay silent. And neither is healthy.
5. I think it’s part of a broader project against the West. A lot of people view Israel as a Western outpost in the Middle East. They don’t see it as a Middle Eastern country—they see it the same way they view France or Germany: a nation filled with “white people” or “white Jews.” That perception isn’t accurate, but it persists.
It’s not about Israel. If you zoom out, you realise it’s really not about Jews or Israel. It’s about the values at stake."
How Audience Capture is Shaping Podcaster Narratives
From algorithmic incentives to progressive posturing, this episode explores how antisemitism has become a feature—not a bug—of influencer culture.
quillette.com
