Joe Rogan is accused of ‘casually launching anti-Semitism’ after trying to defend Ilhan Omar

Controversial podcaster Joe Rogan is being accused of “casually launching anti-Semitism” after trying to defend Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

The 55-year-old was calling out cancel culture on the most recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience when he denounced Republicans for ousting the Democrat from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her past anti-Semitic remarks.

He cited a 2019 tweet, in which Omar spoke out against US support for Israel, saying: “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby.”

Omar has since apologized for the tweet and admitted it was anti-Semitic, but Rogan said he shouldn’t have, stating: “The idea that Jews don’t like money is ridiculous.” That’s like saying Italians don’t like pizza.

Almost immediately afterward, people took to social media to denounce his comments, saying he was “casually spreading anti-Semitism.”

In the episode, which aired on Spotify on Saturday, Rogan brought up the idea of ​​cancel culture with his guests, Breaking Points journalists Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti when he made the controversial comments.

“It’s just money, she’s just talking about money,” the podcaster said, insisting: “That’s not an anti-Semitic statement.” I do not think it is

“The Benjamins are money,” he continued. ‘You know, the idea that Jews don’t like money is ridiculous. That’s like saying Italians don’t like pizza. It’s fucking stupid, it’s fucking stupid.

At the time, Ball, the progressive Breaking Points commentator, agreed that Omar “shouldn’t have apologized” for the tweet, though he conceded that the Minnesota Democrat “could have phrased it differently so people would have less freak out.” .

‘But you can’t talk about the influence of money in DC?’ she asked. “I mean, there’s a very obvious reason that for my whole life there has been a one-party consensus against the Israeli government.”

He added that money is behind supporting Israel “just like every other bullshit interest in DC” and praised Omar for “calling out hypocrisy” in US foreign policy.

“It’s actually kind of a real loss that she got kicked off that committee.”

Rogan later agreed, saying that “whether he agrees or not”, Omar shared “a bold opinion”. And that opinion is not yours, there are many people who have that opinion and should be represented.

Rogan has since been accused of anti-Semitism for his comments, with a Twitter user directly asking Spotify if he was “happy” that his “billion-dollar podcast” was “casually spouting anti-Semitism.”

British comedian David Baddiel, who wrote a book on anti-Semitism titled Jews Don’t Count, also accused Rogan of spreading a “racist myth” on the show “with a big smile.”

“Actually, I want to stop beating the drum Jews don’t count at some point, but it’s hard to do when a racist myth about Jews is just… gleefully told on one of the biggest podcasts in the world and no one cares.” matter”. **,’ he said.

For the hard to understand, “Jews like money” is not like “Italians like pizza.” Because unless my history lessons really missed something, no one has exterminated a large part of the Italian community for their love of pepperoni.

Baddiel, who has written extensively on modern anti-Semitism, added: “Also Joe Rogan has a $200 million deal with Spotify. And yet, apparently it is the Jews who are into the money.

Alex Zeldin, a columnist for the Jewish daily Forward, sarcastically responded: “Jews are the only people interested in money.

“The rest of you with jobs to earn an income and bills to pay and a family to support are not in the money and this is not some deranged point of view that gets Jews killed.”

Another Jewish journalist also tweeted: “If only my relatives who were lined up and shot had so much money that they would have had enough to escape the Nazis.”

Other notable Jewish people also spoke out about the comments, with Ian Haworth, a columnist for the DC Examiner, writing that Rogan’s comparison of Jews liking money to Italians liking pizza “would make sense if Jews had invented money and/or Italians would have been massacred due to a conspiracy they control the world through pizza.’

Peter Beinart, the managing editor of Jewish Currents, also asked which “ethnic-religious groups Joe Rogan believes are not ‘in the money,'” and Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said Rogan has invoked “the same tropes.” which have been used to persecute Jews for centuries.

“With an audience in the millions, it is dangerous to be so frivolous in trafficking in anti-Semitic stereotypes,” he wrote.

And Jonathan Greenblatt, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Rogan’s comments “disturbing … at a time of rising anti-Jewish violence.”

Rogan has not yet responded to the violent reaction.

But he had said earlier on Saturday’s episode that he had long since stopped “paying attention to comments” on his show even though he might miss out on constructive criticism.

“Look, I love you guys,” the podcaster told his audience. ‘I’m just not reading your shit.’

DailyMail.com also reached out to Rogan and Spotify for comment.