The signs were there.
We should have realized Joe Rogan had problematic views on Jews after he gave antisemite Roger Waters a platform to spew his lies unchecked, while impersonating a bobblehead doll.
Heck, we should have realized this from the multiple times he platformed the detestable Abby Martin on his show.
Perhaps his interview with Bari Weiss about antisemitism had us fooled.
But no longer.
Joe has let the cat out of the bag with this disgraceful performance while speaking with political commentator Krystal Ball, and decrying Ilhan Omar getting booted from the House Foreign Affairs Committee for her past antisemitic comments.
The idea that Jews have a thing about money has been around for thousands of years, probably originating in Egypt under the Ptolemies when Jews were made tax farmers for the kings, and their success led to what was termed “gold envy.” Later on as the Church’s power grew, Jews spread out across Europe and were forced into professions like merchandising and moneylending, which were fields deemed unworthy of Christians.
It is true, many Jews have succeeded financially over a long period of time, disproportionately so for our numbers. This can be mainly attributed to our hard work and industriousness in the face of near-constant persecution. But to claim the Jewish people as a whole are into money is not just a lie – it is a pernicious and dangerous one. It is one that has resulted in the deaths of millions of our people. It was, after all, a main idea espoused by Hitler and the Nazi party.
No Italians were murdered over their love of pizza as far as I am aware.
Besides the dangerous trope he is peddling, the discussion is demonstrating a few other things.
Firstly, it shows the sheer chutzpah of many rich and powerful celebrities like himself (and Kanye West) who go after the Jews. As Comedian David Baddiel quipped “Joe Rogan has a 200 Million dollar deal with Spotify. And yet apparently it’s Jews who are into money.”
Secondly, note how this started as a discussion about Ilhan Omar’s comments about the so-called Israel lobby. The fact Rogan went straight to the Jews from here is further proof that anti-Zionism is invariably antisemitism.
For Rogan to peddle this dangerous idea to his audience of millions – at a time when Jews are constantly being attacked – is unforgivable.
