When Anti-Zionism Becomes a Shield for Anti-Semitism

A social media influencer's follower count jumped 20-fold in 24 hours. Not through a viral dance or celebrity endorsement, but by defending podcasters accused of anti-Semitism at a government hearing about combating anti-Jewish prejudice. Carrie Prejean Boller, the former Miss California turned conservative voice, was swiftly dismissed from President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission—but she's far from backing down.

The Hearing That Went Viral

Tuesday's fifth hearing of the Religious Liberty Commission in Washington, D.C., was supposed to be a routine discussion about anti-Jewish prejudice. These blue-ribbon panels typically unfold as sleepy, stage-managed affairs. Boller had different plans.

She repeatedly challenged participants about their views on anti-Zionism, which she insisted was distinct from anti-Semitism. When other panelists labeled popular podcasters Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson as anti-Semitic, Boller pushed back hard. "Everyone's an anti-Semite!" she exclaimed, her frustration captured on video that quickly went viral.

Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene declared "I'm with her," while Boller took to social media to amplify support, including Owens's claim that both women were being attacked for refusing to "support the mass slaughter and rape of innocent children for occult Baal worshipers."

Faith as Political Shield

Boller frames her position through religious conviction. "It's anti-Christian to accuse me of anti-Semitism by being a Christian," she told reporters. Having converted to Catholicism in April, she argues that Zionism conflicts with her faith.

There's some theological ground here—the Vatican has long recognized Palestine and supports a two-state solution, positions at odds with current Israeli government policy. Yet the Vatican also backs Israel's right to exist, a nuance that seems lost in Boller's framing.

But her religious justification becomes problematic when examining the figures she defends. The line between legitimate policy criticism and prejudice isn't just blurred—it's deliberately obscured.

Sponsored

Advertise with Us

[email protected]

Sponsored

The Uncomfortable Receipts

When pressed about specific statements from those she championed, Boller's moral clarity evaporated. Take Candace Owens's recent praise for General Ulysses S. Grant's 1862 expulsion of Jews from his military district—a decision quickly reversed by President Lincoln and later disavowed by Grant himself.

"Jewish supremacists had everything to do with the Civil War in America," Owens declared. "They excel at creating the false dialectic, the North versus the South, the left versus the right."

Then there's the historically debunked claim that Jewish Americans controlled the African slave trade. "Jewish people were the ones that were trading us," Owens stated in December. "Jewish people were in control of the slave trade."

When confronted with these quotes, Boller retreated into evasion. "I'm not going to get involved in any of that," she said, despite having just spent a hearing defending these same voices. She declined to listen to audio clips in full context and refused to engage with hypotheticals about whether such statements would constitute anti-Semitism.

The Conversation That Ended

The interview grew more uncomfortable as other Owens statements emerged—claims about "Talmudic Jews" believing "we're animals," or allegations that Israel was complicit in 9/11 and the JFK assassination. Rather than address these conspiracy theories, Boller ended the call.

Her strategy was clear: pivot every uncomfortable question back to Israel policy, using anti-Zionism as cover for avoiding harder conversations about anti-Semitic rhetoric. Whether this was calculated deflection or genuine inability to see the distinction, the effect was the same.

The Broader Pattern

Boller's case isn't isolated. Across conservative media, figures are increasingly using legitimate policy debates about Israel as entry points for more troubling rhetoric. The strategy is sophisticated: begin with defensible positions about foreign policy, then gradually introduce conspiracy theories and ethnic generalizations.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick removed Boller from the commission, stating that "no member has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda." But Boller plans to attend the next meeting anyway, claiming only Trump himself can fire her. "I want the president to admit, is he 'America First' or 'Israel First'?" she demanded.