Joe Rogan in a controversial statement: "The idea that Jews are not in the business of money is ridiculous" | Israel today

"The idea that Jews aren't into money is ridiculous. It's like saying Italians aren't into pizza": Joe Rogan, host of the controversial, but most popular podcast on Spotify - The Joe Rogan Experience, is responsible for this outrageous quote.

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The things were uploaded to the network on February 4, in an episode hosted by media personalities Crystal Ball and Saar Anjati, who themselves host a successful podcast called Breaking Points.

During the recording, the three talked about Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who was removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives at the beginning of the month following her anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks.

Joe Rogan, photo: GettyImages

Among other things, Omar, who often voices her opinions against Israel's policy towards the Palestinians, tweeted that the US supports Israel "only because of the Benjamins" - an American slang word for money, since the portrait of former US President Benjamin Franklin appears on the bill The 100 dollars.

Although Omar claimed the things in 2019, her statements recently made headlines again.

Although she apologized for the words and said that she was "grateful to my Jewish colleagues and allies, who teach me about the painful history of anti-Semitic images", she was still removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ilhan Omar (archive), photo: Reuters

Rogan showed support for Omar, saying that "she apologizes for talking about the Benjamins - which is all about money. I don't think it's an anti-Semitic statement, it's money."

The outrageous parallel to the connection between Italians and pizza was not long in coming, as was the reaction of the American Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism.

"Very disturbing that in a time like this of rising anti-Semitism, when more and more Americans believe in anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, Joe Rogan is using his massive platform to spread anti-Semitic propaganda about Jews and money," tweeted league CEO Jonathan Greenblatt.

Former Congressman Ted Deutsch, now CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said that Rogan's words "promote the same tactics that have been used to persecute Jews for centuries.

It is very dangerous to spread anti-Semitic stereotypes with such frivolity."

Rogen's and Spotify's responses to the matter have not yet been received.

Disturbing that at a time of rising anti-Jewish violence, when growing numbers of Americans believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories, @joerogan would use his immense platform to spew antisemitic tropes about Jews and money.

https://t.co/O6o1i2nS9x

— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 7, 2023

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