Incentives in media and politics are turning outrage about Jews into a profitable system that rewards antisemitism, turning it into a vicious cycle at scale.
Vanessa, excellent point. That’s exactly what so many people miss — for many of these influencers and media personalities, outrage toward Jews or Israel has become a business model. It drives clicks, followers, subscriptions, donations, and attention.
People like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and others understand that controversy sells, and anti-Israel content has become incredibly profitable. They laugh all the way to the bank while helping normalize some very ugly ideas.
That’s what makes this so dangerous. We’re not just dealing with ideology anymore — we’re dealing with an incentive structure where outrage against Jews has become financially rewarding.
Our local paper has an Associated Press article talking about some terrorist group associated with the Taliban which has its base in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. The terrorists have been doing some incursions into Pakistan and killing people and doing what terrorist groups do.
The Pakistani government has responded the way governments respond to such things. Missile strikes, targeted response into Afghanistan, etc. Yesterday a missile from Pakistan reportedly hit a university, killing 7 and wounding 85. Pakistan denies this. There was a strike by Pakistan into Kabul on March 17 hitting a drug treatment facility, killing 400 civilians. The Afghan government calls the Pakistani strikes “war crimes” and violations of international law.
Now…………… have you seen any protests in the US or Europe at college campuses or elsewhere, accusing the Pakistanis of “genocide” or of any thing else at all? Even 1 protester with a single sign? Nada. Has the mayor of New York of any of the left wing or right wing politicians in the US spoken about this?
Isn’t that rather analogous to Hezbollah or Hamas doing cross border attacks into Israel, and Israel responding to try to target the terrorists, and unfortunately killing some civilians in the process?
I suppose the absence of protests has to do with the fact that the Pakistanis are not Jews.
Yours is a good explanation for all the obsessive Jew hatred we witness from the same people over and again. It explains the constant use of old pictures and videos reframed as “what the Jews did to innocent oppressed people”. Apparently this one account earned $8K/month demonising Israel.
These are the answers.
The question is: how do we fix it? Have our Jewish institutions being fighting the wrong battles? Demonstrably there is enough collective brainpower and willingness.
The president and his supporters should be calling for the deplatforming of Jew-hating podcasters who are far worse and far more toxic and dangerous than Jimmy Kimmel. They are also far more influential and widely viewed. Though how much of that are bots and from overseas I wonder.
Obviously, the majority of these folks never went to Sunday school where they would have learned, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor." Then again, who are we kidding. If you do not consider Jews as your neighbors, then what difference does it make.
Good article. There are people who will increase their output for money. There are established markets with lots of leftist money, especially from EU. And the deceptive art of framing clickbait is ever present.
Vanessa, excellent point. That’s exactly what so many people miss — for many of these influencers and media personalities, outrage toward Jews or Israel has become a business model. It drives clicks, followers, subscriptions, donations, and attention.
People like Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens and others understand that controversy sells, and anti-Israel content has become incredibly profitable. They laugh all the way to the bank while helping normalize some very ugly ideas.
That’s what makes this so dangerous. We’re not just dealing with ideology anymore — we’re dealing with an incentive structure where outrage against Jews has become financially rewarding.
Our local paper has an Associated Press article talking about some terrorist group associated with the Taliban which has its base in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan. The terrorists have been doing some incursions into Pakistan and killing people and doing what terrorist groups do.
The Pakistani government has responded the way governments respond to such things. Missile strikes, targeted response into Afghanistan, etc. Yesterday a missile from Pakistan reportedly hit a university, killing 7 and wounding 85. Pakistan denies this. There was a strike by Pakistan into Kabul on March 17 hitting a drug treatment facility, killing 400 civilians. The Afghan government calls the Pakistani strikes “war crimes” and violations of international law.
Now…………… have you seen any protests in the US or Europe at college campuses or elsewhere, accusing the Pakistanis of “genocide” or of any thing else at all? Even 1 protester with a single sign? Nada. Has the mayor of New York of any of the left wing or right wing politicians in the US spoken about this?
Isn’t that rather analogous to Hezbollah or Hamas doing cross border attacks into Israel, and Israel responding to try to target the terrorists, and unfortunately killing some civilians in the process?
I suppose the absence of protests has to do with the fact that the Pakistanis are not Jews.
Hating Jews is turning into a lucrative business--the definition of evil. What a world we live in!
Thank you for highlighting this terrible problem...excellent writing!
Omar was right:it is all about the Benjamins. And it is her side that is all in on that quest
Yours is a good explanation for all the obsessive Jew hatred we witness from the same people over and again. It explains the constant use of old pictures and videos reframed as “what the Jews did to innocent oppressed people”. Apparently this one account earned $8K/month demonising Israel.
These are the answers.
The question is: how do we fix it? Have our Jewish institutions being fighting the wrong battles? Demonstrably there is enough collective brainpower and willingness.
This essay is a perfect description of what is being called, “the Digital Holocaust.”
Brillant/accurate/honest essay !!!!!!......Thank you so much Vanessa Berg ....Am Israel Chai!!!!!!.....
The president and his supporters should be calling for the deplatforming of Jew-hating podcasters who are far worse and far more toxic and dangerous than Jimmy Kimmel. They are also far more influential and widely viewed. Though how much of that are bots and from overseas I wonder.
Obviously, the majority of these folks never went to Sunday school where they would have learned, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor." Then again, who are we kidding. If you do not consider Jews as your neighbors, then what difference does it make.
Good article. There are people who will increase their output for money. There are established markets with lots of leftist money, especially from EU. And the deceptive art of framing clickbait is ever present.
We live in a media bubble of our own making.
We are driven by history to be obsessed with this topic.
Are you referring to this sex offender?
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-894450