In case you’re unaware, there’s a battle occurring online between some prominent podcasters. One side is pro-Israel, as in Israel is our best friend and only friend in the Middle East. The other side? Not so much. I can’t say the argument has devolved into name calling because that was the starting line with the pro-Israel side accusing the other side as not only anti-semitic, but traitors as well.

As the days and weeks progress, the derogatories on both sides have escalated. The pro-Israel side appears, to me at least, to be getting desperate as the current conflict with Iran rages into its third week. Conflict with Iran hasn’t polled well from the beginning, and as the American casualties begin to rise, it looks as though support is becoming weaker and people are not only blaming the administration, but Israel for dragging us into a “never ending” war like Afghanistan where we spent 20 years, only to give the country back to the same people we we fought in the beginning.

The difficulty appears to be over one word: Zionism. The Pro-Israel side is of course, zionist and believe in the political and ideological existence of the state of Israel. Of course, the other side doesn’t. These don’t see that the Jewish people have a right to a specific spot on the planet. What ownership exists, the anti-Zionists say, began in 1948 when the United Nations created the state of Israel, for the refugees of the horrors of World War 2. Sure there’s a claim of ancient ownership, just like there is for most of the planet. No United States (or North, Central, and South America!)or Europe as we know it today, just as a start.

In this specific case though, being anti-Zionist means you’re anti-semitic. That’s a term that being thrown around too much by, guess who? right wing activists. Anti-semitism is being used as a weapon against the opponents of Israel, like racism was used against those that opposed left wing ideologies recently (BLM?).

So for our unending entertainment, we see these debates going on in real time(YouTube) or back-and-forth on X. I’m not being sarcastic when I say “unending entertainment” because not only are some of the videos informative, the presentation is entertaining, without meaning to be, I think. Consider all these serious individuals tying really hard to make substantive arguments. Yes, it is a serious debate, but some of those arguments are well, for me, rather silly. If you have time in the day, watch the videos of the anti-Zionists, you know who they are, I’m sure. They at least present a real argument and not “I’m for Israel because, you know, god said” crew of the zionists.

Oh, and just because you’re a “Christian”, doesn’t mean you have to be a zionist. Don’t let others tell you you cannot be one without the other.

You know what that sounds like right, you racist?