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Shameful Podcast Host Praises Guest Who Claims US Gov’t Controlled by 457 Jews
A man holds a sign promoting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory across the street from the former World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Photo: Luigi Novi via Wikimedia Commons.
Of all the vile antisemitic conspiracy theories I’ve heard, there is a bizarre one that may take the cake.
On his 600th episode, “Fearless” podcast host Jason Whitlock hosted E. Michael Jones, who claimed President Joe Biden is not in control, and that America is run by Jews. But wait! He has an exact number.
“First of all, Joe Biden is not in charge of the government,” he said. “…There are 457 Jews who are running the Biden administration. They’re the people in charge…”
The context was that Jones said that Jews have “spent their entire time in this country” undermining the moral fabric of America, such as being responsible for pornography and other things. He also said Jews have hurt Black people the most.
Whitlock answered that he didn’t disagree, but asked why Jones was letting Biden off the hook. He also praised his guest as being “fearless.” Spreading lies doesn’t make you fearless.
I followed Whitlock when he was covering sports, and I have watched many episodes of his podcast. His political takes are sometimes articulate and intelligent, but other times, he delves into conspiracy theories. He often has a good sense of humor.
He has 427,000 followers. I criticized him before in The Algemeiner for insinuating that the backlash against NBA player Kyrie Irving, who tweeted an antisemitic film, was not due to the film, but for his refusal to take the Covid vaccine. Whitlock inquired in an online message if I would come on his show, and I replied that I would via e-mail, but perhaps he never got the message.
Does Whitlock believe that 457 Jews control the government? I doubt it, but if he takes his job seriously, he should have done what any real journalist should do and asked, “What is your evidence for that?”
But Whitlock is more interested in garnering attention, and he is not alone. Podcasters are pressured to be as controversial as possible, truth and results be damned. It creates more content when you can have other episodes explaining the controversial one.
Whitlock may have been wronged by some network or organization, which made him go off on his own. But that is not an excuse for letting antisemitic conspiracy theories go unchecked. Whitlock correctly said that a journalist should have the right to interview anyone, regardless of their views. It’s fine to interview the devil, but it’s not okay to let him go unchallenged.
I do not believe in cancel culture, but it’s become shockingly clear that if you want attention, one of the best things to do is to scapegoat Jews. There are some who say Whitlock should have stayed in his lane and stuck to sports. I disagree. Anyone has the right to speak about whatever topic they choose. But if Whitlock wants to be a person of God, as he claims to desire, he should not stoke antisemitic flames. And if he wants to ignite controversy, he should choose a topic that doesn’t involve scapegoating Jews.
In an intro to the episode, Whitlock said that listeners would need their big boy pants for the episode. Nope. There is nothing adult or manly about spreading conspiracy theories. It’s childish and cowardly.
In life, some have no voice. Whitlock has a big one. He is charismatic. There are many who look up to him and see him as a role model. I expect more from him, and he should expect more from himself.
The author is a writer based in New York.
The post Shameful Podcast Host Praises Guest Who Claims US Gov’t Controlled by 457 Jews first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Belgian Police Raid Mohels’ Homes in Antwerp, Sparking Outrage in Jewish Community
Police pictured at an Anderlecht supporters village at the Atomium, before the final of the ‘Croky Cup’ Belgian soccer cup, between Club Brugge and RSC Anderlecht, May 4, 2025. Photo: BELGA/HATIM KAGHAT via Reuters Connect
Belgian police raided the homes of several mohels in Antwerp, a northern Belgian city, seizing their circumcision tools after a local Jewish rabbi filed a complaint — an incident that has sparked outrage within the local Jewish community.
A mohel is a trained practitioner who performs the ritual circumcision in Jewish tradition known as a bris.
On Wednesday, Belgian authorities raided three locations in the Jewish Quarter, searching for knives and other equipment allegedly used in unauthorized or illegal circumcisions. However, local police confirmed that no arrests were made during the operation.
Among the homes raided by the Belgian police was that of Rabbi Aharon Eckstein, a highly experienced mohel and a prominent leader within the Antwerp Jewish community.
In an interview with the publication JNS, Eckstein said the raid took place around 5 am.
“They didn’t say much. They just looked through the place and took my kit,” the Jewish leader said.
He also expressed his intention to continue performing circumcisions, as he had not received any instruction to stop such practice.
According to a police report, the searches were ordered by a judge following a complaint filed in 2023 by Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Friedman against Eckstein and other mohels within the Jewish community.
Prosecutors have been investigating illegal circumcisions in the country since last fall, amid concerns from local authorities that Jewish circumcisions are being carried out by individuals without proper medical training.
In his complaint, Friedman accused six mohels, whom he identified to the police, of endangering infants by performing the metzitzah b’peh ritual, in which the mohel uses his mouth to suction blood from the circumcision area.
However, Eckstein and other rabbis, along with parents of children circumcised by them, have denied such accusations, insisting that they do not perform this practice.
In Antwerp, Friedman is known for publicly criticizing several customs that are important to ultra-Orthodox Jews, who represent the majority of the city’s 18,000 Jewish residents.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) condemned the government’s handling of the issue, claiming it threatens freedom of religion.
“This constitutes yet another red line crossed in the intimidation of Jewish religious figures in Belgium,” Rabbi Mencahem Margolin, chairman of the EJA, said in a post on the social media platform X.
“Following the ban on shechita [kosher ritual slaughter], the harassment of mohels represents a further red line and a clear warning sign to Belgian Jews and the Belgian government. Freedom of religion must be upheld!” he continued.
The European Jewish Association (EJA) strongly condemns the police raid on the Mohels’ premises in Antwerp this morning.
EJA Chairman, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, say that this constitutes yet another red line crossed in the intimidation of Jewish religious figures in Belgium.…— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) May 14, 2025
Despite several attempts to ban it across Europe, ritual circumcision remains legal in all European countries, though many, including Belgium, limit the practice to licensed surgeons and often perform it in a synagogue.
Last year, the Irish government arrested a London-based rabbi for allegedly performing a circumcision without the required medical credentials, marking the first arrest of a rabbi in Europe in years related to a bris.
The post Belgian Police Raid Mohels’ Homes in Antwerp, Sparking Outrage in Jewish Community first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Putin Has Invitation to Visit Iran, but Dates Have Yet to Be Set, Kremlin Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attend a ceremony to sign an agreement of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS
Russian President Vladimir Putin has an invitation to visit Iran, but the dates have not yet been agreed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.
Iran‘s government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani was quoted by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday as saying that Putin‘s visit to Iran “is currently being worked out.”
Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement in January, the two countries have supplied each other with weapons, and Russia has defended what it says is Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.
“Indeed, President Putin has an invitation to pay an official or working visit to Iran. The dates have not yet been agreed. As soon as they are agreed, we will inform you,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about a possible visit.
“We highly value our partnership with this country and we highly value the depth of our relationship in a wide variety of areas.”
The last time Putin visited Iran was in 2022, months after he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine.
The post Putin Has Invitation to Visit Iran, but Dates Have Yet to Be Set, Kremlin Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Intercepts Missile From Yemen, Houthis Claim Responsibility
People take cover, while sirens sound in Jerusalem, May 13, 2025. Israel’s military reported that a missile was launched from Yemen towards Israel and was intercepted. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards its territory.
The launch coincides with US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf. Trump has announced that he reached a ceasefire with Yemen‘s Houthis, an internationally designated terrorist group, that will halt attacks on US vessels.
The Iran-aligned group fired a missile towards Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, according to the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Trump announced early in May that the US would stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen as the group had agreed to stop attacking US ships.
The Houthis said they will continue to fire missiles and drones towards Israel.
The Houthis have attacked numerous vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade, in a campaign that they say is aimed at showing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel has been fighting a war in Gaza since a deadly raid by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas into southern Israel in October 2023.
The post Israel Intercepts Missile From Yemen, Houthis Claim Responsibility first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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