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Vivek Ramaswamy is guest of a podcaster who says Jews ‘own almost everything’
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Vivek Ramaswamy appeared on the podcast of an influencer known for his broadsides against the Jews, including accusing them of owning “almost everything,” in the upstart Republican presidential candidate’s latest dustup involving Jewish issues.
The presidential candidate’s no-holds-barred rhetorical style, borrowed from Republican former President Donald Trump, has given his poll numbers a boost in the GOP primary contest, although Trump remains the frontrunner.
But the spike in the polls has also brought increased scrutiny of the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur, causing comments and appearances that might have remained under the radar just weeks ago to vault quickly into public view.
That was the case last month after Ramaswamy told an actor and podcaster that he wanted to cut defense assistance to Israel, a country that he says he fervently supports but believes should be able to support itself through improved relationships with Arab neighbors. He walked back those positions after being lambasted by rivals in the GOP primary field.
On Wednesday, the Free Beacon, a conservative news site, singled him out for his appearance the day before on the YouTube podcast of Albert Faleski, an influencer known for peddling tropes about Jewish control.
Faleski went on a tear last year after Trump came under fire from Republicans for dining with Kanye West, the rapper who now goes by Ye and who had begun to relentlessly peddle antisemitic content, and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes.
In one tweet at the time, Faleski, who also goes by An0maly, said, “Zionists have the Republican Party by the nuts.” In a separate thread he said Jews pay Black celebrities to attack white people. Jews, he said, were “A group of people who statistically own almost everything convincing the world they are the #1 victim & punching down on other races.”
Ramaswamy greeted Faleski warmly, telling him, “It’s good to be here.” A spokeswoman for his campaign said he was unaware of Faleski’s views on Jews going into the interview. She noted that it was otherwise a contentious interview, with Faleski challenging Ramaswamy over his past as work in the biotech industry.
The interview was indeed combative, with Faleski seeking to find contradictions in Ramaswamy’s comments in his past statements on issues including whether he agreed with Trump’s falsehoods about winning the 2020 election. “I’m just not sure which one you actually believe,” Faleski said of the falsehoods and the accurate reporting.
Faleski also asked Ramaswamy about a $50,000 scholarship he accepted when he was 24 from Paul Soros, the late brother of George Soros, the Jewish billionaire and progressive megadonor who is at the center of myriad antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Faleski seemed less interested in the Soros connection than in whether Ramaswamy was exaggerating how needy he was when he applied for the scholarship. Ramaswamy however was at pains to distinguish Paul from George Soros, whom he depicted as a nefarious influence.
“I think the big question that comes up with who’s the bogey man pulling the strings,” Ramaswamy said of George Soros. “I have no tie to George Soros other than criticizing him.”
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Report: IDF Probes Whether Houthis Used Iranian Cluster Bomb-Bearing Missile
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
i24 News – The Israeli military said Saturday it launched a probe into the failure of its defenses to fully intercept a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, parts of which struck not far from the Ben Gurion airport on Friday night.
According to the Ynet website, one of the hypotheses being examined is that the projectile contained cluster munitions, similar to those used by Iran to fire at Israeli cities during the 12-day war in June. Cluster munitions pose a challenge to interceptors as they disperse smaller explosives over a wide area.
In June, Iran fired several missiles carrying scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties.
The IDF said on Saturday that its initial review suggests the ballistic missile from Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air. Five interceptors from various systems engaged with the missile, including THAAD, Arrow, David Sling & Iron Dome.
Authorities said that shrapnel impacted a house in the central Israeli moshav of Ginaton, yet no one was hurt, with the fragment landing in the house’s backyard.
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Iran Forces Kill Six Militants, IRNA Reports, Israel Link Seen
The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after armed rebels killed five police officers in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said evidence showed the group was linked to Israel and may have been trained by Israel‘s Mossad spy agency. There was no immediate Israeli reaction to the allegation.
Another two members of the militant group were arrested, the report said. All but one of the militants were foreign, it added, without giving their nationality.
Iranian police said this month they had arrested as many as 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy.
Tehran says some of them have ties to foreign powers and are involved in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.
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Benny Gantz Urges Time-Limited National Unity Government to Further Chances of Hostage Deal
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz attends his party’s meeting at the Knesset, Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition politicians to form a temporary national unity government to further the chances of bringing home the hostages held in Gaza.
Addressing Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, Gantz said that the proposed government’s two supreme priorities would be the release of Israeli hostages held by the jihadists of Hamas and instituting universal conscription in Israel by ending the exemption from military service enjoyed by the ultra-Orthodox.
Upon attainment of the goals, the government would dissolve and call an election.
“The government’s term will begin with a hostage deal that brings everyone home,” Gantz said in a video address. “Within weeks, we will formulate an enlistment outline that would see our ultra-Orthodox brethren drafted to the military and ease the burden on those already serving. Finally, we will announce an agreed-upon election date in the spring of 2026 and pass a law to dissolve the Knesset [Israeli parliament] accordingly. This is what’s right for Israel.”