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Who Is Dan Bilzerian? The Israel-Obsessed, Jew-Hating Misogynist That Elon Musk Protects
American poker player, businessman, and social media influencer Dan Bilzerian’s recent contributions to the social media platform X have followed a disturbing pattern: a video of himself on a podcast denying the Hamas atrocities of October 7, a graphic filled with fake Talmud quotes, and a two-word reply to a post urging America to stand firmly against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist group: “F*** You.”
Ah, the sparkling wit we’ve come to expect from the illustrious ranks of social media influencers who are using the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse to spew antisemitism.
Among these beacons of intellectual discourse, we find Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, Jake Shields, and Jackson Hinkle — an impressive lineup of personalities united in their shared fondness for anti-Jewish bigotry.
But let’s refocus on Bilzerian.
Dan Bilzerian first stumbled into the spotlight during the rise of social media in the mid-2000s, where he generously shared an insight into his luxury lifestyle with impressionable young followers worldwide. His Instagram, boasting 32 million followers, sticks to a simple formula: a slew of staged photos featuring Bilzerian surrounded by scantily clad women.
Though Bilzerian claims to have amassed his fortune as a professional poker player, this claim — like much of what he says — is doubtful. Other professionals in the poker world dispute his supposed mastery of the game, and it’s far more plausible that his wealth stems from a hefty inheritance from his father, convicted fraudster Paul Bilzerian.
Yet, despite Bilzerian’s shaky relationship with the truth, his repugnant views on women, and his dubious financial history, the media inexplicably did, and continue, to try and elevate him into the echelons of stardom.
A Monster of the Media’s Making
Journalists from even the most reputable publications have helped Bilzerian build his brand over the years. Take GQ contributing editor Chris Ayres, for example, who penned a feature for the glossy men’s magazine in 2019 titled, “Instagram king, womaniser, and wannabe cannabis multibillionaire: we spend a day with Dan Bilzerian,’” where he sounded almost in awe of his subject.
Or the interview with Men’s Health in which Bilzerian was asked how he manages to live a “rock star lifestyle” while maintaining a “cover star body,” yet somehow wasn’t questioned about why anyone should be taking fitness advice from a man who admitted that cocaine and Viagra binges led to him having two heart attacks.
Of course, these are just a couple of examples in a sea of press coverage that initially gave a platform to what was then clearly an unpleasant individual — an individual who has recently revealed himself to be an antisemite and who now has a mega-platform from which to spread incitement against Jews.
Good job, media. Who could’ve seen that coming?
Joining the Ranks of Influencer Antisemites
The media really should have seen it coming, considering Bilzerian has been posting antisemitic comments on what was then Twitter as far back as 2011, including a tweet blaming Jews for the September 11th Al-Qaeda attacks.
However, like many other influencers, Bilzerian’s sudden interest in Israel only really ignited after the October 7 Hamas massacre that sparked the current war in Gaza.
This year, he’s posted dozens of disturbing comments about the Jewish State, including conspiratorial claims that Israel murdered US soldiers, that Israel’s Mossad controls the US government, and that Israel orchestrated October 7 as a pretext to seize land in Gaza.
The latest antisemitic social media trend that Bilzerian has latched onto involves using either fake or manipulated quotations from the Jewish Talmud to supposedly “prove” that Jews are evil, thereby “contextualizing” the war in Gaza.
One such thread he reposted on August 22 was written by notorious Islamist Daniel Haqiqatjou, who has a history of posting violent antisemitic content online, which he claims “helps us better understand Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”
The thread, which has been reposted and liked by tens of thousands of other users, has been thoroughly debunked by others, including Substack writer @shevereshtus, who describes himself as a “writer of the Rabbinic variety.”
While we’ve shared the full takedown, some highlights are worth showcasing — if only to underscore how antisemitism is flourishing online post-October 7, and to demonstrate its real-world consequences.
Debunking the antisemitic Talmud quotes meme promoted by @DanBilzerian and boosted by @RealCandaceO and her ilk
A thread. pic.twitter.com/dUd8TeCPLu
— shevereshtus (@shevereshtus) August 18, 2024
The thread is worth reading in full, as it thoroughly debunks false claims such as the Talmud allegedly encouraging Jews to kill all non-Jews, particularly women and children; a deliberate mistranslation suggesting it condones sexual relations with non-Jewish minors; and the citation of an entirely fabricated text called “Gad Shas 2:2” as a supposed authority.
The thread’s underlying theme is the baseless claim that Israel is committing atrocities in Gaza, allegedly justified by Jewish law, with the overarching conclusion being that Jews endorse violence against all non-Jews. It falsely asserts that Jewish religious texts permit atrocities in warfare, including the killing of civilians and the use of rape as a weapon — a grotesque distortion of Jewish law and ethics. The Talmud’s discussions on warfare are grounded in the historical realities of ancient Israel and bear no relevance to practices in the modern Israeli state.
Elon Musk’s Deafening Silence
Bilzerian and his crew of social media-famous antisemites are just a small part of a much bigger issue: how they continue to spread such vile hatred online, unchecked.
In the past couple of months alone, Bilzerian has called Israel a “parasite” that shouldn’t exist, claimed Jewish people killed US presidents, including JFK, and stated that the world would be safer without Israel.
If this isn’t incitement, encouraging everyday people to commit violence against Jews, then what is?
And yet, he’s still on X, with the media giving him oxygen in stories that overlook his appalling views.
In January, X owner Elon Musk promised to do more to combat antisemitism on the platform, which had surged since the Hamas attacks. He admitted he had been “naive” in thinking antisemitism wasn’t a major problem, saying, “In the circles that I move, I see almost no antisemitism.”
More than six months later, nothing has changed. The hate keeps spreading, and Musk’s silence is deafening.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Who Is Dan Bilzerian? The Israel-Obsessed, Jew-Hating Misogynist That Elon Musk Protects first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Trump Nominates Marco Rubio for US Secretary of State
US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, Sept. 10, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confirmed that he will nominate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) to serve as secretary of state in his incoming administration, a potential signal that the next White House will take a more adversarial posture toward Iran.
Trump’s confirmation came a couple days after several media outlets reported that he was expected to tap Rubio, 53, to head the US State Department. The move to place a lawmaker known for his hawkish foreign policy views as the nation’s top diplomat has mollified concerns among some critics that the second Trump administration would adopt a more isolationist approach to international affairs.
“Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom. He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries,” Trump said in an official statement. “I look forward to working with Marco to Make America, and the World, Safe and Great Again!”
Rubio issued a brief statement advocating an approach of “peace through strength” to international relations.
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda. Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Since his election to the Senate in 2010, Rubio has developed a reputation as a foreign policy hawk, advocating for greater investments in the US military and a tougher approach to adversaries such as Iran, China, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Rubio’s policy views have previously resulted in conflict with more isolationist members of the Republican Party, who have argued that the US should step back from international conflicts and increase focus on domestic issues.
The selection of Rubio also indicates the incoming Trump administration will be diplomatically supportive of Israel.
In the year following the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, Rubio has steadfastly signaled his support for the Jewish state, resisting calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and underscoring the importance of Israel achieving a decisive win against Hamas.
He stated in October 2023 that Israel has “no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza,” adding that “this tragically necessary effort will come at a horrifying price” and that “the price of failing to permanently eliminate this group of sadistic savages is even more horrifying.”
In May 2024, the senator cautioned that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization in Lebanon, could soon break out into full-scale war.
“The imperative that Israel has at some point to address it, even though there’s a real threat there of a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which militarily is a lot more challenging and destructive,” Rubio said.
Last month, Rubio condemned Iran’s direct attack against Israel after the Iranian regime fired a barrage of nearly 200 ballistic missiles at the Jewish state.
“I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat. The United States will continue to stand with Israel,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio has also assigned blame to Iran for fomenting instability and chaos in the Middle East, adding that the regime has also acted as the “primary” oppressor of its own civilians.
“The primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East is the criminal ‘Islamic Republic’ regime which has also oppressed the people of [Iran] for almost [45] years,” Rubio said on X/Twitter.
Beyond Rubio, Trump has also handpicked other administration members with pro-Israel bonafides. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), a lawmaker who has gone viral for her blistering repudiations of university presidents over their response campus antisemitism, has been selected to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump also selected Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his next national security adviser.
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Trump’s Top National Security Picks Have Expressed Strongly Pro-Israel, Anti-Iran Views
US President Donald Trump is interviewed by then-Fox and Friends co-host Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington, US, April 6, 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
US President-elect Donald Trump’s selections for national security adviser and defense secretary have a history of making statements in support of Israel’s right to defend itself from neighboring threats.
In the week following his resounding victory at the polls, Trump has swiftly moved to fill his incoming cabinet with allies of Israel.
Among his top national security picks, the president-elect has chosen US. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) to serve as his national security adviser and nominated Fox News host and Army National Guard officer Pete Hegseth as the next secretary of defense.
Waltz, a Green Beret and former Pentagon policy adviser, has developed a hawkish reputation on foreign policy matters. He supported Israel’s retaliatory strikes against Iran in October, arguing that the Jewish state should target Kharg Island, a major hub of the regime’s oil exports. The representative also suggested that Israel attack Iran’s nuclear facilities outside of Tehran. The lawmaker has openly criticized the Biden administration for allegedly holding Israel back from a full force retaliation against Iran.
Waltz has also argued that the US should attempt to weaken Iran through sanctioning the Chinese buyers of Iranian oil, saying that isolating Iran economically would cripple their ability to finance the operations of terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah. He has also helped spearhead bipartisan efforts to recategorize the Houthis in Yemen as an official international terrorist organization, a move that he argues would isolate the group by making financial transactions with them illegal.
On Tuesday, Trump raised eyebrows by tapping Hegseth to head the Pentagon. Hegseth, a former infantry officer in the Army National Guard deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, has repeatedly expressed affinity for Israel. Hegseth, a devout Christian, argued on television that Jews have a right to live in Israel on Biblical grounds. In his 2020 book, American Crusade, Our Fight to Stay Free, he stated that Israel is “central to the story of Western civilization” and that the Jewish state is “inextricably linked” to America.
“If you love America, you should love Israel. We share history, we share faith, and we share freedom. We love free people, free expression, and free markets,” he wrote. “And whereas America is blessed with two big, beautiful oceans to protect it, Israel is surrounded on all sides by countries that either used to seek, or still seek, to wipe the nation off the map.”
During a 2016 trip to Israel, Hegseth said that he was “struck by the pervasive sense of purpose which permeates Israel and its people who understand the special nature of its founding and defense.” He also said that America can “learn from Israel” and that the Jewish state “is indispensable for the future of the West and human freedom.”
Following the 2020 killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force responsible for overseeing Iran’s proxies and terrorist operations abroad, Hegseth urged then-President Trump to bomb Iran’s nuclear production facilities.
“I happen to believe that we can’t kick the can down the road any longer in trying to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. They used the killing of Soleimani as an excuse to say ‘we’re scrapping the Iran Deal.’ We all know they were scrapping it anyway,” Hegseth said on Fox News, adding that America should notify Iran of its plans to destroy its “nuclear production facilities,” “key infrastructure,” “missile sites,” and “port capabilities.”
Hegseth also argued that attempts to restrain Israel from direct confrontation with Iran are “ridiculous” and that the Islamic regime represents an “existential threat” to the Jewish state.
“Israel wants to deal with Iran, we should let them … If it was not for Israel, Iran would have had the bomb already,” he said.
The post Trump’s Top National Security Picks Have Expressed Strongly Pro-Israel, Anti-Iran Views first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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American Jewish Organizations React to Trump’s Choice for US Ambassador to Israel
Mike Huckabee looks on as Donald Trump reacts during a campaign event at the Drexelbrook Catering and Event Center, in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, US, Oct. 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
American Jewish organizations were quick to react to US President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that he would choose former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to be the next US ambassador to Israel after he assumes office in January.
“Mike has been a great public servant, governor, and leader in faith for many years. He loves Israel, and the people of Israel, and likewise, the people of Israel love him. Mike will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East!” Trump wrote in his announcement.
Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, has long been a vocal pro-Israel voice. He has repudiated the anti-Israel protests that erupted in the wake of Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7 and criticized incumbent US President Joe Biden for sympathizing with anti-Israel protesters during his speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The incoming ambassador also lambasted the anti-Israel encampments at elite universities, stating that there should be “outrage” over the targeting and mistreatment of Jewish college students.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), posted on X on Tuesday that his organization “looks forward to working with Gov. Huckabee and newly appointed Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff to strengthen the US-Israel relationship, bolster Israel-diaspora relations, and promote strong connections between American Jewry and Israel.”
Other Jewish communal organizations, such as the Jewish Federations of North America and the Anti-Defamation League, have so far not made statements.
The Republican Jewish Committee (RJC) said it was “thrilled” with the choice. “As a man of deep faith,” the RJC wrote, “we know Governor Huckabee’s abounding love of Israel and its people is second to none.”
It continued, “As the Jewish state continues to fight an existential war for survival against Iran and its terrorist proxies, Governor Huckabee will represent America’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security with distinction.”
On the other side, however, the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) called Huckabee “utterly unqualified for this role” and argued that “his extremist views with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not further the national security interests of the United States or advance prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Huckabee told Israel’s Army Radio in his first interview since the announcement of his ambassadorship that “of course” the annexation of the West Bank is a possibility during Trump’s second presidential term.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to the US-Israel relationship,” the JDCA concluded, “Donald Trump will continue to only be motivated by his own narrow self-interest, and we’re deeply concerned about what that means for the United States and Israel.”
J Street also opposed the choice, writing in a statement that “Huckabee, a right-wing, evangelical minister with a long history of championing settlement expansion, annexation, and a radical ‘Greater Israel’ agenda, holds principles and espouses views that — if now implemented — would shatter the foundations on which a healthy and strong US-Israel relationship has been built over the past 75 years.”
J Street on Monday urged the Biden administration to withhold offensive weapons from Israel as part of a partial arms embargo, arguing that the United States needs to hold Israel accountable for alleged human rights “violations” before Trump takes office.
Huckabee has taken positions on the Israel-Palestinian conflict considered further to the right than most American Jews and politicians. The former governor has defended Israel’s right to build settlements in the West Bank, acknowledging the Jewish people’s ties to the land dating back to the ancient world.
“There is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee has said, referring to the biblical names for the area. “There is no such thing as settlements — they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities. There is no such thing as an occupation.”
Huckabee has also argued, including during his 2008 US presidential campaign, that any future Palestinian state should be created from land in Arab countries, rather than from territory that Israel captured in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
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