Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused popular podcast host Joe Rogan of refusing to invite his father onto his show.
The younger Netanyahu's comments came in response to a Fox News story about Rogan praising the intelligence of Hunter Biden, which he saw as a wake-up call for conservatives.
"Great wake up call for conservatives to remember Joe Rogan is not a conservative," Netanyahu stated, according to the Western Journal. He further criticized Rogan for giving a platform to "every single neo-Nazi antisemite on this planet," while allegedly refusing to host his father. Netanyahu argued that Rogan feared his father would debunk years of antisemitic propaganda.
As of Sunday, the Jerusalem Post reported that Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," had not responded to the allegations. The publication also noted that Netanyahu has a history of making controversial posts on social media.
The claims made by Netanyahu have sparked a divide among American conservative commentators. Will Chamberlain, senior counsel at the Article III Project, suggested that Rogan should feel "embarrassed" if the allegations are true. He questioned Rogan's decision to decline an interview with the Prime Minister of Israel, given his previous accusations against the Israeli government.
In contrast, the account for the Hodgetwins criticized Netanyahu, stating that "Netanyahu's son thinks he speaks on behalf of American conservatives now," and described the perceived arrogance of such a stance as "insulting."
Rogan's podcast has previously hosted several figures who have questioned the proportionality of Israel's actions in their conflict with Hamas, which began with the group attacking civilians on October 7, 2023. Among these figures are conservative commentator Candace Owens, history podcaster Darryl Cooper, and radio host Alex Jones.
Rogan himself has expressed criticism of Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza. "They always say that theyre only bombing Hamas and everybody else is a casualty, well if those guys are just unarmed civilians and theyre walking alone, thats what they appear to be, and you just blast them from the sky with robots, Rogan said. He further questioned the justification of such actions, suggesting that it equated to endorsing genocide.
On the other hand, Netanyahu and other pro-Israel voices have argued that the threat posed by Hamas must be permanently eradicated for the conflict to cease. They contend that the terrorist regime should not be rewarded for deliberately endangering its own citizens to garner international sympathy and support.
While the debate continues, it is clear that the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the wider issue of antisemitism, remain contentious topics within the conservative community. The allegations made by Netanyahu against Rogan have only served to further highlight these divisions.
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