When the Right Is Wrong

When the Right Is Wrong                   BY: Damian Eisner. FFOZ

The spread of anti-Semitism among conservatives is a test we cannot afford to fail.

Certain things don’t mix. Oil and water. Truth and lies. And in our current moment, religion and politics have become dangerously combustible. In our Torah Club discussions, we actively discourage political debates. Not because politics don’t matter—they matter immensely—but because in our increasingly fractured society, political disagreements have become more divisive than at any point in my lifetime.

However, there comes a moment when we must be willing to abandon the comfort of avoiding difficult conversations, even when those conversations cross the line between religion and politics. There comes a time when historical allies reveal themselves as enemies, and silence becomes complicity.

I am a conservative. It pains me to write what follows. But when you watch fellow conservatives—people who once stood as Israel’s staunchest defenders—platform Holocaust deniers and reinterpret Genesis 12:3 to justify abandoning the Jewish people, you cannot stay silent. That moment has arrived.

To my fellow conservatives, you might be thinking of closing this article because you sense criticism coming your way. But I’m asking you to stay with me. At its core, this isn’t about politics. It’s about truth versus lies, and ultimately the choice between standing up to evil or surrendering to it.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz recently urged Republicans to recognize the urgency of this moment and not to make the same mistake the Left did, allowing anti-Semitism to infiltrate its ranks. “In the last six months, I’ve seen more anti-Semitism on the Right than I have in my entire life,” Cruz said. “If we do not act to combat it, we risk losing the Republican Party.” When a conservative senator sounds this alarm about his own movement, we must listen.

The Unthinkable Transformation

Tucker Carlson was once among the most

respected voices in conservative media. Millions of Americans—myself included—tuned in to hear his perspective on cultural and political issues. He spoke to the concerns of many everyday Americans who felt forgotten by the establishment. He challenged narratives that needed challenging. After parting ways with Fox News in 2023, Carlson created his own platform built with the credibility he earned in traditional conservative media.

I cannot explain what must have occurred to transform him into what Florida State Republican Representative Randy Fine now accurately describes as “the most dangerous anti-Semite in America.” But the transformation is complete and terrifying.

In October 2025, Carlson invited notorious white nationalist internet commentator Nick Fuentes onto his podcast. Let me be clear: Fuentes is not a person with “controversial views.” He is a self-proclaimed Holocaust denier who has openly praised Adolf Hitler, trivialized rape, and called for violence.

Shielded under the guise of ironic and provocative humor, he has cultivated a large following of young, disenchanted men—the so-called “Groypers.” These young men don’t start as anti-Semites. They start with legitimate conservative concerns: economic anxiety, cultural alienation, and frustration with broken institutions. But Fuentes has mastered the art of redirecting that legitimate anger toward ancient scapegoats, building a pipeline that begins with understandable grievances and ends with Holocaust denial and white nationalism.

By providing Fuentes with access to his massive platform, Carlson legitimized a radicalization machine that is poisoning a generation of young conservative men, and betrayed millions who once respected his voice. And he revealed the darker truth: anti-Semitism, long relegated to society’s fringes, is being given a seat at the conservative table.

The Cup of Staggering

The fracture in American conservatism runs all the way down to the bedrock: Christian theology. Why This Matters More Than You Think. The easy response here is dismissal: “That’s just far-right extremism. That doesn’t represent the conservative movement I support. Besides, I’ve never even heard of Nick Fuentes.”

But that’s exactly what Carlson and Fuentes are counting on.

A friend of mine—an incredible writer, devout Christian, and military veteran—recently confessed he had no idea this was happening. He’d heard whispers but didn’t know the full extent. His ignorance wasn’t willful; he simply hadn’t been paying attention to these darker corners of the movement.

That’s understandable. But it’s also dangerous.

Because while good people aren’t paying attention, Carlson and others (Candace Owens comes immediately to mind) are working methodically to make the fringe, mainstream.

The strategy isn’t to convert everyone overnight—it’s normalization through repetition. Platform a Holocaust denier. Tone down the hate rhetoric, but it still goes over the airwaves to millions. Wrap anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in “reasonable concerns” about American foreign policy. Frame Jewish sovereignty as a “satanic deception.” Do it enough and eventually, it’s no longer shocking to hear. Eventually, it becomes just another viewpoint in the marketplace of ideas.

Carlson is betting that conservatives will hear Fuentes deny the Holocaust and think, “Well, I don’t agree with everything he says, but he makes some interesting points about America First.”

He’s betting that when he calls Christian support for Israel “brainwashing,” enough Christians will start to question whether their decades of support were based on manipulation rather than conviction. He’s betting that the normalization of anti-Semitism will happen so gradually that people won’t notice until it’s too late.

Judging by the growth of “America First” Christian nationalism, his bet is paying off. What began as fringe internet forums has migrated to podcasts with millions of listeners. What started with anonymous accounts is now repeated by people with verified checkmarks and primetime platforms. The program is already well underway.

For example, my son recently alerted me to a disturbing trend on social media: Hitler’s speeches are being translated into English and posted by accounts he has followed for other content. What’s shocking isn’t just the translations themselves—it’s the comment threads beneath them. Post after post, commenters argue that Hitler “wasn’t so bad,” that “maybe he had it right,” that history has judged him unfairly—all echoing Fuentes.

The question isn’t whether you’ve heard of Nick Fuentes. The question is, when the average person hears his ideas—sanitized, repackaged, and presented by someone more palatable—will they recognize them for what they are?

It’s On Every Side

What makes this moment particularly chilling is the convergence. The American Right, long considered Israel’s staunchest ally, now features prominent voices denying the Holocaust and questioning support for Israel. Simultaneously, the American Left, already rife with Hamas sympathizers, has elected an openly anti-Zionist mayor in the heart of Jewish America.

New York City, home to the largest Jewish population in the world, elected Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken anti-Zionist Democratic socialist who has enjoyed the support of the pro-Palestinian movement, accused Israel of committing a genocide, and sidestepped questions about calls to globalize the intifada. He’s politically savvy enough to condemn anti-Semitism, but his promised policies target groups with connections to Israel and have associated the IDF with accusations against the NYPD, saying “the boot of the NYPD on the necks of Black and brown New Yorkers was laced up by the IDF.”

The political horseshoe has bent so far that the extremes are touching. And Jews are caught in the middle.

Perhaps even more troubling than Carlson are the many voices claiming to be Christian, conservative, Bible-believing disciples who are hell-bent on reinterpreting God’s covenantal relationship with Israel.

When pastors and theologians start teaching that Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse,” doesn’t apply to Israel, they’re resurrecting an ancient, insipid form of replacement theology—the same poison that justified centuries of Christian persecution of Jews.

Dismantling Replacement Theology

Replacement theology is the substitution of Jewish religious institutions and elements of faith with Christian ones. These aren’t just random internet trolls or fringe conspiracy theorists. These are people with seminary degrees, with pulpits, with platforms, with thousands or millions of followers who trust them to teach them what the Bible says. When these voices start promoting replacement theology, they’re severing the theological bonds that have connected Christians to Jews.

The Mask of Anti-Zionism

But there’s an even more insidious argument: the claim that these voices are simply anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic. They’ll tell you the modern State of Israel is a “satanic falsehood.” That Zionism is the enemy, not Jews. That you can oppose the Jewish state while harboring no ill will toward Jewish people.

This is a lie. Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. Full stop.

Zionism is simply the belief that the Jewish people have the right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. When you oppose Zionism, you’re denying the Jewish people what every other nation on earth deserves: a place where they can govern and defend themselves.

Why is there no comparable movement against any other nation’s right to exist? Why don’t we hear calls for the dissolution of Pakistan, or Jordan, or any of the dozens of nations created in the twentieth century? Why is it only the Jewish state whose very existence is questioned?

Because anti-Zionism isn’t about borders or policies. In the end, it’s always about Jews.

Look at what happens when you peel back the “we’re just anti-Zionist” rhetoric:

• They platform Holocaust deniers.

• They traffic in conspiracy theories about Jewish control of media, finance, and government.

• They blame Jewish “manipulation” for American foreign policy.

It’s anti-Semitism with a new vocabulary.

You cannot separate modern Jews from Israel. For 2,000 years, Jews prayed daily to return to Jerusalem. When you attack Israel’s right to exist, you attack the core of Jewish identity. When you claim that Jewish sovereignty is satanic, you claim Jewish survival is evil.

Do Jews secretly control the world? Does the Talmud sanction child abuse? Did Israel do 9/11? In this episode, Jacob Fronczak reacts to an impromptu street debate between Charlie Kirk and a young, self-identified Christian who was discharged from military training and is now spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

“Of Course You’d Say That—You’re Jewish”

I can already hear the objection from the “America First” crowd: “Well, you’re a Jew, of course you’re defending Israel. It has allowed Jews to prosper at the expense of Americans for decades.”

Yes, I am a Jew. And yes, I will absolutely speak against what these voices are shouting from the rooftops. Because what they’re peddling quickly branches from discussing questionable foreign policy into ancient hatred dressed in new rhetoric. The argument that American support for Israel has impoverished Americans is a recycled anti-Semitic trope, the same scapegoating that has preceded violence against Jewish communities throughout history.

American support for Israel represents less than 0.1% of the federal budget and serves significant strategic interests. The real threat to American prosperity isn’t a tiny nation defending itself against genocidal enemies; it’s the willingness of Americans to embrace conspiracy theories instead of facts.

It’s Beginning to Feel Like the 1930s

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, writing after Mamdani’s victory, penned a line that should chill every person familiar with Jewish history: “It’s beginning to feel like the 1930s.”

In the 1930s, Jews also faced a convergence of threats from both Left and Right. They watched as former friends began to turn away, to embrace conspiracy theories about Jewish power. Most chillingly, they watched anti-Semitism move from the fringes to the mainstream, as “respectable” voices legitimized hatred, and as political leaders discovered that scapegoating Jews was an effective path to power.

When your supposed friends begin speaking the language of your enemies, history demands that you pay attention. When prominent voices on the Right deny the Holocaust while prominent voices on the Left deny Israel’s right to exist, Jews are right to feel the ground shifting.

The Test That Transforms

Rabbi Steinmetz quotes Nachmanides on the biblical concept of tests: “A test is not there to discover who you are. A test forces you to become who you can be. A test is a challenge that brings out previously unseen potential. Every test transforms you.”

This is our test.

Washington’s Promise

The treatment of Jews is a test for every generation of American Christians.

Let me be clear about what I’m not saying: I’m not suggesting that America is on the verge of becoming Nazi Germany. I’m not claiming that all conservatives, or even most conservatives, harbor anti-Semitic views. The truth is, millions of conservative Christians remain Israel’s most faithful allies. Millions of Americans on the Right would never tolerate Holocaust denial or anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The conservative movement, at its best, has been one of the strongest bulwarks against anti-Semitism in modern history.

But that’s precisely why this moment  matters so much.

The danger isn’t that Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes, or Candace Owens represents the majority view.

The danger is widespread normalization, a phenomenon accelerated by social media. The danger is what happens when good people—people like my military veteran friend who had no idea this was happening—remain unaware while prominent figures work to make the unthinkable acceptable.

The threat isn’t that conservatives will suddenly become anti-Semites. The threat is that we’ll collectively shrug when a major media figure platforms a Holocaust denier. That we’ll dismiss it as “just one person’s opinion.” That we’ll be too busy with other concerns to notice when Scripture gets twisted to justify abandoning covenant promises. That we’ll let hatred become just another voice in the marketplace of ideas.

As I was writing this article, a friend sent me a video. It was Nick Fuentes, filmed in the immediate aftermath of Zohran Mamdani’s election victory in New York City.

I wasn’t prepared for what I heard.

Fuentes wasn’t gloating about a single election. He was declaring victory in a larger war. With unmistakable confidence, he announced that the traditional right-wing belief system was crumbling. That his voice—and the voices of his Groypers—would be the new voice of conservatism.

He promised his followers would participate in every primary, seek office, wave their signs and their support. That the old played-out narrative of supporting Israel was (expletive) dead. That millions of people were coming to see things his way.

He declared himself to be the head of the snake that would tear down the entire Israel-supporting system.

Let that sink in.

A Holocaust denier just announced—on camera, for the world to see—that he’s building a movement to not only systematically dismantle American support for Israel, but also to destroy world Jewry. And he’s not operating in the shadows. He’s operating in plain sight, emboldened by the platforms given to him by voices like Tucker Carlson, energized by the election of anti-Zionists like Mamdani, and confident that the political climate is shifting in his direction.

This is someone who believes—and may be right to believe—that the moment has arrived for his brand of hatred to go mainstream.

When a Holocaust denier looks at the current political landscape and sees opportunity, when he publicly declares his intention to infiltrate Republican primaries and remake conservatism in his image, when he speaks with the confidence of someone who believes history is on his side, that’s when you know the test has arrived.

For the Jewish community, this test demands we become more vocal, more organized, more willing to call out anti-Semitism even from unexpected quarters. We must recognize that only our voices—clear, strong, uncompromising—will protect us.

For Christians, particularly conservative Christians who have long claimed to be Israel’s greatest allies, this test reveals whether you’re people of your word. When you said “Never Again,” did you mean it? When you quoted Genesis 12:3, were you serious? The covenant with the God of Abraham still asks you to stand with his chosen people. To turn away now, to make excuses for anti-Semitism from “your side,” cannot be a political decision.

For conservatives who claim to value truth, facts, and Western civilization: Will you allow your movement to be hijacked by conspiracy theorists and Holocaust deniers? Or will you have the courage to say, “not in our name”?

This article is not an attack on conservatism; it’s an appeal to defend it from those who would poison it.

As a Jew, my line is clear: I stand with my people, with Israel, with the truth of our history and the legitimacy of our sovereignty as a nation.

For Christians, the line should be equally clear: You stand with the covenant promises your God made to Abraham, or you don’t.

You honor the Jewish roots of your faith, or you don’t. You defend truth, even when politically costly, or you don’t.

I pray that you do.