Politics makes strange bedfellows, they say. Perhaps never before in my life has this been so true as when the far-left in America aligned with the patriarchal, viciously anti-LGBTQ+ (not to mention terrorist-infested) Gaza over Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, tactlessly succeeding the former’s unprovoked and barbaric attack against the latter.
Previously, I wrote that “those on the streets mindlessly cheering Hamas or opposing Israel would quickly change their tune if subjected to Islamic culture for a day. Tragically, the murdering of Jews doesn’t seem to concern them. But believe me—when Hamas bans their precious Pride Flags, enforces hijab, and beats women who fail to comply, even the most open-minded, liberal activists will reconsider their positions. They will suddenly pine for western culture again.”
Now, a new strange union has emerged—the alignment of the far-right in America with the far-left in opposition to Israel.
Allow me to be blunt: the right’s emerging opposition to Zionism, shamefully perpetrated in the name of “Christianity,” is steeped in outright antisemitism. I’ve heard the argument that the term is weaponized to silence legitimate questions about Israel. Maybe so… in select cases. But in others, there is no question that pure, unadulterated antisemitism is driving self-billed “America-first” commentators into the arms of the far left, and it is painful to witness.
Equally painful is the shocking level of ignorance about Christianity these professing Christ followers (one of X’s biggest offenders modestly calls herself a “Lioness for Jesus”) exhibit. Jesus, they seem to forget, was a Jew. He was raised in the Jewish tradition, which He both embraced and fulfilled. The Christian’s Savior wept over Jerusalem out of love for the Jewish people. In fact, only two of the 66 books in the Christian Bible (both Old and New Testament) were not written by Jews.
New Testament writers, including Paul, evidence a regular affinity for the Jewish people. Paul, for example, wrote that his “heart's desire and prayer to God” was “for Israel,”; Romans 11 says that God’s promise to Israel still stands:
“I say then, Hath God cast away his people?” the Apostle asked. “God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin…. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
Moreover, the book of Revelation clearly reveals that God has ordained a singular role for Israel in His eschatological plans. Indeed, according to one prevalent interpretation, a sign of the Antichrist will be that he breaks peace with Israel.
Finally, returning to the first book of the Torah, we are reminded that God, who cannot break His covenant, swore to Abram that He would “make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
While none of this licenses the modern state of Israel to commit genocide (if the accusations were true) or indicates that God endorses everything Israel does (the Old Testament is replete with accounts of Israel warranting God’s wrath for their disobedience), it does betray the shocking biblical illiteracy of those that spew hatred against God’s chosen people “in the name of Jesus.”
Morgan Ariel, the self-described lioness for Jesus, a Turning Point USA-affiliated influencer, is one such example.
“Media Matters is clearly ran by Talmudic worshipping Jesus despising America hating Zionists,” she tweeted about the left-wing media watchdog group after it published a piece (accurately) accusing her of pushing antisemitism. A stock antisemitic trope, exploited by the Nazis, is that the “all-powerful” Jews, a mere 0.2 percent of the global population, control everything, from the media to the banks.
“Alex Jones is fed up with the sociopathic Zionists,” Ariel responded to a video of a screaming, profanity-laced, Alex Jones rant against the Jews. “I’m loving this energy.”
The question is “Why”? Why would anyone “love” watching an immature adult boy shriek curses at Zionists (a.k.a anyone who believes in “the development and protection of a Jewish nation in what is now Israel”)?
Unless, of course, they’re trying to make a point…
“I love when the Zionists get angry with me,” the pugnacious Ariel quipped. “Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”
“Go back to your synagogue satan,” she added.
That same day, she reposted a video from Ye’s racist, Hitler-praising interview with Alex Jones last November. “Iconic,” she stated.
Also on that day, she posted a video alleging, without evidence, that the Republican Party honored Caitlyn Jenner at the recent Spirit of Lincoln Gala—because “Zionists” (here comes that same, ol’ hackneyed trope) control the GOP: “Talmudic worshipping foreign interests are controlling our country,” she opined.
“So today’s pro-Israel rally in DC was really just a war mongering call to genocide rally got it,” she asserted about last week’s pro-Israel rally in Washington, which was attended by nearly 300,00 supporters, including many Christians.
Unfortunately, I could keep going. The above examples constitute only a portion of all Morgan Ariel’s hate-filled tweets… in a single week. And she’s not alone.
But what makes the America-First crowd’s foray into borderline to outright antisemitism all the more appalling is that it has appropriated the name of Jesus to make its vile point. Even in the midst of her vicious tirades against God’s chosen people, for example, Morgan Ariel frequently touted the name of Jesus to “justify” her behavior.
“Christ is king,” she tweeted five times in a row last week, evidently more interested in making an obnoxious political statement than drawing attention to the Lord.
And while Miss “Lioness” continues to brand herself as a Christian voice, she does not seem to understand that her rhetoric is in direct violation of Scripture:
“Boast not against the branches,” Paul instructed Christians in Romans 11, the aforementioned chapter about Israel. “But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.”
Paul was making the argument that the branches (Jews) were original to God’s plan — Gentiles were not. Therefore, Christians who exalted themselves above God’s chosen people were in danger of being “broken off” and should “fear.” He did not want his readers to conclude that because salvation had eventually expanded to Gentiles the Gentiles now had superiority over Jews.
“Do not therefore trample upon the Jews as a reprobate people, nor insult over those that are broken off,” interpreted commentator Matthew Henry, suggesting that Paul likely spoke to Christians who “expressed some such pride and triumph in the Jews' rejection.”
Is Ariel Morgan aware of these teachings? Or has her “America-first” doctrine taken precedence over Scripture? Either way, she’s exploiting the name of Jesus, not for the glory of Jesus, but for a bombastic presence on social media.
To be clear, I only take the time to document the recent right-wing turn against Israel to highlight that the argument that says accusations of “antisemitism” are being “weaponized” is not always true—antisemitism is, unfortunately, alive and well. And if we’re going to call it out on the left (which I have done repeatedly), then we must call it out on the right, too.
As far as I can see, the right’s newfound (and still relatively negligible) anti-Zionism is based on outright ignorance and shoddy premises—the ideas that (1) standing by Israel is not in America’s best interest (a misconception I do not now have the time to debunk) and that (2), serving Christ somehow negates Zionism. Neither is true.
Unfortunately, the uncivil debate surrounding these topics goes to show just how polarized we have become—not even a Nazi-esque terrorist attack against our longtime ally in the Middle East can unite us or escape the fate of “politicization.”
Fortunately, polling from earlier this year showed that over 80% of “faith voters” in America favored a strong relationship between America and Israel.
“These results are encouraging—despite the concerted attempts from the left, including faith leaders, to undermine support for Israel and separate American Christians from the Jewish people—this poll shows people of faith still stand strongly with the people of Israel,” said Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States. “Even more than that, Americans overall support Israel as the only true democracy and bastion of freedom in the Middle East, and the left disgracing and beclowning itself with weak attempts to justify violence and terrorism is a dead end street to voters.”
Let’s just pray that that conviction holds.
