CNN host Abby Phillip attempted Saturday to distinguish antisemitism from criticism of Israel in a heated panel with a conservative guest.
“The Israel issue is a big one, and it’s one where both the left and the right are converging on a much more critical stance of the Israeli government and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” Phillip told her panel on “Saturday Morning Table For Five.”
“It’s not just the three candidates in New York,” she said, referring to three New York City Democratic congressional candidates, all critical of Israel, winning their primaries Tuesday with the backing of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “There are a lot of people on the right now … Look at the comments made by JD Vance over the last couple of weeks, that are widely viewed as Vance taking a tougher stance on Israel.”
Phillip argued that the vice president, who publicly admonished Netanyahu for reportedly fuming amid a precarious peace deal between the U.S. and Iran, “sees the tea leaves” and is aware that the “MAGA base turning” against Israel, as evident by a dramatic shift in polls. Democratic voters have similarly soured on Israel as a result of its yearslong war on Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in 2023.
Guest Noah Rothman, a writer for the conservative National Review, responded by slamming Vance and the right’s “antisemitic instincts.”
“I just want to be clear because I think these are different things, right? There’s antisemitism and then there’s criticism of Israel,” Philip responded.
Watch their discussion below:
Rothman conceded her point, then launched into criticism of the Democratic Socialists of America, noting the organization helped elect Carmella Charrington as one of two dozen district leaders of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. Charrington drew backlash after recirculating a video amplifying antisemitic conspiracy theories espoused by late Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, and has since apologized, calling it a “mistake.”
Rothman called Charrington’s post “disgusting stuff” that the Democratic Party “needs to confront,” but Phillip countered this wasn’t what she was talking about — and that “a growing part of the political picture” in today’s landscape includes criticism of Israel.
“You refuse to disentangle criticism of Israel from antisemitism,” she said.
“No, no, no, because we’re not describing ‘criticism,’ we’re not describing criticism of Israel when we’re saying that the ‘Zionist entity controls the banks,’” said Rothman, prompting a frustrated Phillip to reiterate, “That’s not what I’m talking about!”
She clarified, “I’m talking about people who are critical of their actions in the Middle East.”
The discussion ultimately devolved into a heated shouting match between panelists.