Chris Katulka: Thank you for joining us for The Friends of Israel Today. I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher. Now, let me ask you something. Have you been to foiradio.org? Because if you haven't, we want to give you stuff for free. That's right. We have nearly a decade of biblical content, biblical teaching about Israel and the Jewish people right at our website, foiradio.org. And there you can not only listen to this episode at foiradio.org, but you can listen to nearly 10 years of radio content right at your fingertips, teaching all about Israel and the Jewish people from a biblical worldview. That's foiradio.org. Now today we're going to continue our series “From Pamphlets to Podcasts.” Last week we looked at the history of the pamphlets, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion that were used by some serious antisemites throughout history in order to propagate false lies about the Jewish people.

Well, today we're going to continue that conversation and see how those lies—they didn't die a century ago. In fact, they live on today through social media influencers and podcasts that young adults and adults alike are listening to all around the world. So you'll want to stick around for that, but before we get there, let's see what's happening in the news. While missiles flew and tensions escalated between Israel and Iran, the Tel Aviv stock exchange pulled off a surprising rally with one index jumping more than 8% and another rising 11% at the height of the conflict. In a moment when the world may expect a market crash, Israeli stocks moved in the opposite direction. Over the past year, the Tel Aviv 125 Index has delivered a remarkable 50% return for investors. Well, here's my take. In the midst of the 12-Day War with Iran, one that would go down in the history books, Israel's top indices grew nearly 12% proving that resilience is hardwired in both the people of Israel and their markets. The smart money isn't on beating Israel, especially when they've got the Most High God behind them.

We’re coming to the close of our two-part series, “From Pamphlets to Podcasts,” and it's been an eye-opening journey. A century ago, cheap mass printed antisemitic pamphlets spread lies about the Jewish people almost unchecked. We began by dissecting the notorious Protocols of the Elders of Zion, exposing how that Russian forgery was repackaged by Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent, and then weaponized by Adolf Hitler to justify censorship, violence, and genocide. Though the protocols were thoroughly debunked within two decades of their first appearance, their poison didn't fade. It simply found new vessels. Today that vessel is the digital ether, the digital age. Podcasts, social media influencers, and viral video platforms give century-old slanders of the Jewish people fresh life. Their tactics are identical to those of the pamphleteers. Offer a sensational lie, dressed up as insider truth, then watch it spread. Some of the people that we'll discuss today span the political spectrum, and yes, a few may align with your own political leanings. But it's our responsibility here at The Friends of Israel to name and confront antisemitism wherever it hides. Because at its core, it's the distortion of truth, a concerted effort to pin the world's problems on God's Chosen People and deny their historic right to dwell in their ancient homeland, Israel.

I want to remind you what the psalmist writes in Psalm 83, 

O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you…

See that prophetic lament captures today's digital disinformation campaigns perfectly. Let's profile four of the most influential modern purveyors of these lies. On the left, the right, and yes, even in unexpected Christian circles. So you'll have the tools, you'll know the tools to spot and expose hate on your own feeds. 

First is a man named Jackson Hinkle, a young man actually who caught attention after amplifying pro-Russian talking points about the Russia-Ukrainian War.

Now at just 25 years old, he commands, think about this, 3 million followers on X, which is formerly Twitter, where he hosts the web series, “Legitimate Targets.” Since October 7th, 2023, when Hamas murdered 1200 innocent Israelis and took nearly 250 hostages, Hinkle has recast himself as a fierce opponent of Israel. Repeatedly, actually, he's incited “Death to America… curse the Jews” at a pro-Houthi conference in Yemen. Hinkle didn't just cheer on Hamas and Hezbollah, he led the crowd in calls for genocide against the Jewish people. He's framed Israel's self-defense as genocide. His podcast guests routinely minimize or deny the Holocaust recasting Jewish suffering as exaggerated or fabricated, a classic denial trope straight out of the protocols. He attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah in February 2025 in Beirut, lending legitimacy to a group designated by many governments as a terrorist organization. And about a year ago, he posted on social media, think about this, that he is a Christian American patriot that stands with Palestine.

Despite being banned from YouTube temporarily and Instagram, his disinformation campaign thrives on X according to media watchdogs. Academic researchers have flagged him as a conduit for foreign-backed propaganda, collaborating with Iranian aligned extremists to spread age-old libels about Jewish global control, economic manipulation, and secret cabals—just like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. See, Hinkle’s reach and youthful demographics make him especially dangerous. Teens and twenty-somethings scrolling through clips of his rants may never learn Holocaust history or recognize a blood libel when they see it, but every time a channel like his goes unchallenged, we lose ground for the battle for truth. 

Next, let's turn to New York City where the rising star of politics is gaining acclaim—Zohran Mamdani, a New York City councilman and democratic mayoral hopeful. He leverages his platform to blend progressive politics with rhetoric some watchdogs even call anti-Semitic propaganda.

In late 2024, Mamdani reposted a Punjabi-style parody of Jewish men “spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah.” While intended as political satire to him, Jewish advocates warned it trivialized and ridiculed a sacred tradition. A resurfaced 2015 tweet likened FBI surveillance of a radical imam, Anwar al-Awlaki, to “blaming the Jews for Hitler” plays on the same scapegoating logic that's found in protocol number 3 and number 10 that we mentioned last week. He champions the phrase “Globalize the Intifada,” which is a global call to rise up against Israel. Though he later distanced himself, Mamdani defended the slogan on his podcast as a call for Palestinian rights, “unaware” that it has historically been used to justify violence against Jewish civilians. But by weaving political activism with imagery and slogans identified by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum as overtly anti-Jewish, Mamdani risks normalizing a narrative that says Jewish existence is a legitimate target for revolution.

Here's a name you may know—Candace Owens, once celebrated as a rising star of young conservative thought has built a massive following. Listen to these numbers, 6.9 million on X, 5.7 million on Instagram, 4.4 million on YouTube and nearly 4.7 million on TikTok. And she does this by what? By trafficking in conspiracies that echo the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. On her podcast, Owens has minimized Nazi atrocities likening the experiments that they did on Jewish people during the Holocaust as “bizarre propaganda” and publicly mocked Jewish concerns over Kanye West's very, very antisemitic tweets. She advocated that “Jews control the media” by repeatedly touting the lie that Jewish financiers and media executives manipulate news outlets. She was suspended from YouTube temporarily for hate speech violations, again, echoing protocols number 7 and 11. If you go back to last week's program, I highlighted each one of those protocols. And shockingly, Owens has also blamed Israel for 9/11.

Her extremist views have cost her mainstream platforms like YouTube temporarily and The Daily Wire, and prompted Australia and New Zealand to deny her entry visas. Yet she wears her “Antisemite of the Year” crown like a badge of honor, thanking the watchdog group for “giving us something to laugh about,” she said. Owens shows how antisemitic conspiracy theories can be mass-marketed under the guise of “bold commentary.” Her massive reach ensures that these lies get scooped up, repackaged and redistributed by algorithms that reward outrage. And again, Owens claims to be a Christian. After years in the Reformed Evangelical movement, she recently was baptized into the Catholic church. 

Well, how about when one form of activism takes on another form of activism? You know who I'm talking about? The climate activist turned anti-Israel protestor, Greta Thunberg, the poster child of environmental purity has become the voice of enabling antisemitism.

Thunberg social media missteps have drawn rebuke from B’nai B’rith, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the German Antisemitic Commissioner. At a Stockholm rally in November 2023, Thunberg led protestors in a Swedish chant that said “Crush Zionism” that B’nai B’rith  warned is indistinguishable from calls for genocide against the Jewish people. In October 2023, not long after October 7th, when Hamas murdered the 1200 innocent Israelis, she posed with a plush octopus, a symbol that's been used for a century to show Jewish people as the “world-encircling monster.” She deleted and reposted, claiming it was autistic “communication tool,” but the damage really has already been done. In Amsterdam, she handed her mic to an activist who openly called for Israel's destruction, spreading lies about “gassing Palestinians.” The Weisenthal Center accused her of “facilitating pollution of cancerous antisemitism.” And just last month, Thunberg was arrested on a Gaza-solidarity flotilla in June 2025. She labeled Israel's defense operations a “genocide,” a slur German officials decried as partially antisemitic. 

Today's pamphleteers use microphones and hashtags instead of printers. Their lies hurdle across continents in seconds, but the remedy to those falsehoods remains the same. We have to name the lie, expose its origins and refuse to let it stand unchallenged. Now when we come back, we're going to take a look at how we can biblically combat the rise of antisemitism among those with some of the loudest voices. Stick around.

Steve Conover: Chris, we've been blessed to add some new radio stations recently and I'm sure we have some who don't know much about The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

Chris Katulka: Yeah, Steve. For years The Friends of Israel has been a trusted source for those seeking to understand God's heart for the Jewish people. We're excited to invite new listeners into our growing community. We're offering a free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway? This booklet explores the historical, legal, and biblical claims to the land of Israel, providing clarity on a complex and often misunderstood topic.

Steve Conover: It's a great resource. If you've ever wondered about the ongoing struggle in the Middle East and want to be able to understand and defend why God has given the Holy Land to the Jewish people, this is the resource for you. We want to equip you to understand and support the Jewish people, not based on mere opinion, but based on God's trustworthy and unchanging Word. To get your free digital copy of Whose Land is it Anyway?, visit foiradio.org. That's foiradio.org.

Chris Katulka: Welcome back everyone. We're wrapping up our series on “Pamphlets to Podcasts” where we've examined how the antisemitic tropes of the first half of the 20th century distributed in pamphlet form are being recycled today in modern mediums like podcasts and social media posts. So the question is, what can you do to push back against the rising tide of these hate-filled rants that we're hearing all over the internet? First, arm yourself with solid, honest, biblical truth about Israel and the Jewish people. You can lean into rich resources from here, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Beyond bookmarking the Anti-Defamation League or the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, you should be subscribing to Israel My Glory magazine for in-depth articles that debunk conspiracy theories with historical and theological rigor. That's right. We look at what the Scriptures teach about Israel and the Jewish people. Tune in regularly to this program, The Friends of Israel Today, for interviews with experts and eyewitnesses on issues surrounding the rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric.

And you can watch episodes of The Friends of Israel's Jew and Gentile podcast, where we unpack modern antisemitism in light of what the Scriptures teach. Just as Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge.” So make these FOI outlets part of your critical study plan to push back against antisemitism. And then when you see a wild claim about the Jewish people controlling the banks or media that's circulating online, you can be ready to reply with fact and truth. Next, the Scriptures call us to speak truth in love. I want to encourage you to visit our Friends of Israel equipping ministries that equip you to love the Jewish people. Our programs like Bridges teaches you about the history of antisemitism and how to build respectful gospel-centered conversations about the truth of this ancient hatred. Our Encounter trips give you firsthand perspective on Jewish life and faith to show you how antisemitism has an effect on the lives of Jewish people today.

ORIGINS and Hesed are volunteer trips in Israel that show you firsthand how many Israelis feel as though they have no friends in the world and how service and relationship building open doors to make biblical truth known. See, Ephesians 4:15 calls us to “speak truth in love” and with Bridges and Encounter and ORIGINS as your training ground, your tone will open hearts rather than close them. Third, amplify Jewish voices on your platforms—and FOI makes that really simple for you. Share clips from our Equip online classes where Holocaust survivors share their story. Post articles from Israel My Glory featuring interviews with Holocaust survivors or Israeli believers. Post our AskFOI series for quick teaching on Israel, the Bible, and prophecy. See, you can use social media platforms wisely to share truth! Here's another one, a big one, don't let your church lag behind. You can host a small group viewing of our Common Thread series that shows the promise that God made to Abraham as a common thread that binds the Scriptures together.

Encourage your Sunday school group or your Bible study to take Bridges online. Through these classes you study Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you" and Romans chapter 11, all together to see that God's not through with Israel. Finally, never underestimate the power of prayer and compassion as Matthew 5:44 urges, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Early morning, lift up the Jewish communities under threat. Pray for the eyes of those spreading hate to be opened to Christ's love for all the nations. In every comment, post or message blend FOI’s teachings, your biblical conviction, and Christ-like compassion so that the digital world sees not only the folly of antisemitism, but the vibrant, irrefutable promise of God's faithfulness to his Chosen People. Look, we need to be steadfast against the spread of antisemitic hate, but do it in a way that shows confidence in God's plan in Christ Jesus because in the end, the battle belongs to the Lord.

Steve Conover: Now, Apples of Gold, a dramatic reading from the life and ministry of Holocaust survivor, Zvi Kalisher.

Mike Kellogg: One recent morning, I went to a market in Jerusalem, and I saw a long line of people in front of one of the stores. When I asked what was being sold, someone cautiously whispered, “A great righteous man is coming here. He can help people solve their problems, and he has performed many miracles.”

I asked, “How much do you have to pay for such a miracle?”

He replied, “Only 280 shekels.”

I asked, “Who gave him the power to do the work of the devil?”

The man was surprised at my question, then dashed off, shouting, “Wait here. I will be back!”

He returned with two overly confident men. One of them fired off a series of questions: “What do you want? Why do you care what is happening here?”

I answered, “If I say nothing, I will be guilty. This is my obligation before God and man.”

After a long discussion, one of the men asked, “Do you want us to close this place and send everyone home on your orders?”

“No, my friend,” I replied. “I have read to you the orders of God Himself. I am just His insignificant servant.” I then read the continuation of the command in Ezekiel: “Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul” (v. 9).

One said, “Because you read from the Bible, we know you are a Christian. If you do not leave this place quietly, things will not go well for you!”

But I was not afraid. I continued to warn others waiting in line. I told them about false teachers and read Jeremiah 23:25: “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name.” I told them, “This man is prophesying lies in God’s name. If you accept his false teaching, you will not only pay with your money, you will also pay with your lives and your

souls.

Some said they were there because they had many troubles. I told them, “We are not living in a paradise on this earth, and we never will; however, the Lord is preparing a paradise for us when we leave this earth. But we will never get there by asking wicked people, like the one coming here today, to bless us. To enter God’s paradise, we must come to Him as He has prescribed in His Word. God alone can give us true blessings and solutions to our problems.”

Some of the people were uncertain about me. No doubt they suspected I was a Christian.

One man asked, “Are you a Jew?”

I replied, “I am, but we have only one God, and He does not care about nationalities. He is concerned with people’s hearts and worship. I am not trying to hide anything; I believe in the Lord Jesus as my Messiah and Savior, and therefore I have to warn you against following false teachers, like the one you are waiting to see now.”

Many accepted my witness graciously, and some even left the line to speak further with me about the Lord. At the end of our conversation, I gave them New Testaments. I pray they will recall our conversation, read the New Testament, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Then they will not need to seek out false teachers; they will be able to take everything to the Lord, “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20).

Chris Katulka: Thanks for joining us for today's episode of The Friends of Israel Today. Now, don't forget to get your free digital download of our popular booklet, Whose Land is it Anyway?, on our website, foiradio.org. I just gave you all these great tools that you can use in order to combat antisemitism—this is another one of them and we're giving it away for free—Whose Land is it Anyway?—you can get that at our website, foiradio.org. Next week join us because we're going to be doing an Israel My Glory In Depth interview where we're going to be talking with Steve Herzig all about his article, “The Early Years,” a look at the Apostle Paul as a Jew, a Roman, and a Pharisee. All of this comes from our most recent issue of Israel My Glory, which is all about the Apostle Paul.

As mentioned, our website is foiradio.org. Again, that’s foiradio.org. Our mailing address is FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Again that’s FOI Radio PO Box 914, Bellmawr, New Jersey 08099. Now that you know, I expect you to write us. You can call us though too if you want to on our listener line. That’s 888-343-6940. Again that’s 888-343-6940. Today's program was engineered by Bob Beebe. Edited by Jeremy Strong, who also composed and performs our theme music. Lisa Small is our executive producer. Sarah Fern is our associate producer. The late Mike Kellogg read Apples of Gold. I'm Chris Katulka, your host and teacher, and Steve Conover is the executive director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. The Friends of Israel Today is a production of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. Passion for God's Word. Compassion for God's Chosen People.