Digital Social Hour | DSH #1667

Guest: Dinesh D’Souza

Episode Title: "Everyone Will Turn Against Israel (Here’s Why)"

Host: Sean Kelly

Date: December 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this thought-provoking installment of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly interviews political commentator and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza about his latest documentary, The Dragon’s Prophecy. The episode explores the deepening crisis in Israel and Gaza, the role of biblical archaeology in historical debates, the shifting tides of political opinion around Israel in the U.S., and why, in D’Souza’s view, a generational and ideological transformation may lead both American political parties—and the wider West—toward turning against Israel. The conversation also examines debates on the American right regarding antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and the future of education, all colored by D’Souza’s personal experiences and philosophical perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis of The Dragon’s Prophecy and Its Focus

• D’Souza describes the journey from his first visit to Israel (late 2022) to examining biblical archaeology, culminating in a film connecting ancient narratives to modern events—specifically the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attacks.
• The central question: “Whose land is it?”—a question D’Souza says he cannot answer definitively, but one he contextualizes through history and archaeology.

“Now, out of the ground, are coming clay, seals, stone inscriptions, artifacts, coins, and all these figures are jumping out of the Bible and into the pages of history…” —D’Souza (01:34)

2. October 7th Attacks: Impact and Representation

• D’Souza shares stories from October 7 survivors, emphasizing the unprecedented brutality and the decision of perpetrators to document their actions.
• His documentary features never-before-seen footage, offering audiences an “experiential sense” of the attack to counterbalance the dominant images of Gaza’s civilian casualties.

“Much of this October 7th footage… is being shown, at least to the general public for the first time in this film.” —D’Souza (03:42)

On Israel’s Policy of Withholding Footage

• D’Souza critiques Israel for not releasing attack footage:
  • Suggests this media gap fueled the shift in international sympathy toward Gaza’s civilians.
  • Compares public ignorance about October 7 to not knowing about Pearl Harbor when understanding WWII.
  • (05:51-06:14)

3. Just War Theory and Civilian Casualties

• D’Souza provides a crash course in the Christian “just war” tradition:
  • Civilian deaths, though tragic, do not inherently make a war unjust.
  • The key distinction: Intention (IDF vs. Hamas).
  • “You cannot say that the presence of civilian deaths by itself makes the war unjust. Otherwise all war would just be unjust.” (06:14)

4. Life in the Shadow of Conflict

• Firsthand anecdotes from Israel:
  • Young IDF soldiers on the border.
  • The everyday dangers for civilians near Gaza.
  • D’Souza’s own and his crew’s nervousness filming so close to the front.

“You can actually hear bombs going off. You can hear machine gun fire, because Gaza is right over there… you get that feeling of being in a precarious zone.” (08:49-10:00)

5. Ceasefire, Hostages, and Cycles of Conflict

• D’Souza likens ceasefire negotiations to dealing with home invaders who exploit hostages to evade justice.
• Suggests Hamas is simply in “strategic retreat” and will regroup under new banners.

“They’re going to found...30 different organizations. It’s going to be the same characters… probably shaved their mustaches or reoriented their beards.” (13:01)

6. Trump’s Role & Limits in Peacemaking

• Argues Trump aims to pause—but not resolve—Middle East conflicts, with focus shifting to domestic U.S. priorities.
• Describes Trump’s optimism as “messianic hope” rather than realistic strategy.

7. Interviewing Netanyahu: The Power of Identity

• D’Souza shares his strategy for eliciting candid responses from Israel’s PM.
  • Highlights Netanyahu’s emphasis on Jesus’ Jewish identity as a bid to keep Christian support for Israel strong.

“He’s [Netanyahu] claiming the Christian Messiah as like, he’s one of us…” (14:24)

8. Internal Civil War in Right-Wing Media

• Describes personal and ideological clashes with former allies (Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens).
  • D’Souza objects to the shift among some conservatives from challenging establishment narratives to embracing antisemitic tropes.
  • Notes the rise of debate around “Christian Zionism” and growing anti-Israel sentiment.

“I didn’t sign up for Tucker...who puts the Jews behind all the problems of the world…” (15:56)

9. Nick Fuentes Debate & the Right’s Dilemma

• D’Souza recounts his debate with far-right activist Nick Fuentes.
  • Defends the necessity of contesting bad ideas publicly.
  • Points out the escalating challenge for conservative organizations as anti-Israel personalities gain prominence.
  • Expresses concern for young people’s susceptibility to these ideas.

10. Rise of Conspiracism in a Disillusioned America

• Explores why conspiracy theories grip younger generations:
  • Economic and ideological disenfranchisement.
  • Blame-shifting toward “elites” and “hidden cabals.”
  • Worries that classic antisemitic narratives are resurfacing in new forms.

“What really interests me is this, that you’ve got, I think, a younger generation...these people have been screwed over. They have been lied to...They don’t have the same promise as earlier generations...” (24:00-25:45)

11. Conspiracies: From Dismissal to Nuanced Suspicion

• Admits once dismissing conspiracy theories, but changed stance post-Trump–Russia investigation (“American politics has a lot of gangsterism…” 26:39–27:37).
• Warns against historical amnesia and one-sided readings of history:
  • Critiques simplistic narratives (“Regime change never works”).

12. Failures of the Modern University

• D’Souza discusses higher education’s ideological uniformity, and why he steered his daughter through academia as if it were a minefield (30:46–31:37).
• Predicts radical change or collapse in the university model—possibly replaced by tech or AI-led alternatives—as traditional institutions fail to truly educate.

13. Origins of D’Souza’s Career & Ongoing Intellectual Curiosity

• Traces journey from journalism and think tanks to conservative documentary filmmaking.
• Attributes his success to lifelong learning and rejection of the typical Ivy League professional track.

14. The Emerging Red-Green Alliance: The Real Threat

• Identifies the “red-green alliance” (cultural left + radical Islam) as America’s biggest threat, not economics.
  • Differentiates radical Islam from the broader Muslim world.
  • Warns of infiltration and normalization of anti-Israel views in U.S. politics.

“There is a red green alliance. So that’s what people are calling it: the red, referring to like communism or socialism. The green, of course, the color of radical or really of Islam itself.” (37:42-39:27)

15. Both U.S. Parties Turning Against Israel?

• Predicts a scenario where both Democrats and Republicans “agree that Israel is bad”—a reversal of decades of bipartisan support.
• Connects this to biblical prophecy: the “end times” marked by global opposition to the Jews.

“Now it’s not that far-fetched…if America were to go the wrong way, it would be very dire for Israel…” (41:19–43:58)

16. Biblical Archaeology, Faith, and Funding Accusations

• Emphasizes the value of hard evidence linking biblical figures to real history.
• Ridicules social media accusations of being paid by Israel; claims he actually donates substantial personal funds to Israeli archaeological efforts.

17. Antisemitic Tropes and Their Dangers

• Acknowledges that historical trauma makes contemporary Jews especially alert to antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories.
• Draws connection between online conspiracism and potential real-world violence.

“This is like what leads to people like us getting the Star of David, like, tattooed on our arm and getting us locked up and our stores getting burned...” (47:00–48:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It was a kind of an eerie feeling to be right there...sirens go off from time to time. You're eating at a restaurant, you suddenly gotta go and sit in some safe zone." —D’Souza (08:49)
• “I’ve taken my liberal arts education...and build a career right on top of it. The typical Dartmouth guy...goes to med school or law school and never picks up a book again. I’ve never quit college.” —D’Souza (34:48)
• “There is a battle between good and evil, and in the end, we’ve got to go one side or we got to go the other side.” —D’Souza (49:13)
• “If I had to tell you the truth, they’re on my payroll. I’m being facetious, but this is the kind of foolishness we have to deal with.” —D’Souza on funding accusations (46:02)
• "So this is not the Tucker of Fox News...something has happened to Tucker Carlson along the way, and that something is not good." —D’Souza (21:59–23:52)

Important Timestamps

• Documentary’s focus & biblical archaeology: 00:49–03:34
• October 7 survivor stories: 03:34–04:46
• Just war & civilian casualties: 06:14–07:22
• Life on the Gaza border: 08:49–10:00
• Ceasefire analysis: 11:32–13:01
• Netanyahu on Jesus: 14:24–15:51
• Right-wing antisemitism debates (Fuentes, Carlson, etc.): 15:56–23:52
• Generational disillusionment and conspiracies: 24:00–27:46
• Universities and education critique: 30:41–34:41
• Red-Green Alliance & party shifts: 37:34–43:58
• Biblical prophecy and the global anti-Israel trend: 41:19–43:58
• Addressing funding conspiracy accusations: 46:01–47:00
• Closing thoughts on good vs. evil: 48:48–49:20

Summary

This intense, wide-ranging episode of Digital Social Hour explores how historical, religious, and political currents are converging to threaten traditional American support for Israel—and perhaps, D’Souza warns, to fulfill ancient prophecies regarding global opposition to the Jewish people. D’Souza’s characteristic blend of anecdote, polemic, and scholarship—punctuated by sharp critiques of the media, youth culture, education, and his own former allies—makes for a challenging and engaging listen, whether or not one agrees with his views.