Rebel News Podcast – Ezra Levant in Jerusalem: Reflections Amid Rising Antisemitism and Looming Conflict

Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Ezra Levant
Special Guests: Dr. James Lindsay, Dinesh D’Souza
Location: Jerusalem, Israel

Episode Overview

Ezra Levant broadcasts late-night reflections from Jerusalem, discussing his participation at an international conference on antisemitism amid growing tensions in the region. With mounting concerns of war between the U.S. and Iran and a noticeable shift in both left- and right-wing attitudes towards antisemitism, Levant conducts two in-depth interviews:

1. Dr. James Lindsay: Discusses the ideological evolution of antisemitism—including its emergence on the right—and the factors amplifying it today.
2. Dinesh D’Souza: Explores the right’s internal schisms over Israel, his latest documentary, and the impact of prominent figures who lately have promoted anti-Israel or anti-Semitic narratives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jerusalem on Edge: Fear of Looming War

• Ezra describes the heightened atmosphere in Jerusalem, with American military build-up and rumors of imminent war with Iran.
  • "The US chose this time to steam a massive aircraft carrier to the region...there’s a chance that when this goes to air...there may be another war out here." (03:34)

2. Conference on Antisemitism: Why It Matters Right Now

• Conference attendees include global leaders, academics, and public intellectuals, marking Holocaust Remembrance Day.
• The discussions focused on the increasingly visible and multifaceted forms of antisemitism: from the left, radical Islamism, and—more recently—the right.

Part 1: Interview with Dr. James Lindsay

Timestamps: 04:50 – 25:15

Main Topics

A. The “Woke Right”—A New Kind of Antisemitism

• Lindsay details how a reaction to “woke left tyranny” has spawned a corresponding radicalism on the right, now adopting antisemitic rhetoric once relegated to the far fringes.
  • "I've been warning about it for a while. I got in trouble, called it 'woke right.' ...This grievance-oriented, envy-oriented, alienation-centered mentality...becomes very radical, very dangerous." (04:57)

B. Three Sources of the New Right-Wing Antisemitism (06:30)

• Reactionary Radicalization: Alienation leading to toxic identity politics among white men and Christians.
• Longstanding Alt-Right Influences: European-style chauvinism infiltrating North American conservatism.
• Foreign Interference: Adversarial powers (Russia, China, Middle Eastern regimes) seeding divisive narratives to destabilize Western democracies.
  • "There's a new axis rising...and they want America to fail...they seed these movements to fragment everything...and pick up the spoils when things are broken." (08:24)

C. How Former Conservative Icons Shifted

• Ezra and James reflect on Tucker Carlson’s turn toward anti-Semitic and anti-American alliances.

  • "My former hero Tucker Carlson is going down that road...Now he's promoting every anti-American tyranny." (03:49, 09:17)

• Lindsay speculates on Carlson’s motivations:

  • Opportunism, new alliances (Saudi Arabia 2030 conference, company with Hillary Clinton/John Kerry).
  • Irrevocable actions (“crossing the Rubicon”—once you've 'gone there,' it's hard to return).
  • "When you take the anti-Semitic road...it's a very warm, one-way street. ... It's very hard to come back." (11:53)

D. Social Media, Taboo-breaking, and the “Politics of the Third Rail” (14:05 – 21:57)

• Discussion of the breakdown of social taboos due to social media—comparing antisemitism to saying the N-word.
  • "The taboo is being smashed to pieces partly because of social media...Elon Musk freeing Twitter has also enabled people to do things..." – Ezra (14:05)
• Lindsay introduces "the politics of the third rail": distinction between legitimate critique and illegitimate taboo-breaking; young people "playing on the edge" for approval or shock value may go too far and become trapped.
  • "Right now, it's stretching and stretching...eventually the bubble detaches. You're trapped in the bubble...it floats...then bursts and it's over." (16:10)

E. Can People Return? Buyer’s Remorse and Bad Faith Actors (21:57–25:04)

• Notable example: Kanye West’s public apology, Andrew Tate moderating past comments—are people realizing the costs?
  • "Some of them are getting a bit of buyer's remorse...maybe I won't go full in antisemitism." – Ezra (21:28)
• Lindsay’s distinction: error (which can be forgiven with penance) vs. malice (which must be distrusted and excluded).
  • "Good people have this challenge...there are bad faith actors who are saving their ass...Trust is earned slowly; you can destroy trust in an instant." (22:50)

Memorable Quote:

• "We can't be so in a hurry to have a big platform ally or a powerful friend...when the wolf is laughing from under a sheep's clothing." – Dr. James Lindsay (24:40)

Part 2: Interview with Dinesh D’Souza

Timestamps: 25:16 – 39:18

Main Topics

A. Israel, Antisemitism, and D’Souza’s Documentary

• D’Souza’s new film: The Dragon’s Prophecy—explores Israel, Hamas, radical Islam, and biblical archaeology.
  • “My earlier films have all been about the meaning of America. This one connects the issue of biblical archaeology...over whose land is it.” (25:52)

B. Schism on the Right Over Israel

• D’Souza laments the “civil war” within the right; prominent voices (e.g., Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens) now drive wedges between Christians, Jews, and traditional alliances with Israel.
  • “It’s very dismaying...two groups, the left and the radical Muslims...united by a common hatred toward Jews and Christians, toward America, toward the West, toward Israel.” (26:45)
  • “Prominent figures on our side...driving a wedge, both theological and political.” (27:50)

C. The Radicalization of Right-Wing Media Figures

• Chronicles Tucker Carlson’s transformation, noting both ideological and rhetorical breaks with traditional conservatism.
  • “He has gone so far off, no one in the mainstream of the Republican party can endorse this...even the gripers will not defend Tucker’s position.” (31:12)
  • “Tucker is taking far too much risk with his own career to be worth some kind of payoff from Qatar. I don’t really think that.” (31:52)
  • "He practices what I would call ventriloquist journalism. ...He feigns astonishment like, 'Wow, this is a mind-blowing insight.'" (32:21)

D. Trump, Tucker, and the Future of the GOP

• Concern about Tucker's ongoing White House access and ties to J.D. Vance (possible post-Trump Republican leverage).
  • “If I can get Heritage and...Turning Point USA and...Vance in my back pocket, I will have tremendous leverage on the Republican Party post-Trump.” (34:24)
• Trump’s transactional vs. ideological nature; likely to break from Tucker over loyalty disputes, especially if it threatens core GOP coalitions (evangelicals, Jews).
  • “Trump is transactional...he interprets everything in the form of personal loyalty...” (34:29)

E. Online vs. Grassroots Republican Base

• The online and real-world Republican bases are not the same; online drama doesn’t reflect mainstream Republican thought.
  • “Trump’s base is not the guys who are active on X...it’s the Federation of Republican Women...old ladies in hats who go door to door at election time.” (36:27)

F. Biblical and Historical Perspective on Israel’s Land Claim

• Summarizes the “three ways” countries claim land—arguing Israel has the strongest title by all measures.
  • “Jews were here first, they got it from the UN, and they fought wars to hold the land...the claim of the Jews to Israel is perhaps stronger than...the claim of the white man to be in America...” (38:27)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Dr. James Lindsay (on the nature of radicalization):
  • "Once you've crossed these lines, it's very difficult to come back. ... The old metaphor: crossing the Rubicon." (12:22)
• Dinesh D’Souza (on new right-wing anti-Israel narratives):
  • “Christian Zionism is not on the list [of Christian heresies]...so when you have this kind of strange doctrinaire pronouncement by a guy who’s manifestly ill-informed on the topic, something insidious is afoot.” (29:35)
• Ezra Levant (on cultural taboos and social media):
  • “There’s a lot of reasons being anti-Semitic can be tempting—this cosmic enemy that caused all your problems...but I’m worried: can they come back?” (15:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–03:21: Ezra sets the scene from Jerusalem, reflects on current regional tensions, and previews interviews.
• 04:50–25:14: Interview with Dr. James Lindsay — Sources and dangers of the “woke right” and antisemitism.
• 25:16–39:18: Interview with Dinesh D’Souza — Israel, right-wing schisms, his new film, and the wider implications for conservatism.
• 38:04–39:18: D’Souza on biblical archaeology and Israel’s title to the land.

Podcast Tone & Language

Conversational, urgent, unapologetically conservative, and frequently candid in addressing perceived threats to both Western society and the conservative movement itself.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode provides on-the-ground perspective from Jerusalem as regional instability threatens to boil over, and—through expert interviews—deconstructs the complex, disturbing rise of antisemitism from unexpected quarters on the right. It’s essential listening if you want to understand the new ideological and social fractures shaping conservative politics and support for Israel today, made clear by firsthand accounts and deeply informed commentary.

For more interviews and updates, visit RebelNews.com.