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Hey, everybody. Charlie Kirk here live from the Bitcoin.com studio. What do young people think about Israel? Israel has a disproportionate amount of time and attention in our media. So I thought we'd go straight to our Turning Point USA students and ask them, what do they think about Israel? Are they supportive? Are they against? What do they think of all this rise in this disgusting, repulsive Jew hate? We moderate a focus group at our Turning Point USA event in Tampa, Florida. I think you'll love it. Email us, as always, freedomarliekirk.com that is freedomarliekirk.com and subscribe to our podcast that is the Charlie Kirk show podcast page. Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus. I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever created, Turning Point usa. We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. We're going to play a word association test. What's the first word that comes to mind when you hear Israel? Judaism. Aid. Aid. Netanyahu. Tax dollars. Liability. Sacred. Tax dollars. Conflict. Complex. Controversial. Scary. Strategic. So Mossad. Of all the different things that would come to mind, why does their intelligence service come to mind? Reminds me of the CIA. You know it has the CIA. You have the CIA involved with rfk. I mean, there's rumors going around maybe Mossad was a part of the Epstein files. If maybe Mossad was a part of things that we don't know about. And there's a. Just like the Central Intelligence Agency, they are out there doing things that none of us know about. So to say Mossad first. That would basically imply your first impression is one of doubt. Is that fair to say? Yes. Okay, when you hear like Epstein, right. Do you connect the Epstein issue initially, like immediately, like first connection in your mind that's also connected to Mossad and Israel or is are they feel separate in your mind? Separate? I think. I think there's a growing consensus that there's a connection there among Gen Z. Yeah, I think that's definitely gaining velocity. Who used the word aid? You did. Why did that come to mind first? It's very similar to our support for Ukraine. We're Sending a lot of money over there, not really getting, in my opinion, a huge return on investment. And so that's like the first thing that comes to mind, because when people talk about their distrust or dissupport for Israel, that's the first thing that usually comes up, is all the money that we're sending them. I think we have a lot bigger issues at home. I think we should be spending most of our tax dollars on securing our border, keeping our home people safe, rather than. I mean, we've seen illegal immigration that Joe Biden let through our southern border come in, and we've seen thousands of Americans die because of it. I think we have a much bigger problem on the home front. Rather than sending money to foreign countries, I think it's critical that we remain friends with them. They remain our ally. I just don't think we should be subsidizing them as much as we are. When you talk about return on investment, I think that's an interesting way to frame it. The supporters of Israel will say they're doing a lot of America's dirty work from intelligence gathering, things like that within the Middle East. Is that compelling to you? Are you persuaded by that argument? The reason why I'm not super persuaded is especially it's mostly because of here recently. We were kind of drug into it. We were negotiating. We were having negotiations and then they struck. They killed the people we were negotiating with. And it kind of derailed everything and sped up the conflict a little bit. It was the State Department's stated goal that we were working on negotiations with Iran. You can say they wouldn't have panned out. You can say that maybe they were imminently about to collapse, but we were still in active negotiation. And yet Israel launches Operation Rising lion to go in and strike Iran while we are mid negotiation. How many of you guys would say you think Israel got us into that conflict? You would say yes. You would not say so much. I think we were willing to join that conflict. I don't think we were pulled in unwantingly, as if we were dragged by a leash, you know, in more uncertain terms. I think we have the authority and the say of whether or not we want to be involved in that conflict. And I think we saw the prosperity that we would unleash if we joined the conflict. When you think about Israel's history in the region, and even with Hamas or Iran, these nations have sworn that to destroy and annihilate the nation of Israel, right? At what point does it become, given the context, at what point Are you going to be okay or would you never be okay with the US defending Israel's right to exist and, you know, essentially saving the country? I think they absolutely. I mean, first and foremost, they have a right to exist. They have a right to defend themselves. That's not the my issue with it. I can kind of give an analogy is that our house is burning down and so is our neighbors and we're trying to put their fire out before we put ours out. That's kind of how I view it. So when you guys find out, and I don't know if you're aware of this, but when you find out that we're basically every year we send about almost $4 billion to Israel, does that make you upset or do you understand it given that they're under sort of crisis ongoing, I would say upset. And the amount over since 1948, it amounts to 319 billion adjusted to inflation. And I'd say that I can think of multiple things that we could have spe home that would have been a better allocation of our taxpayer dollars. And I feel like this money could have been well spent in supporting an economy that would support our generation being able to afford homes rather than military strikes for Israel. Making America great again starts with making America healthy again. Charlie Kirk here. I lost 40 pounds with the PhD weight loss and nutrition program and two years later I haven't gained a pound back. I started the PhD weight loss program because I need to be healthy to keep up with my crazy schedule. Most people start a weight loss program to get healthier. So why is Big Pharma spending millions to convince you to use their weight loss injections that do just the opposite? They have harmful side effects and lifelong dependency. 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Do you think that people would think higher of Israel? At least we'd stop talking about it so much. Would you put that like as a primary? Yes, I would say that can kind of follow up with a lot of other things. Like a lot of other, even European nations. I feel like they were kind of like even Trump had to even out NATO so that everyone was kind of paying the same. Not the same amount, obviously, 5%. Yeah. But it just because like everyone, nobody wants. A lot of Americans do not want people freeloading off the United States. And as you said, 319 billion being sent to Israel over all these years, that's comparable to the amount we've sent to Ukraine. And there's been a lot of controversy over that and yet not as much over Israel. And people are judged very heavily if they critique that aid that is given to Israel. I think I'm pro Israel. I support them. I believe Israel has a right to exist. I believe that they are the only state in that region with the right to exist. I. But why are we treating them differently than any other ally? Should we not be judging them, holding them to the same standard? Your view is articulated by a lot of young people and held by a lot of young people. Because let's now take a step back and let's now broaden it. How many of you guys think when a lawmaker and a man I respect like Ted Cruz uses the Bible to justify aid to Israel, doesn't even know the verse. Do you guys think that's like not the best way to approach this? Raise your hand. Okay. I think Ted Cruz used Genesis 12:3. I think a lot of people see that as off putting when you look at the New Testament. Why? Because I think a lot of people, they look especially at the writings of Paul where he talks about how the new flesh is not the same as the people in the old Covenant. The new flesh is. Everybody is. Everyone's included. We're talking about Romans 9. Yes. Are you Catholic? Converting Catholic from Judaism. This is my next. Oh, from Judaism, Yes. Oh, wow. So. So you're Jew. You're ethnically Jewish? Ethnically Jewish, yes. And you have concerns about aipac? Yes, I do. I'm told that by some people that if I criticize aipac, I'm anti Semitic. I think it's ridiculous. Yeah, I feel like it's great to have a concern for your country. Do you think that AIPAC represents. Again, I'm not saying I believe this, but I think this is what you're saying, that it represents a kind of cutting in line of prioritization away from the American people? Yes. Would you guys say that's a fair summary, meaning that, like, okay, we vote, we're citizens, but a separate group gets higher priority because of whatever reasons you look like you want to chime in. The entirety of the idea of a PAC is to represent a group. But the fact that we're allowing a group that doesn't even represent American interests to influence the people who are supposed to be representing us, I have a huge problem with. And that's why I've said this before, and a lot of people don't like when I say it. I actually think there's probably like 20 representatives between Senate and House who I think are actually fully doing the work of the American people and don't have the interests of some group pulling their sway. But when you hear that lots of other countries also are lobbying, do you think, I mean, that you probably don't know the names of those countries, but it's happening. Does that upset you equally or is AIPAC just get all the press because it's so top of mind if those other ones are doing the same thing? Of course, I do not think that other countries should be telling us how to. And, you know, telling our representatives and people who are here to represent all of us that they should be focusing outside of the United States. America first. Thank you. I find prophecy as policy generally to be theologically problematic. I mean, there's plenty of things that the Bible says that have been done throughout parts of history that certainly a nation state doing today we would see as a bit of a problem when it comes to sending these. What you said 319? Yeah, just inflation to any foreign country. All I can think about is across our own southern border, we have an actual military in the form of the cartel that kill thousands of people. And that's leaving out the hundreds of thousands of Americans that have died to drug overdoses due to drugs that have come across our southern border. And it's insulting that that money goes anywhere else because we have such a huge problem here. Yeah, I have a. I want to kind of flip this word association game around just slightly because we haven't done it yet. When I bring up Gaza, Gazans, Hamas. Let's just keep Hamas out of it. Gaza and Gaza. What comes to mind? Complicated life. Destruction. I'd say differences. Perish. Perish. 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You can find out more about Pastor Alan and the ministry@AlanJackson.com Charlie, what is the impression that you guys have of what's been happening in Gaza? It doesn't have to be a singular word. I would say like a severe loss of life. I feel like that's always a bad thing, no matter which way you look at it, no matter who's. I mean, yeah, basically no matter who's dying, it's never really a good thing. And you said perish. So would you say that on social media you see a lot of maybe kids dying or death and destruction? Is that getting fed into your algorithms a lot? Yes. And actually, on our school's campus, they'll have these little missing kid posters, and in those posters they'll read about these kids who have died to, you know, they try to have us to have more sympathy for them. And it's like at the end of the day, as you had mentioned, you know, they are humans. We already have sympathy for them. So on campus now, let's do something we haven't done. Has there been any awareness for the Israeli hostages? Is that. No, I think that's also important to talk about, right? I mean, or the 1200 plus that were massacred that day. Yeah, the 12. I mean, nearly 1300. So that's. That's a factor because I think we need to have a balanced conversation about it. Word association game. One issue you wish we were focused on instead of Israel, what would it be? I'm going to say continue on the border. Border deportations. Housing, housing, families. How many of you guys at least get the impression that Israel matters more than having young people be able to own homes? Raise your hand. It's divide and conquer. We can do a lot of things. This is why there's so many Cabinet secretaries. This is why we have a government that can do a lot of things, is because we can focus on foreign stuff and we can also focus on domestic stuff. I personally am pretty all right with a lot of what we have been doing, but I do understand where a lot of Gen Z is coming from with a lot of this, because like I said, we can't buy homes. We can't. Can't afford anything. We can't really afford anything. So do you guys see Jew hate increasing amongst your generation? I think that there's a lot of collusion between criticism and hate. I think that there is legitimate hate out there, but a lot of criticism is being framed as hatred. Or you don't support this because you're criticizing it. And that's like. I think that that's a little inseparable from what. Yeah. Do you guys think it's anti Semitic to say you don't like Bibi Netanyahu? No. No, I don't believe so. There is a rise of Jew hate, but it's not the majority mover. I think the majority mover of Gen Z and Gen Z conservatives is exhaustion. Precisely. Would you guys think that's a fair categorization? Again, there is like an isolated, like, weirdo. I hate Jews. We don't like that. No one, like, no one in. No one in decent society wants that. But instead it's kind of like, can we just, I don't know, make it so I can buy a home? Yeah. Or like, deport people. Yeah. Is that. Does that resonate with you? Oh, yeah, exactly. You're not anti Israel. You don't wish them harm. You know, you're not, you know, like, cheering on Iran. No, I support Israel. I think there are allies. I want them. But you would be called an anti Semite by some people for saying this, and I think that's ridiculous. I don't hate Jews because I think a nation should defend themselves. Like, I think that's the most ridiculous thing ever. I feel like it's becoming like, the word racism. Like, we just disagree with them, so we just have to call them a name. I don't think they're actually anti Semitic. I think people just can't agree with them and they can't prove them wrong. So they just throw a word out and be like, you're anti Semitic, Ferv, because you think that we should stop sending our money. There something that I see amongst the people I'm around, I do see more, like, general disdain towards. I mean, just being honest Jewish people. That's correct. Just because they're constantly being told that you hate Jews. And it's like, fine, if you're gonna say I hate Jews over and over and over again, like, if I'm gonna be convicted of the crime, I might as well do the crime. I fear the same thing happens with all the talk of race. The more we talk about it, the more we bring it up, the more racism actually happens. This is like, I try to tell. Thank you for saying this, like, because, like, this is. I try to tell these people, and they're like, we must get more aggressive. And so, like, let me ask a question. If we were to say, if we were to remove, like, if people said what Tucker said is anti Semitic, I don't hold that view. But it's like, a lot of people on Twitter are, like, calling us out and, like, whatever, that's not gonna happen. But if we were to cancel Tucker, would anti Semitism increase or decrease? I think increase, because that means any supporter of Tucker Carlson's statement therefore makes them Antisemites Association. 100%. Exactly. But the binary that's presented is that if you don't passionately talk about it, you are a hater. That's probably destructive for everybody involved. So for me, I'm trying to find this new path, which is I love Israel. I visited there. My wife and I had the best experiences ever. I saw where Jesus rose from the dead and he walked on water. But also, I'm an American, and I represent a generation that can't afford anything and that we are, like, flooded with illegals and no one speaks English and our hospitals are clogged. I think we need to have the prudence to reject the Jew hate. Like, okay, we're not gonna put up with that. That's dumb. But also, if you call everyone an anti Semite, if they don't take a puritanical view of the Netanyahu government, then I think that's. 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So if you know anybody in your life that might have student loan problems, private student loan problems, check it out right now@yrefi.com that is yrefy.com so would you guys all basically safe to say welcome us not talking about Israel nearly as much? Yes, every day. A cope that is often found in broken institutions. And I found this now over 13 years. It's a great truism. You guys can learn it for the rest of your life. Anybody that tells you we have a messaging problem, you should go a step deeper and ask another question. Being like, what, are you actually doing something wrong or are you bad at messaging it? Because people that are doing bad stuff will sometimes be like, well, we're just not presenting it correctly. Sometimes that's true or sometimes there actually might be something beneath the surface that you're not doing well. So do you guys think that it's a messaging problem or that it's an actual material concept problem? Yeah, it's a values and priorities problem. Yeah, it's definitely a messaging problem. These politicians, they don't need to be car salesmen. You know, we need the truth. We need the direct truth and nothing but the truth. But these politicians, they're not, they're not truthful. You know, they're digging Gen Z down in the dirt. Who represents you best outside of Trump. Well, thank you. That's very kind of you. And I don't do that just for the sake of it either. I mean, you're here involving us for a reason because we are the important group. We're going to inherit all of these issues. So no, again, I guess the reason I'm doing this is that the reason we're doing this focus group and Andrew will attest I'VE been trying to tell them that there is an earthquake coming on this issue and in the country. And they don't believe me. So I'm like, why don't you just hear it from people themselves? If we don't get young conservatives in, we're gonna end up losing to the Democratic Party because they're starting to get the younger generation involved within their representation. And it's just if we don't start getting these young people from our generation or the next generation above us into Congress, then we're gonna start losing. When this debate pops up on your social media feedback or on campus, what is the most persuasive pro Israel point that you have seen or heard? Talk a lot more about how they help us with intelligence, especially. Especially with this new conflict with Iran. If you want to use that, say, like, hey, Israel is very helpful in us deflecting with Iran and giving us influence, giving us influence over them because we can have more intelligence. Do you find it persuasive when the Israeli tourism board is bragging about how many gay pride parades they have in Tel Aviv? Does that make you more pro Israel? No. So what. What else is persuasive for you? I would try to educate about Islamic terrorism. I think that's major, especially with the fact that we live through 9, 11. I think a lot of people in my generation don't understand how big of a situation it was. We know nothing about it for the most part. I think maybe one other point maybe is about the Holy Land as well. He could make a point going to the Holy Land, filling videos and say Israel is a better protector of the Holy Land than if there was a Palestinian state. The argument I make more than anything else, going to follow up on that. That's my. That's my biggest argument. Keep going. When the United States is like a mostly Christian country, not all Christian, obviously, but a mostly Christian country, a lot of people can sympathize that that is the Holy Land. That is where Jesus Christ lived and was crucified and rose from the dead. Yes, sir. Islamic terrorism is. That's a better messaging because it kind of. It connects Israel. It's a threat to Israel and the United States together at the same time. So it brings it home to people. One of the conversations we've had is that this Holy Land thing, there is a hunger for the Holy Land. For the old things. Yeah, the old things, the ancient things. I think so much of modern life is very. Feels very transient, new. And also just the stability of it for being there for 2000 years. And also the fact that it's really just been the bedrock of traditionalism. And I think you talked about in your speech about how there's a lot of liberal evangelical churches. So it's like, how can I get to a more traditional style of life? I mean, I'm Catholic as well, and grown up Catholic. And one of the biggest things that I do like is that Israel holds the roots of a lot of Western religion and that it is critical for us as Americans to keep them. So this is very important, and we're going to have to close here, is that American evangelicals tend to be very, very pro Israel. Younger Catholics tend to not be. But what you're both doing, you know, soon to be Catholic, current Catholic, you're saying that, hey, if you talked more about the Holy Land, the place, the environment, the reality, the artifacts, right? The discoveries, the where Christ our Lord bled on, you know, on in the Catholic Church. The Via Dolorosa is a big deal, right? It's huge. The Stations of the Cross. Catholicism is a very tactile religion. You'd think that that actually is more persuasive than any theological argument being like, this Holy Land must be protected so we can access that, we can worship that we can prove. And we don't want a bunch of Muslims taking this place over like they did with Bethlehem. Do you think that is a winning argument for evangelicals, for Christians, more so than gay pride parades in Haifa? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, 100%. Thank you guys for your time. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Email us. As always, freedom. Charliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless. For more on many of these stories and news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.
Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Charlie Kirk
Podcast Description: Charlie Kirk moderates a candid focus group with Gen Z conservatives at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit (SAS) in Tampa, Florida, exploring their thoughts on Israel, U.S. foreign aid, anti-Semitism, and generational priorities.
In this episode, Charlie Kirk hosts a live focus group with young conservatives, delving into Gen Z’s complex and often ambivalent views on Israel. The group discussion addresses foreign aid, American priorities, the rise of anti-Semitism, and the evolving relationship conservative youth have with longstanding pro-Israel positions in the U.S. The conversation is raw, unscripted, and provides a surprisingly diverse array of opinions within a conservative context.
On Israel Aid:
On Policy Justifications:
On Double Standards:
On Youth Exhaustion:
On “Jew Hate” Label:
On What’s Persuasive:
The conversation is direct, unfiltered, and marked by frank generational discontent. Students repeatedly emphasize “America first” sentiments, tax fairness, and personal financial stress. Participants maintain a respectful but forceful tone, often pushing back on mainstream Republican messaging and underscoring the differences between Gen Z conservatives and older generations on issues of Israel and aid.
This focus group episode provides a clear window into the ambivalence and shifting priorities of Gen Z conservatives. While there remains broad support for Israel’s right to exist and recognition of shared Western values, there is also an unmistakable desire for recalibration—less unconditional aid, more focus on domestic issues, and an end to conflating all criticism with anti-Semitism. The discussion also signals that traditional religious justifications for foreign policy are losing their persuasive power among young conservatives, with practical concerns now at the forefront.
For further information or to give feedback, email freedom@charliekirk.com