Trump's Department of Homeland Security has announced a new task force that will monitor foreign students social media for signs of anti-Semitism. This comes in the wake of high profile detentions of students like Mahmoud Khalil and Rumaisa Öztürk, who denied the government's allegations that they engaged [00:00:16] in anti-Semitic activities. Lots of detail, but initial reactions. Yeah, so I think this is an absolutely atrocious program. I think it totally takes away our constitutional rights. And I think that it's at the behest of a foreign government. [00:00:32] Israel has nothing to do with us. And I think it proves pretty clearly who's in charge of this government. You and I might have some disagreements about that. I'm curious about that, because I don't know your position. But first, let's find out the facts and then we'll discuss. Yep. As a teaser to that, I couldn't disagree with that statement you just made anymore, [00:00:50] but, we'll get into it. In a press release on Wednesday, the government said today US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the USCIS will begin considering aliens antisemitic activity on social media, and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals as grounds for denying [00:01:06] immigration benefit requests. This will immediately affect aliens applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students, and aliens affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity. US DHS will enforce all relevant immigration laws to the maximum degree [00:01:24] to protect the homeland from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support anti-Semitic terrorism, violent anti-Semitic ideologies, and anti-Semitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah or Ansar Allah, aka the Houthis. [00:01:40] According to NBC, the task force is using data analytic tools to scour the social media histories of the estimated 1.5 million foreign students studying in the United States for potential grounds to revoke their visas, three sources familiar with the operation told NBC news. They said records are also being searched for charges or criminal convictions [00:01:59] of the student visa holders. How will it be carried out? The DHS task force is using tools run by Customs and Border Protection's National Targeting Center and National Vetting Center. Any potential red flags about a student are shared with Citizenship and Immigration Services, which in turn asks the State Department to determine whether [00:02:17] the student's visa should be revoked. If the State Department decides it should be revoked, the task force informs Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and local field offices to arrest and deport the student, the sources said. The State Department actually issued similar guidance back in March. A cable sent to consulates around the world called for a review [00:02:35] of foreign students and student exchange visitors social media. It read, quote, if the social media review uncovers potentially derogatory information indicating that the applicant may not be eligible for a visa, fraud prevention units are required to take screenshots of social media [00:02:50] findings to the extent it is relevant to visa eligibility to preserve the record against the applicant's later alteration of the information. The cable also encouraged revocations based on perceived Unperceived hostile attitude toward US culture or values. The announcement of the DHS task force has drawn backlash from groups including [00:03:08] the Council on American Islamic Relations, a muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, arguing, quote, the spirit of Joseph McCarthy is alive and well in the Trump administration, which has spent months dishonestly characterizing legitimate criticism of the Israeli government's war crimes in Gaza as anti-Semitic, [00:03:24] pursuing witch hunts into American colleges and threatening the free speech rights of immigrants. That's the national deputy director of Care and the Jewish Community Relations Council in San Francisco also responded to the announcement, saying that while it, quote, vehemently disagrees with the rhetoric and tactics [00:03:40] used by many pro-Palestinian protesters, the agency also simultaneously believes immigrants in this country deserve humane treatment and are entitled to civil liberties such as free speech and due process under the Constitution. DHS has increased crackdown on visa holders [00:03:56] started well before this announcement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Marco Rubio said last month that the State Department revoked more than 300 visas, with most of those being student visas. Though to be clear, not all of those revocations were related to alleged antisemitic activity. According to university officials, some of the cancellations appear to be connected [00:04:14] to things as minor as roommate disputes or off campus traffic tickets. Jake, before I throw it back to you to clarify why I said I disagree was I don't even understand what your statement was, because I know you're pretty hostile toward the Israeli government, [00:04:29] and to some degree that's appropriate. But this doesn't say anything about Israel. This talks about anti-Semitism, violent displays of that aggression towards Jewish students, and that's Jewish students in America that may or may not have anything to do with or even support Israel. [00:04:46] You can shake your head, but. It's just nothing but look. So, Ben, let's get into it. Anti-semitism. That's not anything to do with Israel. Okay, so let's take it one by one. So I'm going to disprove that in a second. But first, let's just give it to them for the sake of argument and say that it's [00:05:02] genuinely not about Israel and they're really concerned about anti-Semitism. So one question out of time on it, Ben. So why are we only concerned about anti-Semitism? Why aren't we scouring social media posts, to find out if people hate America [00:05:17] or Christianity or Islam? I mean, certainly there's millions of comments that are Islamophobic. And certainly on college campuses, there's got to be thousands upon thousands. So why only anti-Semitism? They should be doing it for any hate speech entirely, [00:05:34] because being here is a privilege and not a right if you're not an American citizen. But there is an unbelievable rise in anti-Semitism, so it's appropriate to focus on that. There can be some times when we focus on the rising problem, we can sometimes, as a nation, collectively protect Jewish people who are under attack. [00:05:51] So don't you think that there's an incredible rise of Islamophobia as well? I don't see that on par at all. You don't? You don't. Wow. Okay. - That's interesting. - No I. Don't. Number two, you know that being. A massive protests on our campuses against the against the Islamic community [00:06:11] or against the Muslim community? No, the counter protesters, against the counter protesters say the most vicious anti-Muslim rhetoric. There's no consequences at all. Apparently, that's perfectly okay. So number two, you know that saying things that are anti-Semitic are perfectly constitutional and you know that, that Constitution applies to non-citizens. [00:06:30] So how is this in any way constitutional? The Constitution may apply, but not all constitutional protections for citizens apply to non-citizens, quite obviously. Also, being here is a privilege. You don't get to have a student visa if you chant Death to America [00:06:46] and you advocate for the end of America. And then you said, why not the US? This bill or this policy also does attack, target people that are anti American as well. They mentioned it once in passing. The whole thing is about anti-Semitism, Some right theoretical. [00:07:02] Beliefs about the physical, but the bill is about the physical harassment of Jewish individuals and people supporting terrorist activities and terrorist organizations. The 200%. The two people they've rounded up so far were one of them spoke out [00:07:18] against anti-Semitism. They have no evidence of anti-Semitism. They've already got 300 people on a list. They have no evidence of supporting Hamas or terrorism. All they have is, well, they criticize Israel or they were pro-Palestine. Do you really, really think that out of the 1.5 million people, they're actually [00:07:33] looking for people who did violence? Because if they did violence, they should be arrested? That's not a question. Everybody agrees with that. No, they're looking for criticism of Israel. It's super obvious. And so and it's unconstitutional. Even if they said death to America, which I hate, I don't want people saying that it's still protected by the First Amendment. [00:07:49] And if you're in America, you are protected by the First Amendment, no matter what your citizenship status is. So now we're going to trash it on behalf of a foreign government. This is absurd. No, I think I think that's fully ridiculous what you're saying there. I 100% agree with you that you should not be having your status [00:08:06] revoked or deported if you are simply supporting a free Palestine. I support a free Palestine. We need this in the world deeply. I support the rights to protest for the Palestinian people for an end to the war protests against the Israeli government. All of that is wonderful and very American behavior. [00:08:23] I do not think that you should be able to stay in this country or have your application to come here approved. If you are are chanting Death to America, or if you are chanting for the end of the Jewish state, or if you are supporting Hamas. Okay. - And so if. - You're saying 100%. [00:08:39] Yeah. So you're saying you just said. You. - You're talking about. - The Jewish. State, Israel, you shouldn't be allowed in this country. That's insane. How about if they chanted death to Erdogan or Turkey? Or they say that the Turkish government shouldn't exist. They should be Armenia, Greece, etc. Should we block them? [00:08:54] Turkey's a super important ally. Should we block them from coming into the country? What I'm saying to you is the call for Israel to not exist is different than speaking against Erdogan's government. You can speak. I already said it twice against the Israeli government. All that you want. But calling for the destruction or eradication of the Israel state is calling [00:09:12] for the annihilation of the Jewish people. How about this global population? So that's. Different. I would support the same exact statement against Muslims. No, no you wouldn't because. So here's a situation. Literally every Israeli supporter in their actions say that Palestine shouldn't exist. [00:09:28] So should we throw them all out? Any Israeli or any Israeli supporter that says Palestine shouldn't exist and there shouldn't be two states? We throw the bums out. You said every Israeli supporter says Palestine shouldn't exist. That's a blatant lie. That's. No, that's in your I said, in your actions. [00:09:45] In your actions. - Are you? - How so? Because you say that the occupation should continue. Why shouldn't they be an independent state right now? Have never in a million years said the occupation should continue. I've said a million times that the Palestinian people need [00:10:00] a government that accepts a peace plan. And in other words, they've been. If if if if if if but right now they shouldn't exist. But if they pass all of your absurd tests, maybe they could exist at a much later time. But you get to say everybody gets to stay that believes that everybody [00:10:16] who says that Muslims should be wiped out and they're all Nazis, etc.. Everybody gets to stay unless you criticize one particular set of people. Ben, how do you not see that this is going to drive more anti-Semitism rather than less? Absurd tests. [00:10:32] Absurd tests to you literally are simply they stop promising to kill all of the Jewish people in Israel, therefore more than half of the globe. - That is not the test at all. - And live in. Peace. Absurd. How about this? How about all the Israeli supporters that don't mind the 50,000 people [00:10:48] that are murdered in Gaza? Well, that's wiping out people. That's literally. And that it actually happened. It's not theoretical. It's not at a later time. It already happened. So calling for the murder of all those people. Perfectly fine. One thing you cannot criticize in this country, Israel? And so why is it Israel and not, Jews overall? [00:11:06] So according to the absurd definition. That's another thing that you always conflate. That's another thing you always conflate. You act as though somehow people that want the existential promise and threat and constant, effort to annihilate us. You say that we are, that the people on that side are totally [00:11:21] okay with the murder of Palestinians. That is libel. That is not true. - We are. - Upset. By. The. - Murder of. - Them. Under your insane standard, I would be kicked out of the country because they say, among the different definitions of anti-Semitism is, denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination [00:11:38] by claiming that the existence of the state of Israel is a racist endeavor. So that is not about Jews. That's about Israel. That's about Israel. Okay. Number two, and there's seven of these. I'm only going to read three. Only. Hold on, let me read them. Let me read them. Let me read them. Let me read them. Applying double standards by requiring of a behavior not expected [00:11:54] or demand of any other democratic nation, 100% about Israel, not about Jews. Number three using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel to characterize Israel or Israelis. So whenever you're talking about the 15 to 20,000 children murdered in Gaza, [00:12:12] they say, oh, blood libel, blood libel. Okay. That's it. Deport him, deport him. You can't criticize Israel. This is definitely a definition that is meant to protect Israel above all other countries. And to say that the American government serves Norway and and France and Canada and Israel equally and America equally is beyond absurd. [00:12:31] There's only one country that gets to say, if you criticize Israel, you'll be deported from America. And I hate it, I loathe it, and all of your excuses are insane. Full of you were just full of logical inconsistencies where you jump. You're saying that that people who claim that Israel should not exist, [00:12:50] that yet again, is because it's the only Jewish state on planet Earth. That is the call for the annihilation of the Jewish people. - That is the annihilation of any people. - I don't believe look. First. Of all, I don't agree with that stance, but that's not what it means. So first of all, when people say there should be one state, when people say there [00:13:05] should be one state, you can interpret that to mean that Israel should not exist. That doesn't mean you murder everyone there. Now, I don't agree with a one state solution, and I believe Israel should exist and I should. I believe it should be a safe haven for Jews. But if somebody says, I think there should be one state, I'm kicking him out of the country for their opinion on Israel. [00:13:23] Come on, Ben, how is that about anti-Semitism? That's 100% about protecting Israel and only Israel. Because it's the only safe haven on planet Earth for Jewish people. No. America is a safe haven. America is a safe haven. Where is America's a safe haven? Yes. [00:13:39] You're sitting here literally saying that we shouldn't have policies that stop physical harassment of Jewish. I did not say that at all. You do physical harassment. That's against the law. And and I would definitely, rule against it. That's breaking a law. No, this is looking at 1.5 million people, social media to say if they [00:13:57] said anything against Israel, which will then interpret as anti-Semitism. You're going with the most extreme example. That's not what they're looking for. Any critique of Israel will do it. And in fact, we have no idea what they're charging those 300 people. They've already, you know, targeted. And the two people that we know for sure that have already been arrested [00:14:14] and they're trying to deport said nothing that was anti-Semitic. So that's where I totally agree with you. Of course, they need to be presenting the evidence, and it's total garbage for them to be detaining and deporting anybody without presenting the evidence. But that's a different argument than saying you get to be in America on the [00:14:32] privilege of a student visa or a temporary green card to be here and be actively working against American interests or working against what America stands for, actively talking against our allies, no matter where they are and actively our allies. Saudi Arabia is an ally, people. Should we kick out anybody criticizing Saudi Arabia? [00:14:49] And they're a muslim state. They're a muslim state. If they say Saudi Arabia should be wiped off the planet, you should not be granted staying here in America. If they say Saudi Arabia should not exist as it is currently constituted. That doesn't mean killing the Saudis. It means getting rid of their dictatorship. [00:15:07] Right. Speaking against the government is different than speaking against a nation once again. But if you speak directly against the exit. Yeah. Yeah. Against the nation. And so if you seem for some reason to conflate you always conflate the fact that that we are in a war with the fact that that somehow the Israeli people [00:15:26] or Jewish people want that war or, or are okay with that. You also continually cite all the time, over and over again, the numbers of dead. Well, I don't know, I guess quite intentionally not mentioning that close to half of that are the terrorists and that any war, there's collateral damage. - Of course, you specifically mention it. - Even the IDF doesn't make up that bed. [00:15:45] The IDF is not outrageously and outrageous enough to pretend that half of them was Hamas. First of all, 60% of them were women and children. Okay. Do you believe that they should stop bombing them right now? That on the air, they recently quietly revised those numbers and reduced [00:16:00] the amount of children that they claim? Hamas claims was dead. You didn't cover that on the air. You also, for some reason, didn't cover all the the weeks now of protests against Hamas in Gaza. So there's protests in Gaza that for some reason, you're choosing not to cover. - Yet when people here are supporting. - Funding. [00:16:15] Hamas, something that should be protected. Funding Israel, we're not funding Hamas, we're funding Israel. We're not deporting people because they disagree with Palestinians. We're deporting people because they've made the grave, grave crime of disagreeing with beloved, almighty Israel, who we should all bow down to [00:16:31] because Israel first, America 18th. So, Ben, it is inarguable that this does not apply to any other nation on Earth. There is one nation that is so powerful that it could force America to trash its own constitution, to get any critic of Israel outside this country, and denying [00:16:49] that is just simply denying reality. No, that is quite the opposite. It's the only nation that is a safe haven for Jews. And nobody ever here is attacking the existence of 22 Arab nations surrounding Israel, the seven nations constantly attacking Israel. [00:17:05] And so when our allies under constant attack and people want to come to this country and trash that nation and say it should not exist, and that safe haven should be removed and compares them to Nazis, that is a very grave danger for Jews here in America. And your inclination to not want to protect that and say, [00:17:20] you don't get to be in America if you're going to have that position against the one place on earth that is protecting Jews, that is an arguably, are. - They protecting. - Anti-semitic and. Protecting Jews, by the way, we're going to slaughter tens of thousands of Palestinians, slaughter and slaughter them, and take half their land. They're already occupying half of Gaza there. [00:17:37] I told you they were going to go steal the land. - The war. - Are you ever going to admit that? The whole point was to actually steal the land, and that they're in the middle of occupying 50% of Gaza now, are you ever going to admit that? Or is there no occupation? No. No no. Golly gee. Oh, this was just, oh, a year and a half after October 7th. [00:17:55] They're still slaughtering children today. Oh, I'm sorry, that was blood libel. Kick me out. Kick me out. How dare I say anything wrong against the beloved government of Israel? Well, didn't I know this is America where freedom of speech doesn't exist anymore? If you criticize Israel. Did you admit that it that it in fact was not ethnic cleansing [00:18:12] like you promised me on air? You would admit. 100% ethnic cleansing. And they were allowed. 100. - Are you claiming it's. - Not ethnic cleansing? - Are you claiming it's. - Not allowed. When they're pushed? All the Palestinian Palestinians in Gaza to a small area in Gaza, they've occupied half the land. [00:18:28] That's the definition of ethnic cleansing, Ben. And then they've been allowed to return to the north, to their homes. Yeah, they've cut off the food for the last five weeks, starving them to death for this beloved nation of Israel. It's turned into a grotesque terrorist nation. We shouldn't spend a single dollar, and we shouldn't bow down to them and start [00:18:48] getting rid of our First Amendment just because, oh, it makes Netanyahu angry. Get him out. Get him out. Ever heard of. He. Ordered war? Being responsible for all they ever do is. Listen to Netanyahu's orders. Have you ever heard of a nation at war being responsible [00:19:04] for the aid to that nation? Why aren't you yelling at Egypt with their seven layer border wall to bring in aid into the Palestinian people? Because you don't care if it's not Jewish people. Egypt is occupying Gaza. I hear you. All right, listen, we're way past time. We are going to do a bonus episode for the members. [00:19:19] And we do have other serious violations of the Constitution by Trump. But look, this is a discussion. We get heated. But you need to hear both sides. I thank you, Ben, for being on and representing that side. And for people who say no, you shouldn't represent both sides. [00:19:37] I live with that my whole life where we didn't get to represent the Palestinian side. So I'm not going to deny that of anyone else, including the Israeli side. And yes, we will have a beer afterwards. And if you don't like that and you don't want any conversation and you don't want a discussion, this is not the show for you. [00:19:53] But you just heard both sides. You make up your own mind every time you ring the bell below. An angel gets his wings. Totally not true, but it does keep you updated on our live shows.