CNN Host Spars With Conservative Guest Over Israel Antisemitism

antisemitism versus – On a Saturday morning panel, CNN host Abby Phillip pressed a conservative guest to distinguish antisemitism from criticism of Israel, as the discussion widened from U.S. politics and polling to a Brooklyn Democratic Party controversy tied to an apologized-for

Saturday morning turned into a shouting match over a line many Americans have been trying—angrily—to draw.

CNN host Abby Phillip sat down on “Saturday Morning Table For Five” with conservative writer Noah Rothman. and the tension started the moment she tried to separate antisemitism from criticism of Israel. “The Israel issue is a big one. and it’s one where both the left and the right are converging on a much more critical stance of the Israeli government and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. ” Phillip told the panel.

Her point wasn’t confined to the Middle East. She pivoted to U.S. politics, arguing that Israel has become a fault line on both sides of the aisle. “It’s not just the three candidates in New York. ” Phillip said. referring to three New York City Democratic congressional candidates who were critical of Israel. Those candidates won their primaries Tuesday, backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Phillip also pointed to the right, saying the shift is visible in how prominent Republicans talk about Israel. “There are a lot of people on the right now … Look at the comments made by JD Vance over the last couple of weeks, that are widely viewed as Vance taking a tougher stance on Israel.”

She then tied the dispute to political risk. arguing that Vice President—who publicly admonished Netanyahu for reportedly fuming amid a precarious peace deal between the U.S. and Iran—“sees the tea leaves” and is aware that “MAGA base turning” against Israel is increasingly visible. as reflected in what she described as a dramatic shift in polls.

Phillip said Democratic voters have also soured on Israel, pointing to the yearslong war on Gaza that followed the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in 2023.

Rothman, a writer for the conservative National Review, did not accept Phillip’s framing. He slammed Vance and what he called the right’s “antisemitic instincts,” arguing that the danger isn’t just about how Israel is criticized—it’s about what animates some of the messaging.

Phillip snapped back with a sharp distinction. “I just want to be clear because I think these are different things, right? There’s antisemitism and then there’s criticism of Israel,” she said.

At that point. Rothman conceded her initial distinction and moved to a different controversy that. to him. proved the broader claim. He criticized the Democratic Socialists of America. saying the organization helped elect Carmella Charrington as one of two dozen district leaders of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. He described how Charrington drew backlash after recirculating a video amplifying antisemitic conspiracy theories espoused by late Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford. Rothman added that Charrington has since apologized, calling the act a “mistake.”.

Rothman called Charrington’s post “disgusting stuff” and said the Democratic Party “needs to confront.” Phillip tried to pull the conversation back to her original target—what she said she was discussing—and pushed that this wasn’t what the panel had been about. “But Phillip countered this wasn’t what she was talking about — and that ‘a growing part of the political picture’ in today’s landscape includes criticism of Israel.”.

The argument sharpened quickly. Phillip said, “You refuse to disentangle criticism of Israel from antisemitism.”

Rothman responded by arguing the difference wasn’t being drawn as cleanly as Phillip suggested. “No. no. no. because we’re not describing ‘criticism. ’ we’re not describing criticism of Israel when we’re saying that the ‘Zionist entity controls the banks. ’” he said. a line that immediately set the tone for the confrontation that followed.

Phillip became visibly frustrated and reiterated the gap she saw between the two categories. “That’s not what I’m talking about!” she said.

She clarified her position again, saying, “I’m talking about people who are critical of their actions in the Middle East.”

From there, the panel deteriorated into a heated shouting match, with both sides pressing their definitions of what counts—and what doesn’t—when politics, Israel, and antisemitism collide in American discourse.

Abby Phillip Noah Rothman antisemitism Israel criticism JD Vance Zohran Mamdani Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza Carmella Charrington Brooklyn Democratic Party Henry Ford Democratic Socialists of America MAGA base