What specific comments did Candace Owens make about Jewish people and antisemitism?
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Executive summary
Candace Owens has repeatedly made statements that critics and several organizations say target Jewish people, ranging from accusing Jews or Israel of responsibility for major events to invoking conspiratorial tropes about Jewish influence; watchdogs such as the ADL characterize her post‑October 7 commentary as “explicitly antisemitic” and she has been named “Antisemite of the Year” by activist groups [1] [2]. Reporting and fact‑checks catalog specific claims — including promoting the “Jews did 9/11” conspiracy, accusing Israeli leaders and Jewish organizations of criminal or malign conduct, and alleging bribery by a rabbi — and note blowback from public figures and Jewish groups [3] [4] [5].
1. A pattern of targeting Jewish institutions and figures
Since 2023 and especially after the October 7 attacks, Owens shifted from broad conservative commentary to repeated public accusations about Jews, Israel and Jewish institutions. The Anti‑Defamation League’s backgrounder says Owens “has come to espouse explicitly antisemitic, anti‑Zionist and anti‑Israel views” and documents a history of remarks about Jewish influence, the Holocaust and well‑known Jewish philanthropists such as George Soros [1]. Other outlets compile an array of statements and episodes showing a sustained pattern rather than isolated slips [6] [7].
2. Specific conspiratorial claims cited by multiple fact‑checkers
Fact‑check and advocacy organizations list a set of recurring claims Owens has promoted: that Israel or Jews were behind the 9/11 attacks; that Jewish groups or leaders deliberately orchestrate events to destabilize nations; and that Ashkenazi Jews are not descendants of Israelites (the Khazar theory). Those outlets call these ideas classic antisemitic conspiracies and dispute their factual basis [3] [5].
3. Public attacks on religious leaders and allegations of bribery
Owens has publicly accused specific rabbis and Jewish organizations of wrongdoing. In June 2025 she posted a letter and alleged Rabbi Shlomo Riskin had offered pastors Bitcoin to preach against her and others; Ohr Torah Stone and Jewish groups denied the claim and called the allegation false [4]. Reporting frames these as part of a larger pattern of accusatory posts that Jewish organizations reject [4].
4. Holocaust references and Holocaust‑related controversy
Reporting and watchdogs say Owens has minimized or invoked Holocaust history in provocative ways. The ADL backgrounder references past comments that touched on the Holocaust and Hitler’s plans, and other reporting notes she has drawn comparisons between Israeli actions and the Holocaust in rhetoric that critics called inflammatory [1] [6]. Sources show these references have been part of why organizations consider her commentary antisemitic [1].
5. Pushback from public figures and Jewish organizations
High‑profile responses have been swift. The ADL and Jewish advocacy groups have publicly criticized Owens’ rhetoric as antisemitic [1]. Commentators such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and organizations like StopAntisemitism have publicly rebuked her, and Jewish groups have issued direct denials when she leveled specific allegations — for example, the Ohr Torah Stone response to the bribery allegation [2] [4].
6. Supporters’ framing and Owens’ own positioning
Some defenders treat her statements as criticism of Israeli policy, free‑speech provocations, or legitimate questions about elite influence. Critics counter that her rhetoric crosses from policy critique into blanket conspiratorial attacks on Jews as a people. Sources document both the sharp condemnations and the fact that Owens’ supporters sometimes defend her right to raise questions [6] [8].
7. Legal and reputational consequences noted by reporting
Reporting ties Owens’ remarks to real‑world consequences: visa denials, courtroom battles over other defamatory claims, and being singled out by watchdogs. The Wikipedia summary and other pieces record institutional reactions and reputational fallout tied to this body of remarks [6] [7].
8. Limits of the available reporting
Available sources catalog numerous examples and summarize the response, but they do not reproduce every verbatim quote in one place. Specific, word‑for‑word transcripts for each comment are not compiled across these sources; instead, the pieces document themes, notable allegations (e.g., “Jews did 9/11,” bribery claims, Khazar theory references) and institutional characterizations [3] [4] [1]. If you want verbatim excerpts, those are not found in the current set of reports and would require consulting primary clips or transcripts.
Summary judgment: multiple reputable advocacy organizations and news outlets present a consistent record that Owens has made a series of claims about Jewish people, Israeli policy and Jewish institutions that critics characterize as antisemitic; her defenders frame some comments as policy critique, but Jewish groups and fact‑checkers dispute the factual basis of the specific allegations she has promoted [1] [3] [4].