American poker player, businessman, and social media influencer Dan Bilzerian’s recent contributions to the social media platform X have followed a disturbing pattern: a video of himself on a podcast denying the Hamas atrocities of October 7, a graphic filled with fake Talmud quotes, and a two-word reply to a post urging America to stand firmly against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist group: “Fuck You.”
Ah, the sparkling wit we’ve come to expect from the illustrious ranks of social media influencers who are using the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse to spew antisemitism. Among these beacons of intellectual discourse, we find Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, Jake Shields, and Jackson Hinkle—an impressive lineup of personalities united in their shared fondness for anti-Jewish bigotry.
But let’s refocus on Bilzerian.
Dan Bilzerian first stumbled into the spotlight during the rise of social media in the mid-2000s, where he generously shared an insight into his luxury lifestyle with impressionable young followers worldwide. His Instagram, boasting 32 million followers, sticks to a simple formula: a slew of staged photos featuring Bilzerian surrounded by scantily clad women.
Though Bilzerian claims to have amassed his fortune as a professional poker player, this claim—like much of what he says—is doubtful. Other professionals in the poker world dispute his supposed mastery of the game, and it’s far more plausible that his wealth stems from a hefty inheritance from his father, convicted fraudster Paul Bilzerian.
Yet, despite Bilzerian’s shaky relationship with the truth, his repugnant views on women, and his dubious financial history, the media inexplicably did, and continue, to try and elevate him into the echelons of stardom.
A Monster of the Media’s Making
Journalists from even the most reputable publications have helped Bilzerian build his brand over the years. Take GQ contributing editor Chris Ayres, for example, who penned a feature for the glossy men’s magazine in 2019 titled, ‘Instagram king, womaniser, and wannabe cannabis multibillionaire: we spend a day with Dan Bilzerian,’ where he sounded almost in awe of his subject.
Or the interview with Men’s Health in which Bilzerian was asked how he manages to live a “rock star lifestyle” while maintaining a “cover star body,” yet somehow wasn’t questioned about why anyone should be taking fitness advice from a man who admitted that cocaine and Viagra binges led to him having two heart attacks.
Of course, these are just a couple of examples in a sea of press coverage that initially gave a platform to what was then clearly an unpleasant individual—an individual who has recently revealed himself to be an antisemite and who now has a mega-platform from which to spread incitement against Jews.
Good job, media. Who could’ve seen that coming?
Joining the Ranks of Influencer Antisemites
Seriously, the media really should have seen it coming, considering Bilzerian has been posting antisemitic comments on what was then Twitter as far back as 2011, including a tweet blaming Jews for the September 11th Al-Qaeda attacks.
However, like many other influencers, Bilzerian’s sudden interest in Israel only really ignited after the October 7 Hamas massacre that sparked the current war in Gaza.
This year, he’s posted dozens of disturbing comments about the Jewish state, including conspiratorial claims that Israel murdered U.S. soldiers, that Israel’s Mossad controls the U.S. government, and that Israel orchestrated October 7 as a pretext to seize land in Gaza.
The latest antisemitic social media trend that Bilzerian has latched onto involves using either fake or manipulated quotations from the Jewish Talmud to supposedly “prove” that Jews are evil, thereby “contextualizing” the war in Gaza.
One such thread he reposted on August 22 was written by notorious Islamist Daniel Haqiqatjou, who has a history of posting violent antisemitic content online, which he claims “helps us better understand Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.”
The thread, which has been reposted and liked by tens of thousands of other users, has been thoroughly debunked by others, including Substack writer @shevereshtus, who describes himself as a “writer of the Rabbinic variety.”
While we’ve shared the full takedown, some highlights are worth showcasing—if only to underscore how antisemitism is flourishing online post-October 7, and to demonstrate its real-world consequences.
Debunking the antisemitic Talmud quotes meme promoted by @DanBilzerian and boosted by @RealCandaceO and her ilk
A thread. pic.twitter.com/dUd8TeCPLu
— shevereshtus (@shevereshtus) August 18, 2024
The thread is worth reading in full, as it thoroughly debunks false claims such as the Talmud allegedly encouraging Jews to kill all non-Jews, particularly women and children; a deliberate mistranslation suggesting it condones sexual relations with non-Jewish minors; and the citation of an entirely fabricated text called “Gad Shas 2:2” as a supposed authority.
Apparently, being conclusively disproven once wasn’t enough.
Another thread debunking the antisemitic fabricated/manipulated Talmud quotes from @DanBilzerian and @Haqiqatjou: https://t.co/3qnIFqtEHD
— shevereshtus (@shevereshtus) August 22, 2024
The thread’s underlying theme is the baseless claim that Israel is committing atrocities in Gaza, allegedly justified by Jewish law, with the overarching conclusion being that Jews endorse violence against all non-Jews. It falsely asserts that Jewish religious texts permit atrocities in warfare, including the killing of civilians and the use of rape as a weapon—a grotesque distortion of Jewish law and ethics. The Talmud’s discussions on warfare are grounded in the historical realities of ancient Israel and bear no relevance to practices in the modern Israeli state.
Musk’s Deafening Silence
Bilzerian and his crew of social media-famous antisemites are just a small part of a much bigger issue: how they continue to spread such vile hatred online, unchecked.
In the past couple of months alone, Bilzerian has called Israel a “parasite” that shouldn’t exist, claimed Jewish people killed U.S. Presidents, including JFK, and stated that the world would be safer without Israel.
If this isn’t incitement, encouraging everyday people to commit violence against Jews, then what is?
And yet, he’s still on X, with the media giving him oxygen in stories that overlook his appalling views.
In January, X owner Elon Musk promised to do more to combat antisemitism on the platform, which had surged since the Hamas attacks. He admitted he had been “naive” in thinking antisemitism wasn’t a major problem, saying, “In the circles that I move, I see almost no antisemitism.”
More than six months later, nothing has changed. The hate keeps spreading, and Musk’s silence is deafening.
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Credit: Kevin C. Cox via Getty Images
