Show notes
From viral firestorms to death threats, this man isn’t backing down from the Israel conversation.Jonah Platt sits down with conservative activist Xaviaer DuRousseau, who describes his rapid shift from a Bernie-supporting, BLM-boosting young liberal to a professional Republican who appears on Fox News, visits the White House, and publicly supports Israel, including traveling to Gaza during the war. Xaviaer recounts growing up in Chicago and Central Illinois with Marxist family influences, becoming an activist, then researching BLM finances and concluding the movement was fraudulent, which led him to vote for Trump and face family accusations of white supremacy. He argues Bernie-to-Trump is a seamless anti-establishment pipeline, rejects widespread student-loan forgiveness as a solution, and says crime drives businesses and jobs out of black neighborhoods. Xaviaer credits a 2023 Shabbat dinner at PragerU and multiple Israel trips with deepening his connection to Jewish life, describing backlash, antisemitism, death threats, and filming humanitarian aid in Gaza to counter starvation claims. He criticizes anti-Israel voices across the left and right, advocates a black/Jewish alliance based on shared history, and discusses resentment, Marxism, and cultural lessons between the communities.Xaviaer presents his “hot takes” on most modern-day racism being against white people and asians, how he would be talking shit all day if he were jewish, and how “hood” black folks love Trump.Plus, Jonah explains why epistemic antisemitism, despite its subtlety and widespread normalization, is so terribly destructive.Topics Include: Xaviaer DuRousseau’s viral trip to Gaza documenting humanitarian aid and response to misinformation and the backlash from European audiences and online threats following his Gaza video How a Netflix show called The Circle was the unexpected catalyst for DuRousseau's political awakeningHis criticism of influencers like Hasan Piker, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick FuentesHow PragerU’s CEO Marissa Streit in 2023 was DuRousseau's first real introduction to Jewish culture and traditionHis fallout with Candace Owens Experiences attending Passover Seder hosted by Montana TuckerThe historical alliance between Black Americans and Jewish Americans during the Civil Rights MovementCritique of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and discussions of Marxism in modern activism Exploration of Igbo Jews in Nigeria and Xaviaer’s possible ancestral ties to IsraelInfluence of activist Rudy Rochman in discussing Jewish identity and African connections Commentary on celebrities like Timothée Chalamet and Seth Rogen in relation to Jewish identityMentioned in the episode:Law Scholar Christine A. LittletonEpistemic Antisemitism: “Good People Gone Wild”David Schraub’s The Epistemic Center of AntisemitismJonah’s take on Cognitive BiasAJC Warns: Staggering FBI Hate Crimes Data Likely Represents Under-Reporting of Anti-Jewish Hate CrimesReport on the Rise of Antisemitic Incidents in the U.S.Man Pleads Guilty for Displaying Nazi Flay at Pro-Palestine RallyTwitch streamer commenting on what “real antisemitism” is. When Did Jews Become White?Van Jones’s Statement Supporting the People of IranIsraeli’s Voice Dissent of War in GazeReverse CausationBeing Jewish Podcast Featuring Bishop Michael J. FisherXaviaer DeRousseau InstagramRespectfully, Xaviaer | PragerUBernie SandersHe used to march for BLM. Now he’s calling for mass incarceration to save Black AmericansXaviaer’s Instagram Post on Visiting Gaza During the WarThe debate on Latino vs. Latinx vs. Hispanic is the song that never endsThe Circle: TV’s Trashiest Reality Show We Can’t Stop WatchingXaviaer DuRousseau: PragerU Personality, Commentator, and Content CreatorAP lands national scoop on a Black Lives Matter fraud investigationActBlueNew Report Reveals Illicit Foreign Donations and Mass Resignations at ActBluePresident Donald J. TrumpKamala D. Harris Here's How Bernie Sanders Explained Democratic SocialismPresident Barack ObamaJoseph R. Biden Jr.Xaviaer’s Appearance on Dr. PhilBlack Unemployment is Surging Under Donald TrumpCandace Owens Instagram5 of Kanye West’s Antisemitic Remarks, ExplainedBLEXIT, ‘Black Exit’ Foundation Now Powered By Turning Point USAQuotas are a diversity quick-fix, but companies must dig deeperRacism in the music industry 'is upfront and personal'K. Michelle Talks Double-Standard for Black Pop SingersFox News Gues Called Out for Shading Beyoncé’s Appearance at Harris Houston Rally Despite Past PraiseBeyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, explainedAre Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market DiscriminationMarissa StreitWhat to Expect at a Shabbat DinnerWas I Paid to Visit Israel?Myth: The Jewish people are white settler colonialists who have no connection to the land of IsraelWhat Is the Correct Term for Someone Who Is Not Jewish?Debra Lea InstagramYad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance CenterHorseshoe Theory in American PoliticsWho is Nick Fuentes and Why Is His Antisemitism Dangerous for America?Tucker Carlson YouTubeCameron HickeyPalestinian Elections, 15 Years and CountingRepublicans are more likely than Democrats to see Israel as a US ally: AP-NORC pollHasan Piker has said that “America deserved 9/11” (yes, that is a direct quote).Alex JonesTucker Carlson’s Biggest Conspiracy Theory YetMontana Tucker BJJP EpisodeBlack Lives Matter Issues Statement Of Support For Free Palestine MovementRoy unveils immigration bill dubbed ‘MAMDANI Act’ Xaviaer Walk With Me Video on Chinese HeritageThe Igbo, DNA, Struggle for Jewish soulsRudy Rochman InstagramLiz Kennedy InstagramWe Were Never Lost DocumentaryXaviaer DuRousseau: The Black Christian Zionist, Former BLM Activist Fighting for Israel and the JewsThe Strokes frontman says ‘privileged’ Zionists talk ‘like Black people during slavery’We Have Our Eyes on Timothée ChalametEsDeeKid ft. Timothée Chalamet - 4 Raws Remix (Official Music Video)Israel’s Deni Avdija finishes 3rd in vote for NBA’s Most Improved PlayerSandy KoufaxHank AaronWhy We Care About How Seth Rogen Went From Jewish Day School to Saying ‘WTF’ to IsraelThe Jewish Fam Behind TimberlandSupport the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:[email protected]://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchTo contact us & all things BJJP:www.BeingJewishPodcast.comFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishWritten and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt