It has been reported that Candace Owens has been dismissed from her position at The Daily Wire, a conservative media organization, on Friday.
This decision came after she voiced criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza and subsequently made remarks that were deemed antisemitic.
“Daily Wire and Candace Owens have ended their relationship,” Jeremy Boreing, co-founder of the site with far-right commentator Ben Shapiro, wrote on X.
In her own post on the same platform, Owens announced, “The rumours are true – I am finally free.”
Shapiro and Owens have been at odds in the past few months over her initial critiques of Israel, which eventually escalated into accusations of antisemitism. Shapiro is recognized for his unwavering pro-Israel position and has been a prominent advocate for Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The feud began in November of last year, when Owens tweeted about Israel’s war on Gaza, writing: “No government anywhere has a right to commit a genocide, ever. There is no justification for a genocide. I can’t believe this even needs to be said or is even considered the least bit controversial to state.”
A video subsequently surfaced online featuring Shapiro responding to a question regarding Owens, in which he expressed his disapproval of her remarks on Israel’s conflict with Gaza, deeming them “disgraceful” and accusing her of exhibiting “faux sophistication”.
Despite facing mainstream backlash, Owens persisted in her initial criticisms of Israel, but then resorted to invoking antisemitic stereotypes. She wrote about “political Jews” and a “select group of individuals who happen to be Jewish and exploit their religion to shield themselves from any form of criticism”.
The situation took a turn for the worse on Monday when Owens endorsed an antisemitic post on social media. The post inquired whether right-wing pro-Israel rabbi Shmuley Boteach was once again intoxicated by the blood of Christians.
Owens received backlash from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights against antisemitism but is known to focus on critics of Israel as well.
They shared a report from Media Matters, where far-right figure Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust denier, commended Owens for supposedly starting a “full-scale war against the Jews”.
Owens refutes the allegations of antisemitism and asserts that she is unfamiliar with Nick Fuentes.
Taking to X, she said in response to the ADL:
“Everyone can see what you guys are doing to me. Your pattern is well established and the world is waking up to it. My crime is having stood up for myself against your network of smears.”
The right-wing American commentator further stated that “her crime” was not believing “that American taxpayers should have to pay for Israel’s wars or the wars of any other country.”
