# 172: Unglazed, with Jeremy Kaplowitz Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VD-Kiwdhlo Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/9VD-Kiwdhlo Generated: 2026-01-14T03:01:15.914+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The hosts and guest Jeremy Kaplowitz analyze the controversy surrounding a protest outside a Queens synagogue against a real estate event selling land in the illegal West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, focusing heavily on the media and political condemnation of the chant "We support Hamas here" as anti-Semitic, which the hosts argue misrepresents the protest's core focus on land theft and ignores concurrent anti-Palestinian chants. **Key Points:** - The protest occurred outside Agudath Israel synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, targeting a real estate event organized by Mortgage Israel promoting sales in Ma'ale Adumim, a West Bank settlement illegal under international law. - The host argues that the narrative immediately pivoted to condemn the chant "We support Hamas here," completely erasing the anti-Zionist Jewish participation and the protest's actual focus on "blatant land theft and dispossession." - AOC's tweet condemning the chant as "vile anti-semitism" is critiqued for using loaded language like "marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood" to conjure parallels to historical events like the KKK march in Skokie. - Brad Lander's statement condemning the chant as "vile anti-semitism" while mentioning the land sales is criticized for prioritizing language over the urgency of opposing the illegal land sales and apartheid system. - Mayor Eric Adams' statement that the language "has no place in New York City" is characterized as a useless, school-counselor-like response that caters to Zionists without addressing the fundamental issue of the land sale. - The hosts contend that supporting the resistance movement of an occupied people, even one that includes Hamas, is not inherently anti-Semitic, and doing things that upset Jews is distinct from anti-Semitism. - The New York Times coverage is slammed for journalistic malpractice, incorrectly stating the land was stolen during the creation of Israel (it was occupied in '67) and vaguely reporting that protesters "hurled anti-semitic slurs" without quoting them, contrasting sharply with direct quotes from the pro-Israel side chanting "We love ICE." **Context:** The podcast "Bad Hazbara" (hosted by Matt Lee and Daniel Mate) features comedian Jeremy Kaplowitz to discuss a recent political controversy in New York. The central event involved a protest organized by PAL Auda outside a synagogue where a real estate company was advertising properties in Ma'ale Adumim, an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. The discussion centers on how local politicians, including Mayor Eric Adams, and media outlets like the New York Times framed the resulting backlash, specifically focusing on the chant "We support Hamas here" rather than the underlying issue of illegal land sales. ## Detailed Analysis The episode dissects the political and media reaction to a protest against an illegal West Bank settlement land sale being advertised at a Queens synagogue, arguing that the controversy was manufactured to distract from the land theft itself. Kaplowitz notes that the company, Mortgage Israel, was promoting luxury living in Ma'ale Adumim, which is squarely in the West Bank and part of the apartheid system, and that the protest was organized against this "blatant land theft." The hosts highlight that the narrative was immediately hijacked by politicians like AOC and Brad Lander, who focused solely on condemning the chant "We support Hamas here" as anti-Semitic, ignoring the fact that anti-Zionist Jewish participants were present and that the protest's purpose was opposition to settlement expansion. The analysis heavily criticizes the language used by political figures, deeming AOC's framing of it as a march into a "predominantly Jewish neighborhood" deliberately evocative of historical persecution, and Mayor Adams' statement that the chant "has no place in New York City" as classic, capitulating political language designed to appease established power structures. The hosts argue that supporting a resistance movement is not synonymous with anti-Semitism and that focusing on the chant allows the media, specifically citing the New York Times, to obscure the core issue: the illegal land sales and the US role in supporting the occupation by focusing on vague claims of "anti-Semitic slurs" while directly quoting pro-Israel chants like "We love ICE." ### Podcast Introduction and Guest - Hosts Matt Lee and Daniel Mate welcome back Jeremy Kaplowitz, noting his neck pain and admitting to taking a CBD gummy; they promote their Patreon and merchandise before transitioning to the main topic. ### The Queens Protest Context - A protest by PAL Auda targeted a real estate event at Agudath Israel synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills promoting sales in Ma'ale Adumim, an illegal West Bank settlement located outside Jerusalem boundaries. ### Critique of Narrative Shift - The discussion emphasizes that the focus shifted from protesting land theft to condemning the chant "We support Hamas here," erasing the presence of anti-Zionist Jewish protesters and ignoring chants from the pro-Israel side like "We love ICE." ### Analysis of Political Condemnations - AOC and Brad Lander are criticized for their immediate, strong condemnation of the chant, which the hosts believe is performative and distracts from the actual political issue of settlement expansion. ### Mayor Adams' Response - Mayor Adams' statement that the language "has no place in New York City" is interpreted as an Obamified, establishment-aligned tactic meant to quell controversy rather than address the underlying injustice of the land sales. ### Media Misrepresentation - The New York Times is cited for journalistic malpractice, falsely claiming the land was stolen during Israel's creation (not 1967 occupation) and vaguely describing pro-Palestine chants as "anti-semitic slurs" while providing direct quotes from the pro-Israel side.