# 147: Do The Reich Thing, with Rolla Selbak Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwBcTFRqfHI Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/WwBcTFRqfHI Generated: 2025-10-01T00:00:33.482+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The hosts and guest Rola Selbak discuss the recent controversial South Park episode addressing antisemitism and the Gaza conflict, focusing on a plot where Kyle's mother confronts Netanyahu, and extensively analyze Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with right-wing and evangelical influencers where he coined the term "woke Reich" to describe critics, subsequently detailing their failed public diplomacy efforts, particularly regarding the planned purchase of TikTok. **Key Points:** - The hosts praise the recent South Park episode for smartly handling the sensitive topic of antisemitism stoked by Israeli actions, noting the satirical point that Netanyahu is "the number one exporter of anti-semitism across the world." - The episode culminates with Kyle's mother confronting Netanyahu, telling him, "You're making life for Jews miserable and life for American Jews impossible," and criticizing him for "wrapping yourself in Judaism like it's some shield from criticism." - Benjamin Netanyahu met with Christian evangelical and Zionist influencers after his UN speech, where he tried to rally support and introduced the pun, "I call it the woke Reich," to describe right-wing critics of Israel. - The podcast panel universally dismisses Netanyahu's "woke Reich" pun as a "shitty pun" and a desperate attempt to train his paid influence army, noting that he simultaneously blames Qatari money and Soros for anti-Israel sentiment. - Netanyahu identified social media as the most important battlefield and cited the potential purchase of TikTok as the most important defensive maneuver against pro-Palestine sentiment, which the hosts argue is spreading organically despite censorship. - Guest Rola Selbak expressed that her heart is broken but grateful, and the panel discussed how Israel's public diplomacy efforts, including funding influencers, fail because they ignore the reality of Zionism being an apartheid and genocidal ideology. - The hosts note that Israel's current propaganda strategy is flawed because people can see the truth ("It's against the algorithms"), contrasting with past eras where they successfully colonized the narrative through mainstream institutions. **Context:** The Bad Hasbara podcast hosts, Matt Lee and Daniel Mate (celebrating his 50th birthday), welcome back returning guest, Palestinian filmmaker Rola Selbak, to discuss current events surrounding Israel's public diplomacy and recent media controversies. The discussion centers heavily on the implications of a new South Park episode and recent actions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to counter growing anti-Israel sentiment online, particularly among certain right-wing circles. ## Detailed Analysis The episode opens with birthday wishes for Daniel and announcements about upcoming live shows. The primary discussion begins with the analysis of the latest South Park episode, which tackled the controversy surrounding a betting app taking wagers on whether Kyle's mother would bomb a hospital in Gaza. The hosts and Selbak conclude that South Park handled the material smartly, using satire to point out that Israeli actions under Netanyahu are stoking antisemitism globally, making Israel the "number one exporter of anti-semitism." The episode's resolution, where Kyle's mother confronts Netanyahu directly about using Judaism as a shield, is highlighted as effective writing. Following this, the conversation pivots to Netanyahu's meeting with pro-Israel influencers where he coined the term "woke Reich" to describe critics like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens; the hosts found the pun humiliatingly unfunny and indicative of desperation. Netanyahu claimed this new opposition was funded by moneyed interests equivalent to the 'woke left,' a claim the hosts refute by pointing out Israel's own massive propaganda spending and its direct funding of groups like Dell's technology used in Gaza. Selbak and the hosts detail how Netanyahu is attempting a hamfisted maneuver by pushing for the purchase of TikTok to control the narrative, believing social media functions like passive television, failing to grasp that pro-Palestine sentiment is spreading organically against algorithm suppression. They conclude that Israel's propaganda machine, once effective in controlling mainstream institutions, is now failing because the public has access to unfiltered information, forcing them into desperate measures like buying platforms. ### Podcast Housekeeping - Daniel celebrated his 50th birthday - The show is planning a mailbag episode during their upcoming New York trip, including a stand-up debut at The Bell House on October 13th - Today's episode is sponsored by the Middle East Children's Alliance (MECA for peace.org). ### South Park Analysis - The episode focused on a betting app wagering on Kyle's mother bombing Gaza - The episode satirically blames Netanyahu for being the "number one exporter of anti-semitism" - The hosts affirm Israel should be made fun of, despite the horror of the situation. ### Netanyahu's Influencer Summit - Netanyahu met with Christian evangelical and Jewish Zionist influencers post-UN speech - He used the phrase "woke Reich" to describe critics, which the hosts found pathetic - Netanyahu falsely claimed external moneyed interests fund anti-Israel campaigns, ignoring Israel's own spending. ### The TikTok Propaganda Pivot - Netanyahu identified social media as the most important battlefield and is attempting to buy TikTok and X to control discourse - The hosts assert that pro-Palestine sentiment is spreading organically against censorship and algorithmic suppression - They argue Netanyahu fundamentally misunderstands social media, treating it as passive like TV. ### Guest Insight from Rola Selbak - Selbak stated her heart is broken but grateful while acknowledging the need to keep doing our best - She discussed the efforts of influencers like 'opinionated girl' who spout Hezbara talking points, such as claiming AIPAC is not foreign lobbying despite its name (American Israel Public Affairs Committee).