Candace Owens and the Normalization of Hate

By Dr. Tim Orr

Candace Owens’ recent remarks on antisemitism are not just flippant—they’re morally bankrupt, historically ignorant, and dangerously inflammatory. Her dismissal of Jewish suffering as “fatiguing” and her sneering comparison of Zionists to BLM activists expose something far deeper than ignorance. It combines arrogance, opportunism, and a callous disregard for truth.

Trivializing Suffering: The Luxury of Fatigue

Owens claims that “We are all fatigued with antisemitism.” Let’s be clear: only someone untouched by the scars of history could afford such exhaustion. Owens may mock the conversation as “excruciatingly annoying,” but for Jews, antisemitism isn’t an intellectual annoyance—it’s a lived reality. It’s the synagogue shooter in Pittsburgh. It’s the Jew beaten on the streets of Paris. The chilling chants of “From the river to the sea” echo through modern protests.

Fatigue? Jews don’t have that luxury. For millennia—through expulsions, inquisitions, pogroms, and genocides—they’ve carried the burden of hatred. Owens’ indifference is not courage; it’s complicity. To shrug off antisemitism as a tired grievance is to stand alongside those who perpetuate it.

Candace Owens, the Modern Enabler of an Ancient Hatred

Owens isn’t just dismissing antisemitism; she’s breathing new life into it. By reducing Zionists to caricatures and mocking Jewish fears, she hands bigots a shiny new talking point: “See? Even Candace Owens thinks they’re out of touch.” Her rhetoric is music to the ears of those who already see Jewish existence as a problem to be solved.

Let’s not be fooled by her cheap comparisons to the BLM movement. This isn’t about critiquing injustice. It’s about weaponizing outrage. Owens knows exactly what she’s doing. She positions herself as the voice of the “fatigued”—those who think caring about Jewish suffering is too inconvenient, too untrendy. Her words sanitize hatred, wrapping it in a slick veneer of populist cynicism: “It’s not antisemitism—I’m just tired of their whining.”

But antisemitism doesn’t fade when we ignore it. It festers, shapeshifts, and spreads. In her arrogance, Candace Owens has become an accelerant to that fire.

Mocking Zionism: Owens’ Intellectual Laziness

Owens’ dismissal of Zionism as “out of touch” betrays her utter ignorance of history. Zionism isn’t a fad or an ideology of privilege—it’s the Jewish people’s response to centuries of displacement, persecution, and slaughter. It’s the belief that Jews deserve a homeland after being hunted across continents for generations.

Owens reduces this to a punchline because nuance doesn’t trend. Complexity doesn’t get clicks. But history is clear: dismissing Jewish self-determination always ends with Jews paying the price. Owens may think Zionism is annoying. To millions of Jews, it’s survival.

From Cruelty to Complicity

Candace Owens thrives on applause from those who mistake cruelty for candor. Her followers cheer as she mocks Jewish suffering because it permits them to do the same. This isn’t bravery. It’s cowardice. Owens isn’t tired of antisemitism—she’s tired of being held accountable for amplifying it.

But accountability matters. Her words embolden those who already harbor antisemitic beliefs. They allow hatred to embed itself deeper into our cultural and political discourse. Owens may laugh off her critics, but history has a long memory. It remembers the enablers. It remembers those who mocked injustice while others paid for it with their lives.

Antisemitism Never Tires—And Neither Can We

Owens’ greatest failure is her complete lack of moral clarity. She speaks as if antisemitism is obsolete as if Jewish fears are overblown. But hatred never disappears—it evolves. It finds new voices, new platforms, and new excuses. Owens, knowingly or not, has aligned herself with the very forces that have sought to erase Jews for centuries.

History teaches us a painful truth: indifference becomes complicity, and complicity becomes bloodshed. Owens claims to be tired of the conversation, but Jews have no choice but to remain vigilant. Their survival demands it.

The Moral Imperative: Standing Against Owens’ Rhetoric

Candace Owens may be fatigued, but we cannot afford to be. The fight against antisemitism is not a trend or an annoyance; it’s a moral line in the sand. You are either on the side of justice or you are not. Owens has chosen her side—a side that emboldens bigots, trivializes suffering, and mocks those who dare to speak up.

Let her roll her eyes. Let her laugh. The rest of us will carry on—because history demands that we do. Jews are still here. Zionism is still here. And those of us committed to truth and justice will continue to stand long after Candace Owens’ moment of relevance has faded into silence.

History remembers the enablers—and it never forgives them.

Tim Orr is a scholar of Islam, Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford University, Imperial College London, the University of Tehran, Islamic College London, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including articles in Islamic peer-reviewed journals and three books.