The national co-director of an anti-war group accused Jewish, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro of inspiring violence.
After discussing various matters of foreign policy on Shapiro’s daily radio show, co-director of Code Pink and ardent Bernie Sanders supporter Ariel Gold attempted to persuade the conservative host that her positions were not “extreme.” Gold asserted that Israel did not have the right to exist as a Jewish state, agreed that the military should have nearly no role in foreign affairs and that sanctions should be placed on Israel, but not on Iran or Venezuela.
“I want to point out that these are not extreme views,” Gold said, prompting laughter from the conservative host. “You’re such a pleasure, Ariel,” Shapiro responded. Gold pressed further, suggesting that Shapiro’s views have inspired acts of violence from “Nazis and terrorists.”
“If we want to talk about supporting terrorism, Ben Shapiro. I just can’t help but, you know, remember, unfortunately, that both Nazis and terrorists are inspired by you,” Gold said.
“Ah, here we go,” Shapiro said, interrupting the activist. “Now I’ll point out Ariel that, by the same standard that you are using… I will notice that you are supporting a candidate, one of whose followers shot up a bunch of Republican congresspeople at a baseball game. I have never blamed him for that. And it is widely unfair to do so for anybody that has millions of followers.” In 2017, former House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot by a self-identified Sanders supporter while at baseball practice for the eventual congressional baseball game.
The shooter, who lived in Illinois, regularly posted hateful comments about Republicans and President Trump on social media. “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co,” the shooter wrote. He was also a member of several Facebook groups such as “Terminate the Republican Party,” “Expose Republican Fraud,” and “Donald Trump is not my president.”
Sanders condemned the shooting and violence of any kind: “Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society, and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms,” Sanders said on the Senate floor following the incident.
