Jewish public figures in the US are pointing the finger at influencer Candace Owens following the arson of the Beit Israel synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi.
The suspect in the arson, 19-year-old Steven Pittman, called the site “the synagogue of Satan," and after being read his rights in court declared: “Jesus Christ is the sovereign." If convicted, he faces a federal arson sentence of five to twenty years in prison.
Candace Owens, a prominent influencer in the US, has in recent years promoted a sharply antisemitic agenda. In one social media post, she accused Israel of rape and murdering innocent people, of land theft, and of sexually exploiting leaders. She concluded that post with the same antisemitic phrasing used by the arsonist: “synagogue of Satan. Jesus will triumph."
US Attorney General Pam Bondi called the act “antisemitic violence that has no place in our country," and said that, "unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let antisemitism fester and flourish."