The Jewish corner of social media has been in an uproar since this past weekend, after a 20-year-old influencer arrived in Israel.
The influencer, Braden Eric Peters, known online as Clavicular, is best known for his practice of "looksmaxxing," which aims to achieve good looks by all means necessary, even if that means taking a hammer to the face, something Clavicular has done.
The visit to Israel has Jewish social media personalities split, almost all have taken a side for or against, with only a few standing on the side as spectators with the proverbial popcorn.
The reason for the opposition to the trip is two-fold: Clavicular is part of the online subculture known as the "manosphere," a largely misogynistic movement that seeks to turn men into "alpha males." Among the accusations against him, he is facing a lawsuit by another internet creator who claims he intoxicated and sexually abused her when she was a minor.
The second reason for the outrage is Clavicular's not-so-distant past of antisemitism. Several videos posted online from earlier this year show the young influencer in a Miami club and again in a limo with other manosphere and rage-bait influencers, several of whom are known for espousing antisemitic views, singing and dancing to Kanye West's "Heil Hitler."
Clavicular continues to maintain contacts with antisemitic influencers, albeit many of them have turned their backs on him because he visited Israel. Just two days before leaving for Israel, he shared a video of white supremacist and antisemitic streamer Nick Fuentes. While the Fuentes video discussed women being unfaithful on social media and had nothing to do with Jews, many critics say this proves that Clavicular has no remorse for his antisemitic actions.
That being said, those who support the trip believe it is a sign that Clavicular is turning over a new leaf, or at least hope that a positive experience could change him. Many argue that his actions stem not from pure antisemitic beliefs, but rather from being part of a culture that seeks to shock with politically-incorrect content.
Clavicular himself has vehemently rejected that his visit to Israel had any political implications or undertones, one way or the other, and has pushed hard to make it known that he does not wish to express any political position.
"Essentially advocating with a 20-year-old to share his political opinions with the massive audience I have is wildly irresponsible. I'm very conscious of the influence I have, which is why I only speak about topics such as Looksmaxing, which I spent years of my life researching," the influencer wrote on X.
"More influencers need to humble themselves and realize that they are ignorant politically (or just generally stupid)."
Speaking to The Free Press, he explained that he had flown to the Jewish state for the virality. “The main thing is everyone’s talking about it, right? It’s like one of the most trending things on the timeline. It’s all over the media right now, so it’s an undeniably good idea."
In the interview, Clavicular noted his surprise at Israel, “You look up on TikTok about Israel, and it says it’s like bombs and stuff like that, but we’re here, and it’s not, it’s not that. It’s a good time."
He added, "All these women are good-looking."
That last sentiment is worrying many on the side that is unhappy with the visit. Since he began his visit, much of which he has live-streamed online, the internet has been full of clips of Clavicular surrounded by young Israeli teenagers as he sweet-talked Israeli girls.
One recurring character in the video was Israeli content creator Shira Braun. Braun is seen escorting the influencer through Tel Aviv, at one point being lifted in a rather sensual manner. During the livestream, Braun revealed that she manages the IDF's international TikTok account, causing much excitement among Clavicular and his entourage.
Braun has faced heavy backlash, including extreme threats, following her appearance with the influencer, and has since apologized, claiming she was unaware of the accusations against her. Additionally, the IDF stated that she will face disciplinary action. "The soldier acted without coordination with her commanders, and her conduct does not meet the standards expected of IDF soldiers. The incident is under investigation, and the soldier will face disciplinary action," the IDF Spokespersons Unit wrote in a statement.
Another Israeli creator, who also later claimed he was unaware of who Clavicular is, posted that the influencer was looking for a date. In one of the live streams, the creator is seen telling the visitor that a 35-year-old woman is offering herself and her daughter.
Many fear that Clavicular's exploits with the women of Tel Aviv have a darker motive. To many critics of the visit, the internet personality is seeking to demean Jewish women and portray them as easy to pick up.
To this claim, Clavicular's Jewish supporters argue that adult women are independent and capable of making their own decisions on who to go home with.
Supporters also say that someone with such a large young following showing Israel in a positive light could do more good than bad for the Jewish state. Some say that his problematic past should be put aside to boost Israel's standing in the world.
A post by Algemeiner journalist Corey Walker, which Clavicular shared, puts the claim into words. Referring to an interview with Israel's Channel 13, which the influencer ended abruptly after being asked to apologize for the Heil Hitler video, Walker wrote: "I have no clue why Israeli outlets are fumbling the Clavicular situation so badly. He's a massive influencer in the US and is depicting Israel in a largely positive light. Most of what I've seen is people continuing to take actions which will likely only harm Israel much more."
"Does anyone think that getting on the bad side of one of the most influential male Gen Z influencers is helpful? Israel already is way under water with anyone under the age of 35. Antagonizing Clavicular is simply not the smart move whatsoever. He is not a political figure. Just keep it light, casual, and fun," he added.
Clavicular abruptly walks out of an interview with Channel 13