Julian Casablancas added more heat to his hottest take that privileged, white “American Zionist” talk like they’re “Black people during slavery” in a newly released video of a speech at the Oxford debating society.
Delivered in May but released on YouTube Friday, The Strokes singer expanded on his perspective about Zionism, a controversial topic he first stepped into during an April appearance on SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma when asked to give his most controversial opinion.
On SubwayTakes Casablancas said “American Zionists get the benefits of white privileged people but talk like they are Black people during slavery” and addressed the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7th, 2023, saying that assault was bad, “But Native American rebellions didn’t mean it was okay to do what we did. Slave rebellions that were violent didn’t mean that slavery is not bad.”
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During his talk at Oxford, Casablancas clarified his SubwayTakes remarks, saying “So what I should have said in the subway take thing maybe — let’s call it settler style Zionist expansionist and maybe some good hearted indoctrinated moderates — when they’re talking in this kind of victim language, (it) is weird because they get many of the perks of white privilege and in America . . . But speak like they are Black people during slavery . . . So I was not talking to my friends who say Israel has the right to exist.”
Casablancas began his speech by talking about his opinion that words have lost meaning in political expressions and “keep our discussions going in these endless rage bait circles.”
One of those words is “Zionism” to Casablancas, which led him to explain his thoughts on the term. Here’s an excerpt of his talk on the topic:
“Discrimination obviously is vile. And I think antisemitism is stupid and small-minded and vile. Many of my most dearest friends happen to be Jewish, and some are the most moral, bright, wonderful people I’ve ever known. If you’re Jewish or Muslim or anything other than a Nazi type, wonderful. You are my brother. Be proud. Devout. You should love Israel, and I want to be able to go there, and I want to know it’s going to be a safe place. And that’s all well and good at this point.
Now in terms of dividing up the word Zionism, I think the true nerve point really comes down to one thing, and that is ‘expansion.’ Expansion is the key concept, I think, more than a vague nationalism or love of a country — meaning Israel settlements and greater Israel. You can love England and want its inhabitants safe without wanting it to control India, for example. The greater America project is insane to me, but I don’t feel the need to be defensive ’cause I’m American. I can differentiate. I can say ‘it’s fucked.’ I can say (larger) reparations are . . . far overdue.
So the Zionist convo, I think, is very muddled right there. So as we don’t have ideal distinctions yet in our public discourse. The only litmus tests people kind of use instead, for anyone, non-Jewish as well . . . is if you can acknowledge and agree there’s been a genocide toward Palestinians. Then, basically for the peace activist, the drama is over right there. The conversation can move on and there are no qualms. You’re an ally of peace, and we move on to bigger and better things in unity. There’s no disagreements.
However, from the perspective even of Jewish peace activists, if there is a weird reciting of certain propaganda points, which includes not being able to say it’s a genocide, it’s kind of akin to not being able to say Black Lives Matter. You’re showing you maybe don’t quite get what the issue is . . . If the only thing you can bring yourself to say is “Netanyahu is the problem” or “Well, I believe Israel has the right to exist,” you are perhaps accidentally signaling to some that you indirectly, maybe by accident, whoopsie, are supporting Jewish supremacy and white supremacy in a sense. It is a sort of dog whistle to those who are fighting to see basic equal rights for any and all.”
Casablancas discussed his distinction between “green liners,” who believe Israel’s borders are set — a group he belongs to — and “expansionists,” who want Israel to expand. This latter group and the idea they promote, the singer described as causing turmoil in the Middle East.
Getting back to the origins of the whole controversy, The Strokes singer said, in his defense, he had given nine takes before talking about “American Zionists” on SubwayTakes.
“I feel much stronger about the long audio messages,” Casablancas told the Oxford crowd.
Casablancas is not a fan of those lengthy, winding, and meandering messages.
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