Conservative commentators Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens are feuding on social media over their difference in opinion on the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.
The dispute began last month following the deadly attack by Hamas against Israel on Oct. 7. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has defended Israel’s response, while Owens has repeatedly criticized the state for its bombardment of Gaza.
The quarrel came to a head this month after Owens, who is employed by Shapiro’s media outlet the Daily Wire, posted on X that “there is no justification for a genocide” while referring to Israel’s actions. In video posted online Tuesday, Shapiro was seen criticizing Owens during a private event after being asked about her remarks on the issue.
“Her behavior during this has been disgraceful, without a doubt,” Shapiro said.
In an apparent response to the footage, Owens, who is a Christian, stated that “Christ is King” after sharing a Bible verse on X.
Shapiro shot back shortly after and sent the feud to new heights by suggesting that Owens quit her lucrative position at his company.
“Candace, if you feel that taking money from The Daily Wire somehow comes between you and God, by all means quit,” Shapiro said.
Refusing to back down, Owens once again declared that “Christ is King” after accusing Shapiro of misinterpreting her Bible quote.
“You are utterly out of line for suggesting that I cannot quote biblical scripture,” she said. “The Bible is not about you.”
Owens also replied to Shapiro’s post by stating that he has “been acting unprofessional and emotionally unhinged for weeks now.”
“And we have all had to sit back and allow it and have all tried to exercise exceeding understanding for your raw emotion,” she wrote. “But you cross a certain line when you come for scripture and read yourself into it. I will not tolerate it.”
The back-and-forth was followed by the release of an interview of Owens with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Although the segment was filmed prior to the pair’s argument on Wednesday, Owens nonetheless addressed the issues between her and Shapiro.
“I can’t respond to it beyond what he’s saying because it’s just ad-hominem attacks,” Owens said. “I can’t respond to it on a level of intellect because there’s nothing that he has expressed, at least in that short clip, that he fundamentally disagrees with in terms of what I said.”
Owens continued by suggesting that Shapiro should be embarrassed for his remarks about her that were captured on camera, arguing that “the video speaks more to Ben’s character than it speaks to mine.”
At this time, Owens still appears to be employed by the Daily Wire. Shapiro has not commented further on the dispute.
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Source: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/ben-shapiro-candace-owens-israel-feud/