UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan has reportedly declined an opportunity to interview Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to claims made by the prime minister’s son on social media.
The controversy emerged following Netanyahu’s recent appearance on the Full Send Podcast with the Nelk Boys, which drew significant criticism for its lack of challenging questions during the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The podcast hosts later acknowledged their shortcomings in a social media apology, with Kyle stating, “I wish I could go back in time to grill him harder. We just went in there unequipped to interview him, and that’s the honest truth.”
Following this backlash, Netanyahu apparently sought to appear on other prominent podcasts, including Rogan’s massively popular show. However, Yair Netanyahu took to social media platform X to reveal that the Joe Rogan Experience host had turned down the opportunity.
“Great wake up call for conservatives to remember Joe Rogan is not a conservative,” Yair Netanyahu wrote in his post. He went on to make more accusations, claiming that Rogan “gave platform to every single neo N*zi antis**ite on this plant, but he refuse to have my father on his show, because he knows that he doesn’t stand a chance against him, and all those years of antis**itic propaganda will go to waste.”
The alleged rejection comes amid Rogan’s increasingly vocal criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza. The podcast host has recently commented on the humanitarian situation, stating, “People waiting for food got b*mbed. And no one wants to talk about it. If you do speak on it, you’re anti-se**tic.”
The Nelk Boys’ misstep with their Netanyahu interview has apparently made other podcasters more cautious about providing uncritical platforms for political leaders during such contentious times. Rogan’s decision, if accurate, represents a notable shift in how major podcast platforms are approaching interviews with world leaders involved in ongoing conflicts.
As of now, neither Rogan nor representatives from his podcast have publicly confirmed or denied the claims made by Yair Netanyahu regarding the declined interview opportunity.
