Ariel Zilber
Candace Owens’ father-in-law sought to distance himself from her controversial comments about Jews that have sparked an uproar, prompting social media users to accuse her of spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Lord Michael Farmer, the British aristocrat who made his fortune in metal trading, began a lengthy X thread on Monday by writing: “In view of public comments from a high-profile member of my family, I want to put my own views on antisemitism and Israel’s current military campaign in Gaza on public record.”
Farmer, a big-money donor to Conservative Party politicians in the UK, wrote that he was “very aware of the cruelty meted out” against Jews both before and during the World War II period when he came of age.
“The best man at my wedding and life-long friend was Jewish,” Farmer wrote, adding that he valued the “kindness and thoughtfulness from Jewish friends … at a time when I had few close relationships.”
Farmer, a member of the House of Lords, which is the upper chamber of the UK parliament, went on to praise Israel as a “rare example of a democracy in the Middle East.”
“Of course, it has the right to defend its citizens when murderously attacked on its soil in one of the cruelest and most callous pogroms in history,” Farmer wrote, referencing the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas which left nearly 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians dead and scores more in Hamas captivity.
“We cannot forget the large number of innocent hostages that were taken,” Farmer wrote, noting that “many have died, and some are still missing.”
“Israel faces an existential threat as Hamas, the terrorist organization, has stated their intention to destroy it,” he added.
Farmer noted that “the plight of civilians in Gaza is also utterly appalling but I see Israel has little option but to fight its enemy where it chooses to hide itself — in tunnels under key infrastructure and behind innocent civilians.”
“We cannot forget that they have been forced to prosecute this war,” Farmer wrote.
Owens released a statement to The Post in which she said: “I so genuinely hate to take the wind out of the media’s sails, but I just returned from a two-week holiday with my father-in-law 72 hours ago.”
“While we have different perspectives on a variety of topics, we do not disagree on what it means to be a family,” Owens said in her statement.
The podcaster added that “any institution or individual that seeks to divide a family is Godless.”
“It is my hope that society can return to a place where political matters do not inspire familial rifts,” Owens said, adding: “I am tremendously proud that we offer an example of that.”
Over the weekend, Owens, who commands a following of more than 5.4 million people on social media, co-hosted an X Spaces broadcast titled “The Truth About Zionism” during which she suggested that Israel played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
She also said in a video posted to X that “Catholics and Christians were going missing on Passover” and that “they would find bodies across Europe and they were able to trace them back to Jews.”
Owens, who parted ways with the Daily Wire earlier this year after getting into a public spat with the media company’s co-founder Ben Shapiro over Israel, also said that a “Frankist cult that was masquerading behind Jews still participates in this s–t to this day.”
She also repeated her accusation that Israel is a haven for Jewish pedophiles who flee justice in the United States.
“I am just so over the idea that Israel is our ally,” Owens said in a video that was widely circulated on X over the weekend.
“If another person says that stupid statement, I’m going to personally punch you in the face,” Owens said, before adding that it was a “joke.”
Farmer’s son, George Farmer, is a former CEO of the now-defunct social media app Parler.
In October 2019, George Farmer and Owens, 35, wed at a lavish ceremony at the Trump Winery near Charlottesville, Va., in front of a star-studded guest list that included actor Jon Voight, radio host Larry Elder, Brexit leader Nigel Farage and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
The two married just eight months after meeting at an inaugural event which launched Turning Point UK.
The couple has two young children.
This post was originally posted by New York Post
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