Watching Zionism Wreck The Anti-Woke Movement | Live with Lee Fang & Leighton Woodhouse

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of appearing on Lee Fang and Leighton Woodhouse’s livestream. I’ve long admired Lee and Leighton, who like myself, are veterans of the anti-woke movement who have since become frustrated by the hypocrisy of our former colleagues who once claimed to be principled advocates for free speech, yet now support the Trump administration’s crackdown against speech critical of Israel, and once claimed to be principled opponents of identity politics, yet now embrace Jewish identity politics.

This was a fun one! In our conversation, we covered:

• My ideological journey to libertarianism, atheism, and anti-Zionism.

• The selective application of anti-identity politics rhetoric by figures who defend Israel’s ethnonationalism.

• How the American far-Left has damaged the Palestinian cause.

• The failure of many libertarians to uphold libertarian philosophy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• How the weaponization of false allegations of antisemitism parallels the weaponization of allegations of racism by Black Lives Matter.

• The collapse of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR).

• The historical and religious roots of Jewish separatism.

• Strategies for fostering empathy and common humanity in a polarized debate.

Lee Fang is an investigative journalist known for his in-depth reporting on how organized interest groups and ideological systems shape public policy. His work has appeared in The Intercept, The Nation, and The Guardian, among other outlets. Now publishing primarily on Substack, he aims to deliver independent, nonpartisan journalism that goes beyond tribal narratives through original reporting and sharp analysis. Lee has built a reputation for his commitment to transparency and accountability.

Leighton Woodhouse is a journalist and an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker. He has written for numerous publications, including The Intercept, The New Republic, The Nation, Vice News, The Free Press, UnHerd, Real Clear Investigations, Tablet, and The Spectator. He has produced dozens of short documentary videos for The Intercept, The Washington Post, PBS Frontline and other outlets, and directed two feature documentary films, one of which was nominated for an Emmy Award. He has a Masters Degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley.