LouAronson

New: Joe Rogan reveals to comedian Sam Tallent that the real reason Israel restricts DNA ancestry testing is because most of the people over there aren’t Semites and are actually just European Jews: ROGAN: “The real Semites are the Palestinians. Benjamin Netanyahu’s family is from Poland.” CONTEXT: Israel does have restrictions on DNA testing. According to Israel's Ministry of Health, paternity and family-relationship DNA tests generally require a COURT ORDER, even when everyone involved consents. And there's an especially surprising detail. MyHeritage, an ancestry-testing company HEADQUARTERED IN ISRAEL that offers DNA kits internationally, explicitly lists ISRAEL among the countries where its consumer ancestry tests are unavailable. But that does NOT establish Rogan's allegation about WHY these restrictions exist. Israel's genetic-information laws address matters including consent, family relationships, privacy, and potential consequences for children. There is no substantiated evidence that the restrictions were created to conceal the ethnic origins of Israel's Jewish population. And when Rogan brings up Netanyahu's Polish family roots, he's referencing something with a documented historical basis. Netanyahu's father, Benzion Netanyahu, was born in WARSAW in 1910, before his family immigrated to what was then British Mandatory Palestine. But European family history doesn't automatically mean someone has no ancient Middle Eastern ancestry. In fact, scientific research reveals a much more complicated story. IMPORTANT NOTES: A major genetic study published in NATURE in 2010 found evidence connecting many Jewish diaspora communities to shared ancestral origins in the LEVANT. And a 2020 study published in CELL examined ancient DNA from Bronze Age populations in the region. Researchers found substantial genetic continuity between ancient Levantine populations and multiple populations living in the region today, including Jewish and Arab communities. In other words, the evidence points to a history of shared regional ancestry, migrations, and intermixing. It’s not a simple genetic division between two populations. Then Rogan takes the discussion even further. He questions whether the term ANTISEMITISM should instead be called “anti-Jewish,” arguing that Palestinians have a stronger claim to being called Semites. But there's another important historical distinction. “Semitic” originally refers to a LANGUAGE FAMILY that includes Hebrew and Arabic, not a scientifically defined genetic race. And the word “antisemitism,” despite its linguistic roots, has historically referred specifically to hostility or prejudice toward JEWISH PEOPLE.