The New York Times is facing backlash over its characterization of the term “J-pilled,” with critics accusing the paper of downplaying the antisemitic nature of the word.
In an article titled “I Think That MAGA Is Dying: Inside the Youth Movement at CPAC,” reporter Nathan Taylor Pemberton wrote that, “20-somethings in rumpled suits were gathered in clusters, debating the merits of a ground invasion in Iran, the conservative backlash against those who were ‘J-pilled’ (far-right slang for skepticism of Israeli influence), the backbreaking costs of American life and what they saw as the slow demise of the Trump era.”
Critics said the description misrepresented the term. An entry on Urban Dictionary, a crowdsourced online dictionary for slang words and phrases, defines “Jew pill” as adopting conspiratorial or hostile beliefs about Jews.
“They are so used to smoothing out woke left antisemitism, they did the same to woke right,” political writer Katya Sedgwick stated.
Jerry Dunleavy, chief investigative correspondent for Just the News, wrote that the paper is “just casually whitewashing what ‘J-pilled’ actually means (hint hint: ‘Israel’ doesn’t start with ‘J.’)”
Lahav Harkov of Jewish Insider compared it to “when the BBC translates Palestinians talking about the ‘Yahood’ (Jews) as Zionists.”
Melissa Weiss, executive editor of Jewish Insider, questioned how multiple editors at the Times looked at the story without asking what the “J” stood for.
“Here’s a hint. It isn’t Israel,” Weiss stated.
